Delicious Ridiculousness

Work for Friends

2012-01-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

The start of the New Year has slowly been getting better after a rocky start. My painting and home crafts have kept me positive though. I gave my friend and colleague, Jason, a Christmas present that I knew he would appreciate.

I wanted to try out some new texture techniques. The background is very mountain-esque in texture. I then decided to add some bright, glimmering shots of color. Jason and I have plans to make our lives more vibrant and joyful in 2012, and I felt that this painting captured our new outlooks. He loved it. Here's an up-close look:

A painting that was also done with a focus on texture was for my beloved friends, Nikki and Matt. They got MARRIED this past summer and I wanted to give them an original gift. Nikki is one of my most fun friends. She loves bright, beautiful colors, just like her spirit. Here is the finished product:

The background has several layers and includes some defining lines.

I think the yellow is very cheery and Nikki actually ended up hanging it in her classroom (she is teacher--and a dang good one, at that!). Happy New Year to my wonderful friends. May these paintings always remind you of how much I care about you!

Untitled

2012-01-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

I wrote my last post on this blog almost one year ago (362 days ago, to be exact). Within those 362 days, a lot of people have been so supportive of me and my lack of blogging. Many you of would politely ask, "so, could you please write a blog post soon? We miss you." Some people told me that they checked every day in the hopes that I would post. And my dear friends, I completely appreciated it.
I do have a good reason for not posting, but have no excuse for why it took me so long to get back in the blogging game. The truth is that January 10, 2011 was the 10th anniversary of my dad's death. I had been planning a blog post for several weeks leading up to the pivitol anniversary. The post was going to be about my "decade in review". A major question I had was: what had I accomplished? What dreams had I made come true? Was I leaving a legacy that my dad would be proud of?
And when I sat down to write the inevitably emotional post, I couldn't do it. The words weren't coming. And I felt sad.
I pondered it for the rest of January 2011. But the inspiration never came. I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to face the past and evaluate it. Maybe because I wasn't so sure that I would be proud.
The days passed and turned into weeks and then months. On top of everything, I had one of the best, yet busiest, years of my life as I MARRIED MY LOVE. Consequently, the preparation, the wedding and the awesome honeymoon that followed, took up most of my personal time--in an amazing way. But blogging became a non-essential.
Then, after the excitement had worn off, I revisited my blog, but decided that I was unsure of the direction in which I wanted to continue. I'm still a little torn, but I know that I want to write to inspire, share, and spread a little joy for myself and for others who are kind enough to listen (well, read).
I suspect I needed a year off. I needed a year to re-group, find my voice again, and to focus on some very special people in my life (I'm talking to you, Russell Warren). But, just as we all are making New Year's Resolutions for 2012, I am renewing this blog and myself throughout the process. As far as my January 10, 2011 post, I'm still not ready to put everything in words but I am ready to admit that it's ok not to be.
Happily, some recent inspiration has come to me. Through my painting (sadly, this was another hobby that got put on hold in 2011). But these past few months have been productive as I've been making gifts for people I love. I'm thinking about opening an Etsy shop. Who doesn't want to make some extra cash for doing things they love?

This one is called "Adam and Ashley". It was created for my dear friends Adam and Ashley Barlow-Thompson. The painting depicts their colorful and joyful personalities.

This one is called "The Warrens". It was a Christmas present for my friend/sister-in-law Amy and my bro-in-law, Daniel. It is mixed media made from a 1950s dictionary and acrylic. The words and pictures from the dictionary apply to Amy and Daniel individually, and them as a couple. My hope is that they will find new words throughout time. Here is the close up:

Russell and I recently moved into a new house. We are so lucky to live in an amazing place that is big enough to have lots of friends and family over and we want it to be a community-gathering place. I need to fill the walls with art and since Russell has been asking me to make some that we can keep and not give away, this is what I came up with:

It's called "The Path of New Beginnings". Appropriately titled for this time our lives.

New posts to come soon. I won't put an estimate of when or how many per week, but I will definitely commit to writing more than I did in 2011! In all sincerity, thank you for your patience and your support this past 362 days.

A Productive New Year

2011-01-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New (creative, exciting, inspiring, joy-filled, delicious)Year!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you are feeling as great and inspired as I am. And not in the, "I want to work out and get healthier and make resolutions I'll never keep" way, but in the I want to "live an authentic, creative, and FUN year" way.

Russell and I rang in the New Year in style.

I then immediately got started on expressing more creative in the new year by painting my first work of 2011. This is a painting (the middle, larger one) I made for my sister for her birthday. Besides the fact that her birthday was in September (life glitch), Kerbi was excited to receive this.

As you can see my sister requested that the painting coordinate with other paintings that she already had up in her room. She also requested that it involve buttons, just like the tree painting called Spring Mix.

I'm extremely proud of myself for already finishing a painting and I can't wait to work on my next one. I'm thinking I might even tackle the big 5x4 canvas I have patiently waiting (I've been too nervous to attempt it) in my basement.

That has HOW many calories?

2010-11-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

I had every intention of taking a day off today from healthy eating. I've done so good lately choosing nutritious, low-fat foods, but today I feel cruddy and have for the past 2 days, so I set out to eat yummy, make-me feel better food.

Panera is close to where I live and their white cheddar mac & cheese sounded exactly like what would make my day better. Now, I haven't been Panera in a while and so I was clearly not aware of some of the new changes they have made. One thing is that they have started a customer benefits card which I think is a smart marketing move as I always appreciate the chance to win free food.

The other change, I'm not sure I like so much: I looked up at the menu and my eyes immediately spotted the scrumptious mac & cheese. "I'll have the mac & cheese, please," I said to the man at the register. "Ok," he said. "What size?"

"I'm hungry enough for a large so I think I'll--wait, what?...A large has 980 calories????" I exclaimed. "Since when did you all start putting the calories next to the food? Today was going to be my Sunday off from eating healthy, but you've just ruined it! I can't consume something knowing that it has almost 1,000 calories!"

The man explained, "Well, we're trying to make it easier for people to eat healthier. You know what you should do? Order a small size and get some whole grain bread on the side."

Perturbed, but thankful for the suggestion I said, "You're right. I'll do that....but I AM taking the day off, so I'll have one of those orange scones to go with it!"

The man, in a fabulous tone exclaimed, "Amen sister! Even God took Sundays off."

That made the whole conversation worth it.

I'm torn between restaurants posting the calories for each food item. On one hand I think it is beneficial in aiding people to make good choices. However, the tubby girl in me thinks it sucks because sometimes I really don't care and don't want to know what I'm eating. I think overall it is a good move, but a word of caution: if you really want a morning bagel or a delicious salad, don't look up at the menu...just blindly order and be happy with your delicious choice.

Where else have you seen calories being posted in public? What are your thoughts?

It's Official: I'm a Mall-Walker

2010-11-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

It's true. I've become that woman. You know her. She walks around the mall on her lunch break. Not to shop; to walk. She may even wear comfy sneakers with her business-style dress...well, I haven't taken it to that level yet, but check back with me in a few weeks.

I make fun, but seriously I have LOVED becoming a mall-walker. Get this: I get a good 30-40 minutes of cardio and get to see all of the sales! So far, I've been really good about not buying too much and simply focusing on working out. It's been a great way to get away from the stress of the day at work and just have fun. I never thought I'd say I "have fun" on my lunch break, but I look forward to my walk everyday. It's even weather proof. And it adds to my exercise regime. I walk at lunch and then workout after work. I feel awesome. It's an easy, free way to feel healthier and I've now become a mall-walking advocate. I'm thinking of recreating these shirts and giving them to anyone who shares my "sweatin' while shopping" sentiment. Who will join me?

Food Matters

2010-11-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Have you seen it? Have you heard about it? Do you believe it?

If you haven't already, you NEED to see Food Matters.

Even if you aren't the biggest health nut, this movie makes good sense. I don't always eat the right things, but I am interested in living a healthier life...AND I want to feel better.

Do you ever think about how all of us feel tried all of the time? Do you ever think it might be tied to what we are eating? I'm not even talking simply "fast foods". I'm talking heavy meats, cheeses, and in my case, cupcakes (don't fret...I will never give these up. I might just scale back a bit.)

This film speaks about how the food we eat directly correlates with how we feel. We need more vitamins and nutrients and less preservatives and "fake foods". Warning: the film speaks a lot about the necessity of eating a RAW diet. This way of life will be hard to execute no matter where you live, but I really want to try and do it for at least a week and gauge how I feel. It focuses on superfoods and nutrients.

I don't know about you, but feeling better, more energetic and light, is super appealing. I will not be starting it this week due to work travel trips, but perhaps in the weeks to come and will experiment and blog on how I do.

Watch this movie. You can stream it from Netflix. Do it. You'll feel better. Maybe even lighter.

It was the best of times, it was the craziest of times

2010-11-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

3 months. It's been 3 months. 3. 3 months of craziness. 3 months of missing my blog, but 3 months of so much overwhelming lifedom that the sheer mass of excitement and craziness has paralyzed me from blogging. Over a year ago I started this blog; this post marks the beginning of a new year of online confessions for me. It's good to see you again, friends.

So what have I been up to? Here's the reader's digest version.

For the freshness of events, let's go backwards in time:

Halloween 2011--I made a wreath that replicated the one on the front cover of Modern Family magazine. Everyone kept asking me if I was going to give out candy corn for Halloween. No silly. I give out the good candy; I hot glue the crappy candy to a wreath.

Russell and I, once again, dressed up like a famous TV couple. This time, we had a wardrobe malfunction with Russell's hair. Yes, that is a green-haired Zack Morris.

I, of course, made our costumes. I must say I'm pretty proud of the way my stellar Kelly Kapawski sweatshirt came out.

I FINALLY got to see my beloved Camilo after a year of sadly being apart. Oh, and we made cupcakes. Riot. Ri-ot. It was not your regular Martha Stewart show.

I got free tickets from a friend to see Guster. Up close and personal. Loved it. Need more concerts. Soon.

Russell and I discovered Orange Leaf self-serve frozen yogurt. We proceeded to sell our souls to frozen yogurt and become bankrupt because of our obsession. (That's Red Velvet LOW FAT yogurt. Are you feeling the awesomeness?)

Russell and I left Kansas City after almost a year to follow our dreams back home in Wichita. KC was first city we both lived in at the same time (if you'll recall, we dated long distance for around 1.5 years).

It's the city where we continued to fall in love. The city we grew up in. The city we ate BBQ in.

It's also the city where I got this:

August 14, 2010 I got asked by the most awesome man in the world if I would marry him.

July 2, 2011 I will marry that wonderful man.

Let the craziness continue...

Ok, I really like this one...

2010-08-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

This is my second, perhaps last attempt (for a while, at least) at oil painting. I needed a picture for my bathroom and this one fits the bill.

My painting class is over, but I hope to take many more in the future. Next up? A painting for my guest room and also a birthday painting for my little sis. Also, cupcakes have definitely taken a back seat this summer due to the heat in my apartment, but don't worry as they will be making a comeback soon!

I don't like oily skin, but I like oil paints

2010-07-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here is my first attempt at oil paints. As much as they are a pain to clean, dry (takes a week) and get out of your clothes (impossible, by the way), they are amazingly smooth and blend well.

Cupcake Love from some friends

2010-07-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

A big, yummy THANK YOU to RV Designs for supporting me in my race to cupcake fame. Please head on over to their blog to participate in a contest where you can win my CUPCAKES if you vote and comment on their blog.

A lot of people have come out and supported me and I am so grateful for each and every one of you! Cupcake love to you all...good luck with the contest, please keep voting, and I hope I can send you some cupcakes soon:)

Watercolors

2010-07-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a painting class!

Needless to say, I'm having a blast. We learned about watercolors tonight and although I think I will experiment with them in the future, it is a little hard to let the control go with them and simply let the water flow.

Here is my first shot at watercolors. I call it "Experi-mental".

My first cupcake contest

2010-07-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

I just entered in my first cupcake contest...and it's a BIG one.

Duncan Hines is putting on a contest for the Emmy Awards. The rules are simple: make delicious cupcakes with at least one Duncan Hines product, the cupcake must be fairly easy to prepare and it must be unique.

I entered in my Choco-Caramel Pretzel "Glam" Cakes. Salty and Sweet Deliciousness....I would LOVE for everyone to vote for me. Voting runs until July 21 and you can vote as often as you would like. The top 10 people with the most votes get their recipes made and then a celebrity panel judges on the winner. Exciting to say the least.

A note: I usually do not use box cakes or frostings, as I make my cakes from scratch, but I do support Duncan Hines over other products. I did use a box and frosting of theirs for this contest since, duh, they are putting it on.

Please visit the official website and vote for "Choco-Caramel Pretzel Glam Cakes". I would love your support. Yay for cupcake contests. The first of many.

J'ai oublie le Tour!!!

2010-07-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

...which means, "I forgot the Tour! (de France)" in French. Well, I actually didn't forget about it...far from the truth as I've been watching like a crazed woman every day, but it's been on for over a week and I have not even mentioned it!

I heart the tour and all the hours of TV I must watch to follow it. I love the chase and the strategy of it all. Plus, the shear athletic ability it takes to compete is thrilling.

I have followed the the tour for about 5 years thanks to my cycling-enthused friend, Sean. He taught me about the teams, tactics, and a little bit of history. Now, I teach Russell the same.

It's been a blast watching this year. I'm not a huge Lance Armstrong fan (a personal beef) but I do support Livestrong and all it stands for. It's been nice to see other riders come forth as general contenders as it spices everything up.

I have some comrades who share my love of the sport. My wonderful friends Hillary and Carrie both love them some cycling. So much so that when they had their babies (Harper and Edmund, respectively), I made them both these onesies which Carrie's son Edmund so graciously modeled (Sorry, Hill, I couldn't find the pic of Harper):

If you've never seen the Tour, you should check it out. It is on at dawn on the Versus channel, although I recommend recording it and watching it at your leisure. Have fun and let me know if you have questions. Seriously give it a chance...you'll fall in love.

A video from my sister

2010-07-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

My sister, Kerbi, clearly follows my friends' blogs as she has gotten into making Google videos just like they have. She surprised Russell and I by making one for us! It was very sweet of her and I thought I'd share:

I'm in a painting?

2010-07-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Did I ever mention that I am actually in a painting? And I'm not talking about a painting of my own.

Last year I posed for a mural for Steve Murillo. Steve is a very well-known artist in Wichita, KS and weirdly enough, I have admired Steve's work (without knowing) since I was 5 years old.

My grandma worked at a bank when I was young and my mom would always take my sis and I to visit her. I would constantly stare at these huge (well, huge to me back then) abstract paintings in vivid colors of blue and red the hung near my grandma's desk. Years later my grandma would remind me that these paintings were Steve's after he not only painted a mural in my middle school but also after he painted a spectacular piece for Breakthrough, a nonprofit where I used to work. It was here where I met Steve and his partner Margie Sweeton. Both are amazing artists and more than that, wonderful people.

Steve asked me to be in a mural for a church, that depicted the congregation and the progression of Christ's death/resurrection. I didn't hesitate. I even got some friends to be in the mural (my friend Ashley and her family minus her new baby girl).

The man next to me is my "fake husband" Ryan. We thought it best not to have Russell in the mural just in case things didn't work out and our broken relationship be forever captured in paint.

I felt so blessed to be asked by Steve and I continue to be amazed by his work. To see a full view of the mural, go to Steve's website and click galleries--commissioned work--Holy Cross Lutheran Church.

A Rose from my Heart

2010-07-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

This piece took around a week to finish and is, as of today, hanging in my office at work. I experimented with using my finger as well as a brush to paint the rose. I call it "Curb Appeal"; it is an acrylic painting with two fabric canvases on each side.

I'm having so much fun painting that I've been thinking about opening up an Etsy store. I wanted to open one up a long time ago, but I couldn't exactly figure out how to sell cupcakes and properly ship them without melting. I have had a few requests to start selling some of the work, but I think it all comes down to figuring out shipping. New goal: tackle the art of shipping. Maybe something exciting to come...

Low-Fun Fourth of July

2010-07-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature sucked this weekend. She took out a bunch of anger on Wichita, KS and totally ruined my laying out plans. My tan is horrible. I am sad.

Additionally, I did a terrible job of taking pictures of the what fun I did have (which included an amazing SlowFoods pot luck, a wonderful trip with my mom to the farmer's market, a relaxing afternoon with Kat, Hill, and Harper, and a fun barbecue with Russell's family.) I did, however, take one photo:

These beautiful wild floors where bought at the farmer's market and were grown by a charming woman who sells bounds of bouquets for next to nothing. I was thoroughly happy to find a sunflower as I was in the great state of KS after all.

Although there was no sun, there were definitely some bright spots in the holiday weekend. I loved seeing my fam, Russell's fam, and my hilarious friends--every one warmed my soul...even though my skin did not get tan.

Guest Artist

2010-07-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

I have another piece of art to show, but it's from a guest artist...who ever could it be?

Russell, my beloved boyfriend.

June 27 was our 2 year (ah!) anniversary and Russell got me a fascinating new camera. BUT the best part of the gift?

The wrapping paper.

For those of you who do not know Russell well, he is NOT (with a capitol NO) the creative one in the relationship. So please believe me when I say that this work of art absolutely means the world to me as I know it took a lot of effort on his part.

The pictures of Oklahoma Joe's are included as this was where we ate on our first date and every year on June 27 since. Also note the beautiful block letters in the multi-shades of pink and blue.

I can honestly say that this is one of my most treasured works of art. And it doesn't hurt that I'm completely in love with the artist.

Manuscripts in Cars

2010-06-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

I could fill a novel with some of the thoughts I have had in my life while driving in a car. In fact, in college when I would drive the 4.5 hour stint from my university to my home town, I had ample time to weave together chapters upon chapters of fodder that ran through my brain as I passed minimally-distracting Midwestern plains.

For the most part, I replay situations that have already happened and occasionally spice them up a bit for entertainment purposes. I also heavily rely on my sometimes wonderful, sometimes burdensome, "planning" part of my brain to help me forecast what might happen in the future, how a upcoming event might play out. More often than not, these kinds of thoughts lead to nonproductive worrying or even worse, discontent.

Today, however, I thought about how I want to someday work at QuikTrip. For those of you who might have never been, let me just say that you are without a doubt missing out. It is the best gas station in the whole country. And, better yet, it is based in Kansas City, so I feel as if I am buying locally when I "shop" there. I usually stop at one for one of three things: 1) to fill up with gas, 2) to fill up with 44oz of delicious iced tea, or 3) to get coffee. Today was a coffee day. As I filled up my cup with a house blend and non-creamer French Vanilla (how do they make this?) I realized that the people working there truly bring me joy. They always make sure that the counter is clean, that there are enough straws to go around, and that the iced tea never runs out. Perhaps I don't actually want to work there, but more admire the institution as one of positivity and caffeine-filled happiness.

As I left and got in my car-slash-"think tank", I said I little internal "thank you" to QuikTrip for making my day...and for making it less than $2.

My new picture

2010-06-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

I finally finished another painting.

This one is called Buxom Blossom and sadly it came out way better than I thought. I know that sounds weird, but the canvas is only 8x10 inches and I had intended simply taking it to work. However, I loved the pattern so much that I have decided to replicate it with different colors on a bigger canvas for my guest bedroom.

It felt so good to finally finish another piece and now I am swarming with ideas for some new projects.

I have to apologize for not blogging much lately. I think a combination of a new job and adjusting to not being able to lay out and fully enjoying summer (and the sad aftermath) has prevented me from properly wearing my writer's cap.

Another thing has been bothering me. The creative part of my mind has been tormented with the mission of my blog. I am a blog connoisseur and as such, I read tons of poignant blogs daily. Some about one specific topic, some about daily reflections. Some are helpful, some are just entertaining and cute. I feel as if my blog is (perhaps appropriately) all over the map; sometimes it is about my love for baking and art; sometimes it is about the ridiculous things I encounter daily. Always, the goal is to be authentically me. But sometimes I feel like I might confuse my readers. And, myself. I have to think, "What do I want this blog to be?" Do I want it to be for my readers to learn something, be entertained, laugh at me? Or is it merely a venue for expression for me and my memories? Is this a glorified online diary?

This is what I know: I want people to WANT to read my blog, but I also WANT to enjoy my blog so much that I WANT to write it. Perhaps I could get some feedback. Note: I might be asking some of you why you read my blog. This is not a "fish" for compliments (I happily get enough of those from my wonderful boyfriend...and mom)...instead, I want to know why you come back. Do you simply have nothing better to read or is it because you enjoy me personally and want to know what I am doing? Is it more of a "follow Rhonda through her daily adventures" or do you want to learn something (I have also toyed around with the idea of writing with education for my audience in mind...not just about baking though). But, perhaps you like just seeing my recent cupcake concoction.

Have you struggled with this in your own blog world? I need bloggy advice. And since people are not yet paid to be blog therapists, I will lean on you, dear readers for some TLC.

And I'm back! And tanner than ever!

2010-06-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, my friends, I have been on a long hiatus from blog world, but it was because I was in BEACH world.

That's right...I went on vacay! Russell and I went to South Carolina with his family for a fun-filled week on the beach. And believe me, it was a blast. I have so many great stories paired with so many awesome pictures:)

As a teaser, I will give you this:

Yes, that is my beautiful friend, Amy, who wonderfully happens to be Russell's sister-in-law. Eat your heart out, Kayne.

My thoughts

2010-05-27T19:01:00.001-07:00

It's time again for an outpouring of my recent thoughts...

-I feel like I spend 80% of my life running errands. My entire life feels like it revolves around how many errands I have to run in an individual day. The act of mapping out the best route and getting in and out of the car is exhausting. Never mention the slow-moving lines and crabby customers.

-I have 1.5 weeks until I have to be in a swimsuit. I'm stressed.

-I hate the oil spill. I can't even think about how many animals have been hurt or killed. I just keep flashing back to a horrible picture from the Alaskan oil spill of a sweet little otter who didn't make it and it breaks my heart. But I feel helpless and wish I could help.

-Summer is here and grades are posted: Facebook is getting an "F" for overall satisfaction and user-friendliness.

-If I had the opportunity to go back in time and graduate from high school again, I would be boring and do the exact same things as I did the first time around; because if I changed something up and didn't get to meet all of the wonderful people who made college some of the most amazing years of my life, I would be a sad girl.

-I love to read. I love my bed. I am lacking the skill needed to stay awake in bed and read. Life is hard.

-Will someone please become more famous than Justin Beiber so that I don't have to deal with him anymore? Where is a good boy band when you need one?

-One month from today I will have dated Russell, my love, for 2 years. For almost 2 years, I have felt a little more whole.

Summer Equals Not a Bummer

2010-05-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that May is almost over. Further, I can't believe that I haven't blogged in over 2 weeks! Thanks to tons of out-of-town weekend trips and a week of terrible (albeit weight-losing) stomach flu, blogging has slid down the list of priorities.

But I missed it. And thought about it every day.

In the past 2 weeks, I have slowly observed that spring is almost over and summer is inching closer with every high-humidity bad hair day. But I love summer. I took a whiff of some sun screen today and its tropical scent made me giddy with dreams of laying out with friends, margaritas outside, and the sunshine ever-so-wonderfully toasting my skin to a more attractive radiance. Plus, who doesn't love vacations and cute sun dresses?

Some downfalls of summer? The constant maintenance of the hair on my legs. What a bummer. Additionally, cupcake baking will inevitably slow down as my body is in need of slimming and my apartment needs a break from the heat of the oven. But no worries: I am planning to reveal a HUGE baking-related blog adventure soon after beach season. Stay tuned!********

Feel good moment of the past 2 weeks--Russell and I traveled to Lincoln, NE to visit some old (but fabulous) college friends. This is Audra:

She is the daughter of my amazing friends Sean and Lex. CLEARLY one of the most adorable kids in the world. But take a look at this:

She begged Russell (in the sweetest voice) to hold her hand; he is completely smitten with her and the way he is around her makes my heart hurt...in a good way. I hope it makes you smile just as much as me.

Cupcake Invention

2010-05-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

I've done it. I've come up with a new cupcake flavor!

And it is delish....

This one is for sweet and salty lovers. I present the Caramel Pretzel Cupcake.

This little ditty was invented one day on my way home from work as I snacked on some salty pretzels. I thought to myself, "Yummy...pretzels are so good, but I wish I had something a little sweet to go along with them--something like chocolate, OR caramel. What about those ingredients for a cupcake?" And thus, my new flavor was born.

It is a basic yellow cake (super moist, may I add) filled with caramel and topped with vanilla buttercream, pretzel bits, and more caramel. It's a sweetly salted dream.

My goal is to invent a few more cupcake flavors this summer. I'm dabbling in chocolate, fruits, and alternative toppings (pretzels anyone?). What is your favorite cupcake flavor?

Art FOR my job...unfortunately art is not my job

2010-05-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

It's sad, but true: I do not get paid to play around with paint all day.

But I really like my "real" job.

However, my office was a little bit bare and I decided that I needed to paint a special painting just for work. I work for the National MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Society doing a little bit of fundraising and a little bit of program development. For those of you who don't know, the MS Society's logo is really cool and is made up of an orange "M" and "S" and has a black slash going through it. We are easily recognizable by our orange color and thus I decided to incorporate that into my painting. It is a little play of off my "Channeling Jackson Pollock" piece, but with a twist.

As you can see, there are two shades of orange, white/black swirls, and then a red brush stroke towards the bottom. The red stroke is my personal twist in that I know that there is a huge amount of heart at the foundation of the organization's mission and I wanted to represent that on the canvas. The red holds the orange and black up. Kind of cool, huh?

I need more stuff to put up on the walls of my office, but sadly, I think the days of "Pirates of the Caribbean" posters as decor are gone. Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh!

Blog Absence Due to...Employment!

2010-04-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

That is right, my friends. I'm employed! And have been for over a week now. And thus, I have been super slacking on the blog updates.

But have no fear...I'm back!

Yes, the start of my new adventure has made my brain a little congested with business affairs and I have had little creative strength to blog, but as I get more familiar with my amazing new job, I have regained my blog-flow.

What did I do while I was gone? I baked...a little.

My mommy came up to KC for her birthday and we celebrated with her favorite cake (made into cupcakes). This was the first time I made coconut cupcakes and I think they were a success! They are frosted with a marshmallow butter cream created with so much butter that I am embarrassed to say...but that just made them more delicious.

I have also been working on 4(!) more paintings, which means that I have limited space to walk around in my living room--my make-shift art studio--but I have been having fun and will post pics as soon as the work is finished. One side effect of being employed: less art AND cupcake time. However, I feel so blessed to have found a rewarding job in a horrible economy. Things are crazy balancing work, personal, and baking life, but I am happy! Let the fun begin...

Missing Trees

2010-04-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

The beautiful presence of spring has invoked a major desire within me to go on long walks outside. I want to feel the cool breeze in my hair, enjoy the warm sun on my skin (I need some tan!), and get a little exercise. But there's just one thing holding me back.

I live in a downtown maze of concrete buildings.

Yes, living in downtown Kansas City has its perks: wonderful views, easy access to entertainment, and a metropolitan-feeling lifestyle, but as for taking walks there's always something missing....trees.

(the green-deficient view from my apartment...the green you see is far away...believe me)

Sure there are sporadic clumps of leafy green lining some parking lots and corporate courtyards, but tree-lined streets are simply images from my past. I miss walking under shaded limbs and seeing the seasons change in color. I miss watching the blooms unfold as the weather warms. I miss leaves!

For now I guess I must learn to enjoy gray pavement and high-rise buildings, which themselves, actually can be beautiful.

So as you stroll down your leaf-luscious neighborhood take a moment to look around (and up) and appreciate the wonder around you. Until I move to such a place I will try to appreciate the wonder of my man-made surroundings.

Rando-Roo Monday

2010-04-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

Random thoughts this week:

-Why can't Nate Berkus come into my life and help me decorate my apartment? I feel that my intentions are good, but my follow-through is lacking.

-Being a little toasty in my car while driving has been refreshing compared to the bitter, extended winter that was present only a few weeks ago.

-Health care reform is great, but I'm still waiting for President Obama to exclaim, "Let all student loans be forgiven!"

-People should really censor themselves on Facebook. You'd think after 6+ years of this phenomenon that people would realize that T.M.I translates to status updates just as much in normal conversation.

-It only took me 27 years, but I am finally a consistent flosser! I can't wait to brag about it at the dentist.

-How do you become one of those camera people on shows like, Life? I'm pretty sure I would not hesitate to sign up for that kind of job if it was ever offered. Same goes for cupcake taster. And professional crafter.

-How many magazine subscriptions should one have before they are considered a paper monger? On the same note: reading magazines can be just as informative as reading the paper...and cheaper...I don't care who judges me.

-Dropping my cell phone on the ground is a daily occurrence (puddle drop-age is occasional). Why then must Russell urge me to buy a cell phone that costs anything over $20? Needless, I say, needless.

-Walks outside with my love=a truly bright spot in my week!

My Latest Piece of Artwork

2010-04-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

This piece is called Spring Mix and was inspired by the now-present (wahoooo) springtime!

It is mixed media and consists of acrylic paint, paper, and yes, those "leaves" are buttons. (And you can't really see them, but there are paper clouds in the background.)

This is my ode to spring. Both the season and the painting make me smile:)

Candy Palooza (Otherwise Known as Easter)

2010-04-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

Russell and I got to take a big break and play in Wichita for Easter!

Easter is one of my fave holidays as it is (finally) Spring and because Jesus loved me enough to die for me:) Oh, and of course, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs!

Spending time with my fam was more than great. I took walks with my sister's dog, Lily, chatted it up with mi madre, got Sonic drinks with my sis, and watched basketball (not so much watched as talked while the game was on in the background) with my grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins.

Last year, I made my now infamous homemade carrot cake cupcakes along with a light lemon-y cupcake. This year I brought back the carrot-y majority fave:

...but switched it up with some fresh strawberry-covered pound cake cupcakes. I must admit, they were DE-LISH! (Yes, the frosting is running over which proved a little messy, but soooo worth it!)

I found some hilarious gum while shopping at Hobby Lobby and the Easter bunny just happened to bring it to Russell...

Nothing like holy, mint-a-licious breath:)

Overall, we had a fabulous time and even left with some parting gifts...

I heart Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, but this is a little much.

How was your Easter weekend?

Random Thought Vacation Day

2010-03-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, where has this week gone? I forgot to blog! I've been so wrapped up in cover letters, surprise engagements (NO, NOT my own, but my wonderful friends Nikki and Matt), Easter cupcake preparations (look forward to yummy photos), and traveling home to Wichita for a well-deserved break for Russell and I refresher-break for me.

Although I've been surprisingly super busy, I have had plenty of random thoughts this week and being on "vacation", I now have a moment to type them up. Here are some highlights:

-Is it appropriate to lay out in 70 degree weather in urban, downtown Kansas City? Who says you need a yard...a sidewalk works just as great.

-Easter is my fave holiday. It is a time of rebirth (for serious, if you're a Christian) and a time of Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs...YES!

-You know you watch a lot of TV when a research company sends you a channel survey of the "Channels You've Watched in the Past 7 days" and you check off at least 75% of them.

-Someone needs to invent a nail polish that stays on for more than 4 days. I spend more time painting my nails than I spend on cleaning my apartment.

-Can being on the internet too long cause headaches? If so, I need the maximum strength pill.

-Does any one else get sad when you've had a rough day and all you want to do is open up your email account and read some good mail but then you have no new messages?

-Jamie Oliver is incredible. If you haven't seen his show, Food Revolution, then you are missing out. Finally! Perhaps eating REAL foods will become popular!

-Side note to the above comment: I want a cupcake real bad right now.

Cooking...Light?

2010-03-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

We all strive to be healthier and eat better from time to time in our lives and lately I have been on a serious hunt for healthy, inexpensive dinners to cook to help improve my health (and Russell's).

I took inspiration from my friend Cara whose blog is always filled with delicious, low-fat meals that she researches for her husband and students (she's a Food and Consumer Science teacher). I'm always drooling over Cara's food pics (and from personal roommate experience know that she is a great cook) and decided to try her advice: she frequently uses Cooking Light recipes.

Reluctantly, as I was sure I wouldn't like any of the meals, I went to the site and to my amazement found tons of light recipes that I wanted to try...and that I could afford on my lack-o-funds career!

Yesterday I made Low-Fat (yet magnificently moist!) Pumpkin Bread:

( I might have sampled the bread before I had a chance to take the pic...too yummy smelling)

and Low-Fat (yet super creamy) Potato Soup:

(seriously, have you ever seen a thick and creamy LOW FAT soup???)

What are your fave low-fat recipes????

My (Spring) Break from Unemployment

2010-03-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back!...from my vacation away from unemployment. And I feel great!

I went down to Branson/Silver Dollar City (again) for their opening weekend/Spring Break with my sis and my cousin Maddie. Of course there was tons of fun, laughs, and FOOD!

Kerbi and I decided to buy "big gulp" cups that, when refilled, cost way less than a regular drink...frozen lemonades included!...classy! If you can't tell, the weather was gorge...ous! It got close to 71 degrees each day. You can image my sadness to come back to 4 inches of snow in KC..boo whoo.

My favorite thing to eat at "S.D.C" is their world-famous kettle corn. It is so yummy that I created a worthy background for the pic of it:

Kerbi and Maddie love the S.D.C skillet meals, which are slow cooked in a cast-iron mega skillet for over 3 hours...

and I secretly love the homemade potato chips, which, Kerbs was nice enough to share with me:

You can't go to S.D.C. without stopping by their delicious homemade candy shop. I opted to buy a scrumdibily-uptous chocolate covered caramel marshmallow...

Wow, I'm truly making this trip sound simply about food (can anyone say foodie-break?) but really we had a blast riding the rides, like the train and the roller coaster next to it, Wildfire:

visiting our favorite character Shorty (isn't he the shortest man you've ever seen?To give you a reference point, my cousin Maddie (in the pink) is close to 6 feet tall...and truly, we KNOW him. He always remembers us, lets us in on the park secrets, and even gave my sis his email address...)

AND finding our friends' and families' doppelgangers...

(the boy in red is a spittin' image of my cousin Ethan and Russell pointed out that the other boy resembles his good friend Robbie). We additionally saw one for Maddie's grandma Nancy and her dad, David, but they moved too quickly for me to properly stalk them.

The trip was so refreshing for my soul and I can't wait to go back! Hopefully I will make a return this summer, then again in the Fall for Harvestfeast and of course, back for the Christmas Celebration, which is seriously the most wonderful time to go.

S.D.C. holds a little piece of my heart and brings me much happiness. I hope this post brings a little happiness to your soul too!

This Past Week (Boring Title, Exciting Time)

2010-03-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Oh boy! Due to sickness and weekend guests (the guests being way more fun than the sickness) I have been out of commission for almost a week!

I'm feeling a wee bit better (say it in a Irish voice as today is St. Patty's Day! Happy Day everyone...have a green beer for me...alcohol and sinus meds don't mix). I want to recap the past few days through food...

My friends Jen and Will came up to visit KC and to attend a SlowFoods dinner with us. The dinner was prepared by a wonderful woman from Italy and consisted of all locally-grown ingredients. Needless to say, the dinner was delish!

I will now simply post the pics as my meds are currently making me drowsy and my words are lacking.

Side note: I will be away from the blog for a few days as I need a vacation from being unemployed and will be in Branson, MO, playing out my frustrations. I'm sure I'll have plenty of fodder when I return.

(Jen and me with a bottle of wine from 1983. The man who brought it gave it to us after we informed him that it was our birth year. Russell looked it up and the wine would cost $300 today...too bad the man finished the wine)

(The Italian chef cutting into an authentic tart. So yummy. The dinner lasted 2 hours...it made me miss Europe.)

Random food pics:

(I tried out my hand out Italian cuisine this week...bruschetta and salad.)

(I made my famous monkey bread for Jen and Will. Yum, monkey bread...I bet that would cure my sinus infection.)

Random Thought Thursday

2010-03-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

I got a lot of response the last time I blogged about my random thoughts so I think I might start blogging once a week highlighting the crazy happenings that go on in my head. Here's some from this week:

-What happens to money when it gets ripped? Is there some sort of "money boss" who decides which bills stay and which bills go? And where do the old bills go? Into the fire? Are they recycled?

-I would never drink regular whole milk, but when it is infused with chocolate, I can't get enough.

-I can't believe that Chuck Norris is 70! I bet he will never die because if death tried to take him he would just round-house kick death in the face.

-I love Sonic Happy Hour tea. But I'm having a moral dilemma as they come in Styrofoam cups. I love Mother Earth, but I can't turn down $1 Route 44. I need help.

-At what age is a man too old to rock a faux-hawk? If we are going by the "Real Housewives of Orange County" standards, then I think you can be over 60 and still pull one off.

-There is a distinct smell of "Spring". I'm getting close to smelling it, but the temp is not quite there. We need about 10 more degrees. I've never wanted to smell something so bad in my life.

-Why is it that when I am super busy, I do tons of things? Now, that I'm unemployed and have an open schedule, I am doing less...I need to be working out 5 hours a day. Not so much.

-I heart cupcakes. And pink nail polish. And iced tea.

-Is anyone else afraid of snakes crawling up pipes into their apartment?

-Due to Netflix, watching movies is now literally my "job". My job performance has been rated "excellent".

What have been your random thoughts this week?

Starving Artist

2010-03-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

I'm not starving, as evident by my recent 2 lb weight gain. Boo. BUT I am trying to be an artist. However, since I don't make money at it, I guess I could (possibly) be considered a starving artist.

This is my second piece that I have done for my "Fabulously Unemployed" collection. It is smaller than my "Channeling Jackson Pollock" piece, and is more from my structural side (with a cutesy twist, of course). I call it "Nautical Passion".

It's painted with acrylic and is on a small canvas that fits perfectly onto a easel on my bookcase. Be on the lookout for my next piece (I'll post it, of course). It is a mixed-media piece with a nature-feel and I'm super pumped to get it finished. Perhaps I should go into the painting AND cupcake business. How could we incorporate the two? Well, I did paint this last year...

I'm dating royalty...

2010-03-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe not royalty, but an official Lord anywhoo.

That's right: Russell is now Laird (Lord) Russell Warren. He owns land in Scotland and belongs to the House of Glencairn. No joke.

What happened? How did my boyfriend suddenly move up the ranks in European society?

I actually organized the whole thing!

For Russell's birthday I bought him a piece of land in Scotland. A whole square foot!

That's right. Sounds pricey and regal, huh? Well, it's a little more souvenir-like. Some friends from college got it as a Christmas present and I busted out loud when they told me. I knew that Russell would flip!

And he did...

However silly, he can now legally change his name. For real. I think he will be going by Lord Russell, of course, as it is not as formal as Lord Warren. That would just be silly:) If I ever get asked to marry him I could be an official Lady. It would be about time!

Russell Cupcakes

2010-03-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Russell knows that anytime there is a special occasion, he gets cupcakes. Even if the occasion has nothing to do with him, he knows that he gets to enjoy the benefit of having a girlfriend who makes cupcakes for practically every event and thus gets to "taste" most treats.

This weekend is Russell's birthday and he got cupcakes of his very own!

Are you jealous? You should be. They are homemade German Chocolate. Not my favorite, but I think they are every man's dream...

Happy Birthday to the sweetest man I know!

The World Before GPS

2010-03-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my main question to myself (yes, I ask myself questions occasionally) was "what in the world did people do before GPS?"

Having recently moved to KC, TomTom is my best friend. He doesn't talk much, but he's a great listener! Every woman's dream.

I was on my way to see my good friends Carrie and Cory (and their beautiful baby, Edmund) as they passed through on their way to Wichita and although I knew the specific intersection of the restaurant where we had agreed to meet, I undoubtedly knew that without my trusty TomTom I would never make it. It was at that moment that I not only felt thankful for my lovely techno tool, but I also pondered life before him.

Immediately before the wonderful birth of GPS, I remember looking up addresses/businesses/etc on the internet. A website would map out my route, I would print the directions, and I would be on my way. But what about before that? Before I could really drive anywhere too far from home, the internet was in full force of information. But what about before that? Oh yes, I remember that my dad used to have a huge map of every state in his back seat for such roadtrip needs. I would always request to be the navigator, which is ironic as I have no sense of direction anymore. Speaking of maps...are those things still in print? I know that when my mom reads this she will roll her eyes and mumble something like, "Geez, yes Rhonda we used maps. We got along fine. There really was life before 1983..." But I bet your life wasn't has fun without me in it, was it mom?

And my life wasn't as simple without GPS. Sure TomTom sometimes abruptly falls off of my windshield while I'm in heavy traffic, occasionally sends me out of my way, and takes up a lot of room in my purse, but even with all of his faults, I still love him and am thankful for the guidance he brings to my life.

What are your thoughts on GPS? What is your favorite new technology or invention?

Channeling My Inner Jackson Pollock

2010-03-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

One of my goals in life is to be a "Jackie of all trades". I feel that dabbling in all joys that life has to offer is way better than simply conquering one or two. Lately I've been "painting".

I've always been jealous of people who can draw. I'm even more jealous of people who can paint. I think that painting is one of the most creative and stylish art forms. Painters are just so chic. I've played around in the past with globs of cutesy crafts, but lately I've truly been trying to create great pieces...ones that I feel comfortable enough to hang (in plain view) in my apartment. After 2 weeks I came up with this:

I call this "Channeling Jackson Pollock". Pollock, one of the great abstract artists of the 20th Century, was clearly my inspiration, but so was the promise of springtime. I hope my dreams of warmer days comes sooner rather than later. And I hope that one day I could actually make money from art. Or from simply being fabulous. What a life that would be...

Painting is one of my new fav things. What hobbies have you all explored lately that you love?

The Piano MEN

2010-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

My dad was a big-time music fanatic. He was even in a band (he had the hair for it). He made sure to pass his love of the art down to my sis and I by always introducing us to old classics, making us mixed tapes (that's right, cassette), and by taking us to concerts. I thought for sure that my dad and I would go to every important concert together. Sadly, we only got to go to a few, albeit life-changing, events.

After my dad passed away when I was 18, I made a promise to myself (and to him) that I would try to go to every concert that I could to keep his love of music alive in my life.

Momentous occasions were had when my sis and I got to go to two Kenny Loggins concerts. I know; you're thinking, "Kenny Loggins? Like, 'Highway to the Danger Zone'?".

YES, however, my dad loved him for his less popular, more intimate stuff and Kerbi and I grew up listening to that side of Kenny. A lot of my favorite memories of my dad have a Kenny Loggins song as their soundtrack and believe me, when we saw him it was extremely emotional for both Kerbi and I. He was the one musician that my dad wanted most to see but never got to. Needless to say, I will be attending every Kenny concert I can.

Now that you know the background to my concert-obsessed life, let me tell you about my latest experience: Billy Joel and Elton John.

That's right. I finally saw the piano men.

And it was incredible. Duh.

My sis didn't go this time; I opted to take Russell as I would like him to start being a part of my concert scrapbook as well. It was at the Sprint Center in KC and since we had never been we were excited to check out the venue.

What did we find?

A QUICKTRIP! It was awesome. You could get a slurpy, doughnuts, coffee, the works! What a great idea for an arena. Sometimes all you need is a good cup of java or a Freezoni to get you worked up for the show!

People have been asking me how the concert was and honestly the best way I can describe it is like this: you know how when you're at a concert of an extremely popular musician and you get a rush because everyone is screaming the words to every song? Well, that happened with most of the songs except for when Elton John sang "Candle in the Wind". As his familiar voice rang out, everyone fell silent, as if we knew we shouldn't sing because to hear him, Elton John, the legend, sing it was more important. It was truly moving.

The finale was the two of them singing Billy Joel's infamous "Piano Man". Strangely enough, this was the song that I teared up to the most. As soon as his lips touched the harmonica, I was a goner. I remembered my dad and I singing the words out loud in the car as we did so many times and I could do nothing but shout out the words as tears rolled down my cheeks. I knew my dad was happy for me.

Next concert: perhaps Bon Jovi (Livin' on a Prayer!...and additionally, I want to run my fingers through Jon's hair!) or Styx and REO Speedwagon (whom I've seen about 4 times now). I'll keep you posted!

I'm a PIG??!?

2010-02-26T16:55:00.000-08:00

Today, as I was at my favorite KC Chinese take-out place ordering my usual, albeit less than usual as Russell is sadly out of town, meal I happened to glance at the Chinese Zodiac Calendar that was nestled underneath the glass of the plastic booth where I was awaiting my scrumptious fried food. You know...the ones with the year of birth and the correlating Chinese sign? I hadn't seen one since I was in high school and I unfortunately (or fortunately) had forgotten that I am a BOAR--a pig! That's right, 1983ers, we (well, most of us) are pigs. And not only that but the blurb under the picture of the not-so-glamorous swine indicated that we should never marry our own and that we are destined for marital strife.

Well, poop.

Not only am I in love with a fellow pig, but I also want to someday marry him. If he ever asks. (I have recently discovered that Russell does not read my blog (sad) but if he ever decides to come back, maybe he'll get the hint).

I was so saddened by this prediction that I came home and immediately researched my innate piggy-ness on the internet. Turns out that, yes, perhaps I should not marry Russell (but I really want to and WILL if asked...if he's lucky) BUT I found out some very interesting things that are seemingly true about myself.

Interested in your sign? Check out this calendar.

BEWARE: you must put in your birth year, THEN DAY, then month. It's the Euro-Asian order.

Don't be ashamed of being a PIG. Sure it's not as sexy as being a tiger or dragon, but we pigs sure do know how to have a good time!

A Truffle-icious BUZZ

2010-02-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

2 things to discuss today: truffles and Google Buzz...completely unrelated, but both on my mind.

I attempted to make truffles for the first time yesterday. I made them as a (late) Valentine's Day present to Russell. They are chocolate peanut butter and they are decadent. Even Russell can only eat 2-3 at a time and that's saying something!

I have to admit that getting the PB to stay in a perfect ball was difficult at first, but I have come to conclude that with a little freezing and a fast dip, a nearly-perfect ball can be achieve. Nonetheless, they were delicious! Perhaps I should try to make a new dessert each week. That would definitely work with my new "get healthy" plan...

On an unrelated note, I truly have affection for Google Buzz. If you haven't checked it out, you really should. Not only is it like email, instant messanger, and Twitter all in one, but you can also see all of the blogs you follow and receive instant email updates on Buzz comments.

It's easy to get and completely user-friendly. All you need is a Gmail account. Buzz shows up in your main email page and shows all new messages. If you make your information public then people who follow you on Buzz can see all of your information. For instance, I see some of my friend's Twitter updates and blog posts and everyone who follows them can comment. That's how conversations start. I love it because it is a one-stop-shop for all of the people I follow and who follow me. If you have Gmail then you should search for me (Rhonda Hale) and follow this blog. It's definitely a more inclusive and open conversation than simply commenting on someone's blog.

Moral of this post: get Google Buzz and whip up some homemade truffles...you won't regret either.

A New (Old) Hobby

2010-02-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

I crochet. But I haven't crocheted in years. Being unemployed as the advantage of abundance of "hobby" time and so I decided to pick up my crochet hook for the first time in over 3 years and get workin'. At first, I felt confident, but then realized that I was not actually crocheting; I was simply knotting the yarn in tiny balls. But after some diligent practice I got back on the crocheting "bike".

"What to create?", I thought as I slowly stitched and hooked. I rarely crochet things for myself and thus decided to choose mi madre as the perfect candidate for a signature Rhonda-crochet project. I used to make scarves and shawls but wanted to do something bigger. Solution? A blanket. What a better time than when I have no set schedule!

The project took me just under one month (at the rate of a few rows a day) and I was very pleased with the result.

So was my mom (isn't she pretty?) who was surprised with the fuzzy blanket this weekend for an early birthday present.

Russell already misses the blanket. He used to sit under it while I crocheted and is now asking if I will make him one. Perhaps if I never find a job I will just start making crafts and pray that someone wants to give me money for them. Oh, and for cupcakes (not as lucrative, but definitely more delicious). Any takers?

Random Thought Wednesday

2010-02-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Lack of human contact over the past few days has caused me to have really random thoughts...at least more than normal. Here are some of the things I've been thinking about:

-I really think that I could be an Olympic Snowboarder. I already have the hair necessary to qualify...now I just need to learn how to snowboard.

-If life is so short and we are supposed to live it to the fullest, why am I not living at the beach?

-I don't care if pistachio pudding is creepily green. It's absolutely delicious.

-I think I've seen every reality show episode on TV for the past two months. Now who's really the pathetic one?

-I don't care what Russell says. Apollo Ohno is not a douche-bag.

-My apartment has no charm. Where has my creativity gone.

-I think that department stores are conspiring against me. I don't exactly fit into my size anymore. The fact that I haven't worked out in over a month has nothing to do with it. All I can think of is: conspiracy.

-My friends have really cute kids. I hope that I do to. Even if I don't, I hope people lie.

-Best thing to happen all week: I was carded at Target when I bought cough medicine. Nice.

-I should buy stock in the following companies: Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-A, Sonic, Target, Forever 21 (ssshhh, don't tell anyone)

-I hate mushrooms. But I think I should try them. They are in a lot of sophisticated recipes. I want to be sophisticated.

-Who the heck is Justin Bieber and why is he taking over my television? The quality of boy toys has really gone down since I was a teeny-bopper.

-Does anyone know where I can find a good (and affordable) pair of brown knee-high boots, not a tacky color, no heel, no frills, maybe buckles, maybe not, fits my calf, looks good with leggings, my skinny jeans fit in them. I don't think I'm asking for too much:)

-I hope Spring gets here fast. But not too fast. I'm not ready for Summer and her frightening bikini season. Yet. Just wait Summer. I'll show you. For real this time.

-I don't like it when Russell goes out of town. He is my favorite person to hug. I need a hug.

-Magazine subscriptions are glorious. Every I time I need them they show up in my mailbox and educate me on the wonders of the world.

-Olympics=no good TV. Except Olympics.

I think this chest cold I'm wrestling with is prohibiting me from forming full thought. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better and my thoughts will be a little more connected.

Sick, but pleasantly suprised

2010-02-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

I am a little under the weather today...

BUT, I have a new amazing treat that I tried and I want to spread the joy to you.

That's right: RED VELVET CAKE Yoplait FAT FREE Yogurt.

Can you believe? Red Velvet is my absolute fav cake flavor and this little tub of yogurt proved to be almost as delicious as the real thing--no kidding! Usually these healthy yogurts taste nothing like the real thing, but I promise you that this flavor is a WINNER. Finally, I can eat my cake and not look like it too:)

Have you tried it?

Happy V-Day!

2010-02-14T17:31:00.000-08:00

I extremely heart Valentine's Day.

I love pink and red, gooshy cards, yummy chocolate, and sappy movies. I also feel lucky to have the greatest Valentine around: Russell.

But even when I didn't have a valentine, I loved Valentine's Day. My dad always made it a point to make every holiday special and would send me, my mom, and my sister flowers to celebrate the day. It doesn't matter if you have someone or not on this day; Valentine's Day should be about celebrating all loves of our lives: friends, family, pets, ideas, and so on.

Today I made my valentine a gourmet meal consisting of Mac and Cheese Jalapeno Poppers and Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

Russell even let me watch Julie and Julia and it is one of the cutest movies I've seen in a long time. I can only hope that our relationship will be as passionate as that of Paul and Julia Child.

But the day ended sadly as my valentine had to leave for a week-long work trip tonight. I will be sad to not see him this week, but I think when we are forced to leave the ones we love, we are reminded, perhaps by the extent of our sadness, how much we truly love them.

I am sad, but it was a precious day overall. How did you celebrate?

I'm becoming a FOODIE

2010-02-11T15:42:00.001-08:00

Well, maybe not a real foodie, but definitely someone who wants to talk about food on her blog.

Yesterday, Russell and I got a Valentine's Day package from my mom (wahoo, Momma!). She had stuffed a box full of her famous chocolate chip cookies and what else?

EASTER CANDY.

(I get it, in a Valentine's Day package? But read on...)Not only Easter candy, but my favorite Easter candy. Cadbury Robin's Eggs and Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs.

Everyone who is a peanut butter connoisseur knows that Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are delicious. BUT they also know that the peanut butter always tastes the BEST when it is molded into Reese's Peanut Butter Easter Eggs. There's just something about those eggs! The pb is extra scrumptious!

Then today I decided to stop by my favorite of all fast food places: Chick-fil-A.

I don't even think calling it a fast food place is fair. I would call it Heaven's drive-through. I seriously hope that there is Chick-fil-A in Heaven. It's so divine how could it not be?

I have to admit that I have been able to, on occasion, finish off a 12 piece nugget meal all by myself, but I have decided to try and get healthier by only ordering an 8 piece nugget, no fries (sad, I know), and a tea. It kills me to not have the wonderful waffle fries, but sometimes we must make sacrifices. (Maybe to get a reward in Heaven?)

There really is no moral to this blog, except that 1) Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs taste better than regular Reese's and 2) Chick-fil-A might just be God's way of showing us a little piece of Heaven on Earth.

Amen!

Olympic Countdown

2010-02-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I can not WAIT for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

And no, it's not just because I'm excited to watch my man Apolo Anton Ohno's hair fly beautifully in the wind as he races past of all his competitors to triumphantly win the speed skating championships. I'll admit that is appealing...

I simply LOVE the Olympics. I love the spirit that comes with the games, the camaraderie amongst all nations, and of course, the way it ignites my own fire to actually want to work out (bikini season, here I come!)

And don't lie to yourself: you know you shed a little tear at the opening ceremony when someone who has overcome amazing obstacles stands up and sings an ridiculously inspiring song.

I just think that the Olympics are so cool. Especially the winter sports. I mean, it's like the X games amplified. Have you seen some of these people jump off of mountain cliffs? It's crazy. (I jumped off a cliff once, but it might not have been exactly on purpose and to this day, skiing sends a chill down my spine.)

I will undoubtedly be glued to my TV during the snowboarding, ski jump, speed skating, bobsled (hey, Jamaica!), and yes, even figure skating for the next few weeks.

The Olympics only happen every 2 years, so I hope you all will watch at least one sport and support our country. Come on, you know you want to spat off the memorable quotes from "Cool Runnings" during the bobsled event...

What are your favorite Winter games? Who are you most excited to see compete?

The Saints CAME Marching In

2010-02-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

Superbowl Sunday was a HIT! At least for us Saints fans.

I have to admit that I have not always been a Saints fan, but Russell and I started watching Monday Night Football together this season and from the beginning we fell in love with Drew Brees his underdog Saints.

Needless to say, we were cheering on the Saints yesterday and we were so pumped that the Saints WON!!!

I, of course, made cupcakes to commemorate the event.

And Russell and I showed off our Saints pride.

I am so happy for the Saints and for the city of New Orleans. That's right...I am one of those people who thinks this is a good morale boost for the city. I cried when the Saints CEO talked about the stadium and how it used to be full of holes and now it is full of HOPE. Ah, tear:)

Who were you rooting for? Did you like the outcome of the game? Did that reception make your skin crawl?

The Emotionless TYPE

2010-02-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you can never fully express your emotions in your typed word? Do you sometimes feel like there are not enough type options to help you get your point across?

Well, I DEFINITELY feel this way sometimes...

Of course there are the standard type options for expressing feeling. CAPITALIZATION is a good one. Although, I often feel like I'M SHOUTING AT MY AUDIENCE WHEN I TYPE LIKE THIS.

Then there is the stylish italic type. I use this type in place of "quotes" as I feel that "quotes" are too formal and institutional. Italic is so much more appealing and pretty.

I hardly ever use bold. But perhaps, I should start. It definitely adds a little flair. Ooo, actually that's a little harsh. An italic flair would be better.

In this digital age it's hard to fully express my feelings in type. I often find myself putting side comments in (parentheses) or describing my tone of voice to my audience because clearly (said in sarcastic tone) some people (again sarcastic) (with an added italics...spicy) just don't get it:) Oh smiley face...how you say everything I can't:)

I do like playing with and manipulating text to express emotions and design, but nothing will ever replace a good ole' fashioned face-to-face conversation with another human being. I cherish facial expressions, comedic timing, and tone of voice. Sure, as a writer I try to emulate these aspects in print, but it is HARD, I tell you! Hard.

Do you share this TYPE of pain?

Destined to Hoard?

2010-02-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

If any of you have seen the A&E channel show, Hoarders, then you will relate to how mortified I was to see this past episode. The show is so revealing and so sad. Having worked in the mental health field, I truly feel for these people and their obsession with material things. Some people on the show have tons of clutter and others have an unbelievable attachment to things, even trash. This one woman could not physically throw anything away and because she was unable to use her own toilet, this included a 2 year pile of used adult diapers (which had eaten through her bathroom floor).

I usually watch the show with empathy for the people and their illness.

Until yesterday.

That's when it all changed and I started to feel uncomfortably sympathetic towards one of the hoarders. (I hope I used those words correctly...so much for getting perfect grades in English.)

In this past episode, a psychologist was explaining that often hoarders actually start out in their younger years as being perfectionists. One hoarder said that he had been exactly that and he used to strive for perfection in everything that he put his mind to--everything from his work to the organization of his household. Then one day it became too overwhelming and he broke down, becoming the antithesis of what he once was.

Those of you who know me know that I am not an extreme perfectionist HOWEVER I do possess some perfectionist tendencies. For example, in my work: I am a HUGE perfectionist. Even when I threw a successful event or designed something that everyone loved I constantly contemplated how I could have made it better, done it better. When I went back to school and wrote papers, I would agonize over the littlest detail and would edit profusely. Interestingly enough at home, when I am not as organized as I want to be I feel myself sometimes giving up and just letting the dirty clothes pile up or the mail spew across the counter.

Pondering all this, I became a little nervous. "Am I destined to become a hoarder?" I asked myself.

The future is not clear. But I'll tell you one thing: the show is so severe that I believe it is scaring "potential" hoarders, maybe like myself, into organizational obedience. I will try my darnedest to avoid hoarding anything.

Except for, maybe, shoes.

Happy G-Hog Day!

2010-02-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog's Day people!

Today is one of my favorite holidays...who I am kidding?...I love all holidays. But I think that today is one of the funniest holidays.

My love, along with most other people, started with the release of the 1993 movie "Groundhog's Day" starring Bill Murray. What a wonderful film! From then on, I have made it a point to recognize the day and pay homage to the beloved groundhog.

Today I am perturbed, however. Today the groundhog ONCE AGAIN saw his shadow ensuring 6 more weeks of winter. Boo Mr. Groundhog. Bad call.

Nevertheless, I will celebrate the day by watching my favorite movie and by visiting sites like: groundhog.org. Isn't the internet amazing? They have everything...even greeting cards. Go ahead...send one to a friend today wishing them a happy day!

How will you celebrate Groundhog's Day?

Going Bananas

2010-01-31T18:05:00.000-08:00

I made banana bread for the first time today!

And it was good. It was actually a recipe from Russell's grandma. My own grandma's recipe is a lot different and so it was fun getting to taste something new.

What's better than making your apartment smell like home-baked bread on a lazy Sunday afternoon? Not much. It was a wonderful way to spend the day!

While sifting through my cabinet o' baking goods today I presented with a quandary. As I looked at the bottle of olive oil (that I use for almost every meal) it occurred to me that I love olive oil, but I hate olives. Is that unusual? I mean, do olives taste like olive oil? Will I automatically like olives because I crave their oil counterpart? Will someone who likes both please inform me? I feel the urgency to know this vital information.

Time Flies

2010-01-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

"Where the heck did January go?"...

...I exclaimed as I stared at my dry-erase board calendar today. I realized that it was time to wipe it down and create the month of February but I could not believe that January was almost over.

Sure I had fun celebrating New Years, my birthday, and NFL playoff games, but the days went so fast...which is weird because when you're unemployed, you'd think that it would be the opposite effect.

What have I accomplished this month? Well...

I got a part-time waitressing job, I figured out how to (sort of) navigate around KC, and I've almost finished ONE book.

Things I have NOT done:

-Begun a workout routine
-Gotten to know my neighbors
-Worked on my writing
-Finished my art work for the apartment
-Secured a good amount of income
-Finished more books

HOWEVER, I did do my taxes, so kudos to me.

The moral of January is that I need to get my act together and get back on schedule with accomplishing things. Thank goodness I make loose New Year's Resolutions!

What have you accomplished this month? What are your goals for February? (caution: it's a short month!)

A little bite of DELICIOUS

2010-01-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

It has come to my attention that I haven't been blogging about some of my truly delicious adventures lately. Having extra time on my hands has lent itself to having more time in the kitchen.

I have been cooking dinner. A lot. And what goes best with dinner?

Dessert!

Last night I made, for the very first time, homemade Mac and Cheese. However, I made the newest version: Cauliflower Mac and Cheese. Some of you may have seen a recipe on Rachel Ray or Tyler Florence and I wanted to try the nutritious pasta myself.

And boy was it deliciously nutritious!

Russell doesn't normally eat cauliflower, but he had no idea that instead of a cream-based white sauce, he was actually eating cauliflower. It was so good and made a ton for yummy leftovers.

The HIT of the night, however, had to be my friend Courtney's famous Gooey Bars. I have to admit that it was my first time making them and biting into my first bite brought back memories of some amazingly good times. I'm just sad that my friend Jessi wasn't there to taste test and judge if the bars of goo were satisfactory enough. They were definitely not as good as when Court makes them, but Russell gobbled them down, so I'll say they were a success.

I've been a rachelray.com junkie the past few weeks as I love her quirky spin on traditional food. The recipes are usually fast and affordable and please my flexitarian diet.

What food websites do you turn to for stellar meals? Please share the love...

Another Eye-Opener

2010-01-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

If you haven't figured it out already, I really like documentaries. For me, they present important information in an entertaining way (the best way) and when I find one I really like, I talk about it.

Russell had suggested a few months ago that we watch a doc called The Cove. Due to our love of the Animal Planet show Whale Wars, I concurred. (If you haven't seen either, you really should. Believe me, if you remotely care for animals and love adventure, you'll enjoy them. Click on the links for preview videos.)

But we kept putting off watching the film...until tonight.

That's when my eyes were opened, yet again, with a moving documentary.

Before you go off prejudging it because it is a liberal, peace-loving documentary, just know that this film rocked! Along with vital information about the cruelties of the Japanese fishing industry, the movie highlights the secret-op adventure of a group of dolphins activists who fight to capture never-before-seen film of a dolphin "death" cove. The group has to use high-tech movie sets and military technology to outsmart the Japanese guards and when they succeed, they discover the horrible truth of the cove.

Ironically, the film is humorous, in part, because of the witty banter from the activists and because of the absurd philosophies of the Japanese dolphin industry heads.

If you are someone who has luke-warm feelings for documentaries, I challenge you to watch this film and not walk away feeling even the littlest sense of anger. For those docu-lovers, like myself, put this on your que pronto!

Speaking of documentaries...anyone out there in blogosphere have any good suggestions for my future que?

I heart Photoshop

2010-01-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

I have been without my precious Photoshop for over 6 months. I felt helpless without it. I couldn't even resize my own photos!

But, due to the brilliance of my boyfriend, I now have the amazing software again!

I basically spent all day today playing around. I have CS4 this time and so there are a few new things to learn. Here's the main project from today:

The original can be seen (above) on my blog header. I need to make some more lines to fully create the "drawn on" look, but it was just super fun playing around with the software again. Once I get more money, I will start buying cute paper and making my own cards and invites again. Perhaps even some new biz cards. I love technology, don't you?

Manifesto

2010-01-24T18:38:00.001-08:00

Below is a paper that I wrote for a class this past semester. It is a satirical manifesto of sorts. But the topic is one for which I feel very strongly.

Hopefully, this will give you something to think about...the next time you go to the restroom.

Manifesto
by Rhonda Hale

I need to express my dire concern for a dilemma with which I am often confronted. This predicament of which I speak is most likely to be one of mutual concern among a majority of those of the female persuasion. A high regard for public lavatories with an abundance of stalls is an affection that I possess. These plain metal boxes are strategically created for privacy and peace of mind but, alas, occasionally fail to provide their original intent of a barrier of solitude. Human inappropriateness, instances of a so-called “peeping-Tom” syndrome, and accidental overexposure are not phenomena to which I am referring, but rather, a careless, perhaps even ignorant act by some humans to overstep their boundaries and position themselves in a stall adjacent to my own when, in reality, there remain countless vacant stalls available to them not immediately conjoined to that which I am occupying.

The negative effect that this act has on me leads me to question the motives behind it and thus, I particularly petition the women of the world: why must we select a lavatory stall directly beside one of our fellow kind when there are numerous vacant stalls within an appropriate proximity from which to choose? To further stress the point, I provide one such instance: several days ago I entered a completely deserted facility and selected the stall that was in the second position. A few silent seconds passed when, hurriedly and unexpectedly, another woman entered the lavatory. She proceeded to pace back and forth, obviously contemplating which stall to select, when, to my dismay, she chose the very stall next to my own. I, at first, had high hopes that the woman would make the obvious selection of a stall far away from my own; however, sadly, this was not the case and consequently, my agitation rose. Why could the woman have not simply chosen an alternate stall and avoid causing me such unnecessary frustration?

If the tables were to be turned and I were to be in the position of the second patron, I would undoubtedly be apt to select a stall within a reasonable distance of a tenant who would be presently residing in a stall of her own choosing. To select a neighboring stall of a person who has previously chosen her own is not only inconsiderate, but it is blatantly aggravating and an act that I would never commit. Again, it is to be known that this is solely in the instance when multiple stalls are still available. If, on the occasion when the majority of stalls are taken and one must be forced to take an adjoining stall, then it is to be understood that the act is an unavoidable resolution and both the present patron and the selecting patron will jointly refrain from any form of agitation or ill thoughts.

An occasional instance of this agitating act would not call for such an elaborate manifesto, but unfortunately this is a regular and unnecessary occurrence in the reality in which I and, in all certainty, many others live.

It is for this reason that I propose, here and now, that there be created an unwritten “law of the lavatory” which explicitly proclaims that a rule be established for an agreement of the Alternating Stall Allocation; a pact of all humans, male and female alike, to strongly concentrate on selecting stalls strategically for the comfort and peace of other lavatory patrons. I believe this rule to be a straightforward, universally understood, peace act and I am sure that all humans will equally benefit from the positive implications that will assuredly arise in their lives due to its existence and proper practice. Dear reader, heed this just call and adhere to the Alternating Stall Allocation, for its mission will bring you and your fellow persons peace and comfort in the most sensitive of times in the world’s most sacred of places.

Postal Sabotage

2010-01-22T06:52:00.001-08:00

I think that the postal service is creating a conspiracy against me.

I moved over a month ago and for the first 2 weeks I received mail as I should. Before I left Lawrence I contacted all friends/fam/and billing services that send mail to me and made them aware of my move. For the first couple of weeks I received Christmas cards, bills (yucky), and personal mail.

Then, all of the sudden, it all stopped. My mail was gone. Every day, the box was empty.

I sat around for 2 more weeks and thought, "Perhaps the huge snow storms in the East and Midwest have slowed post office operations...I'll wait a few more days." This conversation was had every day for around 13 days.

Yesterday I finally decided to take action.

After calling all of my billing services, my old job, and some of my wonderful friends who sent me birthday cards that had simply vanished into thin air, I decided to confront my postman...an act which I have never done before.

The man, who looks exactly like Santa Clause--if Santa had tatoos and chewed while on the job--was so kind and let me know that he was aware of my move and that there had been no problems nationally with the postal system.

After clarifying my address with him, the property manager, and Russell (just to make sure I wasn't giving out the wrong address) I took the final stand:

I contacted USPS, itself.

Apparently our national postal system has agents who "investigate" these sort of things and they will get back to me in a few days. But since I made the silly decision to forward my mail only earlier this week to try and clear up the matter, an act which I have NEVER done in ALL of my moves, I won't be receiving mail for another 2 weeks.

Ah the glory of feeling vulnerable and helpless (and unloved, for that matter).

Needless to say I had a tiny mental breakdown yesterday as I felt I had no control over the situation and really have no patience for calling all of my billing organizations to see if bills are past due.

I know that USPS is probably not intentionally sabotaging me, but with the circumstances, it is hard to believe that mail would simply disappear for no reason. I'm perplexed but hopefully things will clear up soon and you can start sending me beautiful pieces of mail again.

Moral of the story: get to know your mailman. Once your in-cahoots, you're golden. And he might even look like Santa, which will give you more comfort in knowing your goodies are in good hands.

When do you need rehab?

2010-01-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

Something has been weighing on my heart lately and I need to confess. I may (or may not) have an ice tea addiction.

BUT

I don't think I do!

Russell has been making me really unsure of myself lately as he points out what I call my "strong love" (and he calls obsession) for the delicious beverage whenever I talk about it...which tends to be daily right now.

Here's a little about my beverage background.

I used to be an addict. A Diet Coke addict, that is. About 4 years ago, on any given day, I would guzzle around 8 cans of the chemically-altered, and may I add, yummy liquid and feel just dandy about myself. Then on one triumphant day, I simply stopped. I didn't need the juice anymore. I replaced it with pure water.

Fast forward 2ish years and I discover the alluring power of ice tea. So natural, so divine, such a great replacement for pop!

I drink way less tea than I ever did soda and I never add any sugar. (On occasion I splurge with a McCallister's Half and Half Sweet/Unsweet Tea, because, let's face it: that stuff is phenomenal!). I usually drink 12oz or less a day unless I go to a restaurant/gas station/my grandma's house. Then, all bets are off. Give me the 44ouncer!

I do feel the urge to drink tea when I am stressed or bored and just want to get out of the apartment and grab a drink. I can go several days without ice tea, but prefer not to. Who wants to live life with just water? Hot tea is delicious, but it will never replace my gloriously fabulous ice tea (extra ice, for those of you who care).

Do I have an addiction? Is it time for rehab?

The New Kid

2010-01-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

Some of you know, but I recently moved to Kansas City (Missouri, that's right, I'm no longer a resident of Kansas even though I live literally one mile away from the state line). As a new resident, I feel like the new kid in class/in school/on the block ("Hangin Tough").

I clearly do not have a problem moving to a new city: I have lived in Chicago, Nebraska, Lawrence, and even France, but there is always a boring transitional period for every move. As much as I'm having fun living here already I can not wait to find my niche in the community.

I'm a friend whore, I'll admit, as meeting people is my favorite past time but more than that I love being involved in my community (and perhaps have an interest in total domination:)).

I'm wanting to try some new things, new ways to meet people and get involved, like belonging to new organizations, but I'm finding it difficult to find the right fit. All the cool kids belong to athletic organizations (running clubs, Iron-man associations) and let's face it: that is just not for me.

I'm wanting to do some volunteering, socializing, and learning of new things perhaps exotic cooking or dancing or sport. The possibilities are endless--well, actually I am limited to what KC has to offer and I'm not even fully aware of those possibilities yet.

If any of you know of any super cool ways a new kid like me could get involved, please hit me up with your ideas. I'm not desperate, but come March it may be a different story....

WAIT!!!!-------

I just thought of an idea. Perhaps I could take your suggestions, try out all of the cool (possibly weird) things you suggest and then blog about my (what will surely be ridiculous) experiences. Bring on the suggestions!

My disappointment in humanity

2010-01-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

I might regret admitting this, but lately, being unemployed, I have been "researching" different networks to "expand" my TV knowledge. For over 6 months I never set my eyes on the channels of VH1 and MTV. I found that they became redundant, ridiculous (in not a good way), and even a little disgusting. I can only watch so many women disrespect themselves by swooning over, pardon my French, "douche-bags" while sporting revealing mini skirts and see-through tops.

What our youth's entertainment come to? (I really never thought that I would hear myself say that...it reminds me of when I was young and would roll my eyes when my grandparents would say it.) Seriously, these shows, while entertaining ONLY because of their stupidity, are poisoning their viewers minds.

(The Jersey Shore cast=a hot mess)

One such show is The Jersey Shore on MTV. This show has to be the most absurd piece of television that I have ever seen. Now, I use to be a hard-core MTV Real World fan, but "The Shore" is so far beyond reality TV...it's more like reality TV on Meth.

While I admit that watching this show is of value simply as it reminds me of how I never want to visit the Jersey shore and how I am glad that my boyfriend does not fake-bake and his hair is of a decent height, I also must admit that watching it has rotted my brain.

Nevertheless, I suggest that you watch it at least once to experience the absurdity of it, but try to pull yourself away so that the addiction does not set in. Seriously, it's (bad) ridiculous. It will definitely make you question whether you should let your children watch MTV.

For those of you who have seen the show, let me say that I will not give a "fist pump" to "The Shore". Yes, it might be hilarious to make fun of, but when you watch it, you are participating in it's foolishness, so the fool may actually be you...

Daydreamin'

2010-01-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

I daydream. You could definitely call me a daydreamer. Ever since I can remember (which actually isn't too far back as I have PTSD) I have filled my alone time, boring times in class, and my time behind the wheel (real safe) daydreaming. When I was young I use to conjure up fantastical story lines of princesses who traveled on flying horses, orphans who ran away from their orphanages to become leaders of their towns, and I even placed myself in fabricated tales of a young detective who saved neighborhood children from their awful, strict parents.

Whenever I watched a movie, read a book, or heard a story I twisted the plot/characters/etc a little in my mind to create an original mental movie. Often this movie went on for days, each day becoming more and more elaborate (the intensity also depended on how much time I had on my hands). The daydreams became so intricate that I remember even the minutest of details.

To this day I still daydream. Lately, with the absence of a job, it has been about my favorite TV shows or books I've been reading. I mostly imagine myself working as a interior decorator on HGTV or a chef/foodie on the Food Network. (I heart David Bromstad and Guy Fieri.)

I even daydream about future conversations or past conversations that I wished had gone a little differently. I sometimes have to remind myself that I can't change the past and that I need to simply devote my mental strength to something more productive like creating new cupcake flavors:)

As a part of one of my 101 Things I want to do in 1001 days, I will start to write down some of my early fabricated daydreams. These were some of my first creative fodder and as my memory sucks, it is critical for me to write these stories down so that they do not disappear from my mind forever.

Are you a daydreamer? What do you daydream about? Celebrities? Your future? Real conversations? Am I the only one who spends countless minutes in la-la land? Please reassure me...:)

A Comment on Comments

2010-01-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

My friend Rach said it best when she said that her favorite part of blogging is "connecting to the readers". I completely concur!

I like to blog because not only do I love to write, but I love to hear different perspectives on the ridiculous things that happen to me (or that I conjure up in my head). Further, blogging is a new way for me to (as Rach put it) connect to people.

Getting comments on my blog posts is better than getting a Facebook page post these days and that's saying a lot! My blog is more personal and when you read someone's blog and you leave a comment, you not only confess that you read said person's blog, but that you care enough to engage in that person's inner thoughts. And by doing so you create a community of ideals (and you just really make the blogger smile that someone besides their mother cares to read their blog).

I recently discovered a magical online tool that helps me track how many people read my blog ever day (no, I'm not a stalker and I can't tell exactly WHO reads it, just how many people do) and thus I KNOW that less than 4% of the people who read my blog actually comment.

Perhaps some of you feel like you can't comment because you do not know how. Well dear readers, I'm here to help:

-simply click the "comments" link on the bottom of the post upon which you would like to remark

-in the "Post a Comment" box, type up your remark (which I have no doubt will be brilliant/witty/funny/loving/serious/intelligent/important to me)

-when ready to post your comment, select from the drop box of how you would like your comment to be "commented as". You can select "anonymous", "name"(preferred), or if you have a Google or Wordpress account, you may sign in as that

-you will then be prompted to type in some weird words so that the computer recognizes you as a human and not as spam

-finally, hit the "post comment" box and your remark will be posted

I would love to get some comments from those of you who have never remarked before. It means a lot that you read my crazy little blog and I would like to know who you are. And if you read other blogs, comment on them as well. I guarantee the blogger will appreciate it.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Bucket Lists

2010-01-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

With the new year a lot of people talk about resolutions and goals. I am a goal-oriented person and love to renew my spirit often by challenging myself with new goals. I heard of the 101 Things in 1001 Days from my friend Karis. The website is a place where you can record 101 things that you want to achieve in the next 1001 days (around 2.75 years). The object is to make the goals achievable.

I wrote a To-Do list when I was in high school of lifetime goals. I rummaged through my old folders and found it today. The list made me smile and I could actually cross some things off of it. Here's my "Bucket List" (in no significant order):

1) Go to the Olympics
2) Write a book and get published
3) Find a job that I love
4) Get married to my soul mate
5) Have kids and raise them to be great
6) Tryout for a Broadway show
7) ~~Drink beer in an English pub~~
8) ~~Travel Europe~~
9) Spend New Year's Eve in Times Square
10) ~~Spend one whole day on a beach~~
11) Write a song
12) Sky dive
13) ~~Bungee jump~~
14) ~~Get a tattoo~~
15) Own a red sports car-convertible
16) ~~Graduate from college~~
17) ~~Make-out at the drive-in~~
18) ~~Dance in the moonlight with someone I love~~
19) Go white-water rafting
20) Learn how to play chess
21) Learn how to play the piano
22) ~~Learn how to play tennis~~

I might be close to some of these things:) and I have consciously started to work on others. I have nine out of the twenty-two things crossed off=I have quite a bit left. And I'm not going to try to accomplish everything in 2.75 years (again, hopefully some of these things I will, hint hint). However, I will accomplish them.

I do want to make a list of 101 achievable things to accomplish in the next 1001 days. I think it is a unique and challenging idea. Look for a post later on about my list. You can help keep me accountable.

What are the top three things at the top of your "Bucket List"? Anyone can comment on my blog and I'd love to hear your goals. I'll even try to comment back!

My 27th Year Celebration

2010-01-11T15:03:00.001-08:00

I turned 27 this weekend! And I feel ggggrrreeeaatttt! The celebration was held in Wichita with friends and fam. Here's a look...

(me and my beautiful sister)

(me and my hot boyfriend)

Another thing about my birthday: at 27 I had to start wearing a wrist brace! What? I know! I think I pulled something during the Christmas holiday and now am in constant pain. It's really, really not attractive, but hey, at least (I think) at 27 I look pretty darn good...except the whole brace thing.

(the not-attractive, yet functional brace)

Thanks for everyone who came and celebrated with me. I feel very blessed to have so many amazing people in my life. I can't wait to see what this 27th year brings! It's going to be a good one...

Glamor Shots

2010-01-07T19:08:00.001-08:00

Russell got a new camera this Christmas and was taking tons of pics of my sister's dog, Lily. This picture makes me smile and in the middle of this blizzard we're having in KC and my slow, job search-filled week, I need a little laughter in my day. I hope you like it too. Ridiculous.

I call this Lily's Glamor Shot...

Why I Love Birthdays

2010-01-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

As stated in my previous blog, my b-day is this weekend, so in reality this is my birthday week. For me, birthdays are a big deal. I not only view my special day as a big deal, but also my friends and families' birthdays are big causes for celebration. I thought that perhaps everyone felt this way about birthdays, but boy was I wrong!

My friend Christina's birthday was yesterday and she expressed a laissez-faire attitude toward the holiday. I was shocked as most of my friends, including Christina, have never shied away from attention. My friend explained to me that she believed that birthdays are for kids and that she was basically "over" celebrating the day of her birth.

I know that Christina does not dislike her birthday, but she got me thinking about how many people I know who just let their birthdays pass with no regard. I think that these people need to be reminded of why (in my opinion) birthdays are special!

Birthdays are the one holiday that is about you. I know, I know. Those of you who know me well are rolling your eyes and mumbling, "That's soooo Rhonda...all about herself". Well pals, that's not my intention. I think that it is muey important to recognize, once year, how lucky we are to have another year ahead of us. We need to express our gratitude for still being alive and in doing so, we need to live up the day (or week) to celebrate our thankfulness for life.

On my 18th birthday my dad got extremely sick. He was rushed to the hospital from the restaurant where we were celebrating my birthday with dinner. He held on until the next day and then tragically past away. I was devastated and those who know me know how much it affected my life. But I made a promise to myself to never let my birthday be a day of sorrow, rather promising to always embrace it and set it as a day for a celebration of life.

I'm not suggesting that everyone needs to go all out and really embellish their birthday celebrations, but I do think that it is important to recognize the specialness of our own day. Our own declaration of life.

This year I will, as usual, be celebrating the HECK out of my week. That's how I roll.

An early birthday present?

2010-01-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

My 21st plus 6 birthday is this weekend. I say 21st because all of the peeps I went to college with this last semester were flabbergasted by the fact that I was not 21 (they justifiably thought I was a true senior...precious).

I think Russell might have been trying to give me an early birthday present as this was the surprise I was presented with this weekend.

I was not the most amused, but rather laughed from the ridiculousness of the sight. Needless to say, the stach did not last long. Maybe my other presents won't be so creepy.

A New Year: What will you do?

2010-01-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Resolutions: I don't necessarily do them, but I think it is always fun to come up with new goals for the new year. I love the feeling of refreshment; the ever-evolving self. In the darkness of the winter months, it feels great to have the light of the new year and new opportunities ahead of us.

This year I will try to:

-Write letters, via snail mail, more often. This, I hope, will bring a little joy to my friends and family.

-Work out for myself (not for an ideal) more.

-Read, read, read...and try to remember what I read.

-Hug more. I think that hugging as gone out the window in some social circles and organizations. Let's stop being lazy and give someone a hug. You know it feels goooooood!

-Find a new cause to be passionate about and put quality effort into it.

-Dance more. (Even if Russell isn't always on the same bandwagon.)

-Worry less. I always say this and I don't know really how to achieve it, but I think the public admittance of it might help me keep focused. Prayer always helps too.

These are some I came up with last night and this morning. Nothing too fancy dancy, but still important to me. It's the small things that count most, you know?

Happy New Years to you! As I say, I know it will be the best year yet.

What will you do?

Time for Relfection...About Quirks

2009-12-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

Anyone who says that they don't have some sort of quirk is a liar. We all have something quirky about us...it's what makes us unique and interesting. I love talking about quirks. I feel as I have matured that I've grown to embrace my quirks instead of feel weird about them like when I was a teenager (but really, what don't we all think is weird about us at that age?).

I've had a lot of alone time to think about obscure things like my quirks lately due to lack o' job, so I decided to come up with a list.

- Most of my friends/fam know this, but I CAN NOT have my food touch. Only certain foods can touch (ex. mash potatoes and turkey, but NEVER the roll and mash potatoes). People talk about this quirk of mine frequently as if it somehow affects them. Well, because I have dished out my own food since I was under 10, I have no idea why they take such an interest. I guess it is a conversation starter. And it has been said to be a form of autism, but the jury is out on that.

- I can't finish some beverages, meaning I have to leave some in the glass/bottle. However, this is only true with coffee and beer. I think the beer thing is due to the fact that most of the time, the bottom of the bottle is room temp=disgusting. And perhaps coffee is the same thing, but obviously for the opposite temp effect.

- I have an obsession with painting my nails. If you know me on a personal level, try to think of a time when you have seen me without paint on my nails. I promise you won't be able to. I never go naked and thus paint my nails at least once a week.

- I cringe when I touch dirty dishes.

- I can't talk to dogs unless it is in a high-pitched frou-frou voice which has turned off some of my friends so bad that they won't even talk to me when I do it.

- I have a lack of memory. Ironically, I have the greatest short-term memory of most people I know (which explains my dominance of memorization tests) but I can barely remember anything that happened before I was 18. I have post-traumatic stress disorder from the death of my dad, but at least have keep a lot of friends who have steal traps for memories and so my past is not entirely lost.

- I am an amazing whistler. Ask my high school friends.

- I have never cut my hair shorter than shoulder length. I have a fear of short hair. It's a long story, but it involves my mom. Enough said. (Love you, mom.)

Those are the quirks I came up with today. I'm sure there are more. If I forgot one about myself, let me know. What are your quirks??? Let's embrace them together.

Christmas Vacation

2009-12-29T12:15:00.000-08:00

After numerous complaints, I must (once again) apologize for my prolonged absence, dear reader. But this year's Christmas Vacation lasted over a week for me and even though I did not blog this week, I must say that the break was a delicious one (thanks to all of the chocolate I consumed)!

I have so many stories that ensued over the last few days. On top of Christmas and its adventures, I just finished moving to Kansas City (more blogs to come) and thus I have great new projects to work on (one just might be finding a real job). Speaking of projects, this year for Christmas I tried to make most of the gifts that I gave. Needless to say, it was a budget-friendly blast.

For Russell's soon-to-be sister-in-law Carla, I made a vintage looking necklace.

For Russell's sister-in-law Sarah, I made a feather headband with a vintage pin (Sarah has the perfect hair for decorative headbands).

For Russell's sister-in-law and more importantly, one of my best friends, Amy, I made a faith bracelet.

For my besty Jen, I Mod Podged the heck out of a clipboard and painted one of her favorite (tree) themes.

Lily, my sister's cutesy dog, helped my wrap, but took a jingle bell for herself. (Is this not precious?)

For those of you on "engagement watch" (which apparently a lot more of you are than I ever imagined) I did get diamonds!...BUT they were in a gorgeous necklace and not a piece that goes on a certain finger. Russell outdid himself once again and I was just so fortunate to get to spend another Christmas with him. Having him as my best friend is gift enough for me.

Spread the news: I'm back from vacay and have tons of great blogs ahead. For those of you who expressed your concern for my absence: thank you for actually taking the time to read my silly posts. It means more to me than you know. Comment sometime and tell me your thoughts. I love to start conversations with people so drop a comment or two (I've changed the setting so now anyone can post!).

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are gearing up for a fabulous new year. I have a feeling that 2010 will be my most ridiculously delicious year yet and I hope it is yours too!!!!

A Christmas Throwback

2009-12-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

As Christmas is only a week away, I wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas memories. This blog post is a throwback to 2004 when my sister and I made my mom some homemade "Glamour Shots" for Christmas. This is an inexpensive Christmas gift and believe me, it was a blast. (Yes, we are wearing gross sweaters.)

Consider these pics a small gift from me to you. Let the Christmas countdown begin! Remember though, Jesus 'tis the Reason for the Season!

(we refer to this as the White Snake video shot)

(this is the senior picture shot)

(this is just simply one of my favorite pics of my sis and me...of all time)

My boyfriend is more famous than me!

2009-12-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

I never thought I would see the day when my boyfriend would be more popular than myself. It's no secret that Russell is not as outgoing as me, I mean, come on, he has almost 600 fewer friends on Facebook. But today something happened. Today my boyfriend got published on a popular internet site.

Russell is a geek, a handsome geek, but a geek no less. His favorite website is Gizmodo.com, a website for everything gadget. Yesterday one of the site's writers wrote an article (here) on the danger of T.V.s. Apparently more T.V.s fall on kids than we would ever guess. I don't know how many of you know this, but Russell has a permanent scar on his forehead, which he likes to say he got while in a big fight, but that is actually from a T.V. falling on his head when he was 4. Being proactive/passionate, Russell decided to write to the author of the article and attach his own story of how T.V.s have proved to be dangerous in his life.

And the author wrote back.

Not only did he love the story, but he decided to publish it on the site. In the last few hours alone the story has had over 20,000 hits! I'm not sure, but I don't think that my blog numbers are that high. I have to admit, that's pretty impressive.

However, the backlash of fame can already be felt. Gizmodo bloggers have been commenting on the story and one chick even asked if Russell is single...what? You better believe I let her know!

This is ridiculous and so cool. I'm so proud of my boyfriend for being proactive. I'm sad that he had to go through a traumatic situation to become famous, but fame comes with sacrifices.

Read the article here. Just don't start stalking my boyfriend or anything. He's definitely taken.

Funny Pic of the Weekend

2009-12-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas parties are in full effect. This weekend I went with Russell to his company Christmas party and we had a special guest. Yes, Santa showed up, but more importantly Jeff the "Elf" made an appearance.

Unfortunately, Russell was being a Scrooge about getting his pic with Jeff. I thought it would be festive (and hilarious). Ba-humbug, baby!

Food, Inc.: How I don't want to be a part of the big business food system anymore

2009-12-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

As I've blogged before, I am a flexitarian. About 2 years ago, with the influence of my beautiful and forward-thinking friend, Jen, I started to become more intrigued to learn and to pay attention to the food I was consuming on a daily basis. I decided for health reasons to stop eating as much meat. My cholesterol went down as well as my weight. After seeing results, I decided to learn about the benefits of eating local. This includes shopping more at farmer's markets and buying local foods from the grocery store.

Eating local sometimes poses a challenge as, yes, buying locally is generally more expensive, and as I have been a student for the past semester I can not always fully commit to my mission. But simply trying to buy more organic, locally grown food helps the cause.

What cause you may ask? That is a question answered by the movie Food, Inc. Now, I am WAY behind the times in seeing this movie. It came out quite a while ago, but I was waiting for it to be a free stream on Netflix. Anywhoo, the movie is great, but more than that, it is important. It made me want to further change the way I eat. I know that eating locally is better for my health and better for independent farmers, but I had never fully thought about the effect that big businesses have on almost ALL of the food we eat as Americans. I can not do the movie justice with my simple blog, thus I urge you to see it, but I can recall one part that particularly impacted me:

A woman who had lost her child to E.Coli poisoning from ground beef stated that after she attempted to sue the beef manufacturer with no success she felt that she had less protection as an American citizen than the big business did (by our own government). She realized how scary it was to think that we, as Americans, do not even have freedom at the most basic level: food.

That made me think.

I urge you not only to see the movie but to also visit the Take Part website to learn simple ways on how you can change the way you eat and in turn, our food system. I guarantee you will not be sorry that you watched the film. I guarantee you will feel empowered to make a change.

Here you will find the official trailer to the film. Watch it. Take the time to think.

Silver Dollar City: A Heavy Contender for the Most Magical Place on Earth

2009-12-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I traveled to Branson, MO to visit one of my favorite places: Silver Dollar City. I know what you're thinking...is she being sarcastic? And the answer is a big, fat NO. I LOVE Silver Dollar City (S.D.C.). I use to go there a bunch when I was a wee child, but have not visited since I was 14. I drove the 4 hours from Kansas City, all by myself, to meet my mom, sister, aunt and cousin for a "Girls Christmas Weekend".

(my sis and I toasting with hot chocolate)

Now, some of you might have a sort of stigma of Silver Dollar City. Some people think it is a hillbilly, raggedy muck of a place. Well, if that's the case, then I am a proud hillbilly myself. Sure it is quaint, rustic, and themed after the 1800s, but let me tell you, it is a magical place. I had never been at Christmas time before. Let's just say that it was Christmas-a-licious.

(my mom and I)

Everyone in the park was dressed up as Christmas characters. Instead of lemonade, they served hot chocolate and cider. Whenever you bought something or left a ride, people would exclaim, "Merry Christmas!". It was so joyful. I also love that S.D.C. knows the real reason for the season: the star of their holiday parade was not Santa (who was uncharacteristically placed at the front of the parade) but instead Baby Jesus! Nice, S.D.C, nice.

(me sitting in The Big Chair, an S.D.C. monument...look, I'm really small)

To top everything off, S.D.C. spends 2 months prior to December putting up over 4 million lights and the decor is truly a sight to see. Every, single building is DECKED out in lights. I mean, this is craftsmanship people!

(my sis, me, and my cousin Maddie; people were gathered around us, telling us we should make this our Christmas Card photo; they were also laughing at me straddling the present)

The weekend was a blast and it made me even more geared up for the wonderful holiday season. It was cold, but every aspect of the place warmed my heart. So before you judge, perhaps you should take a little trip down to S.D.C. sometime. It's quite affordable and is easily accessible. And it is seriously a contender for the most magical (albeit hillbilly) place on Earth.

(some of the decked-out buildings, now just times this by 100 and you realize the amazement of 4 million lights)

Frosty's Comin' to Town...Take Cover!

2009-12-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend I got to take a "Fabulous Girls Weekend Out" to Branson, MO and was without internet (a curse and a blessing?) hence, my absence, but I will be blogging about the ridiculousness that ensued tomorrow.

Today, I sit nestled in a pile of blankets on my couch, preparing for a storm. A snow storm. A FROSTY storm. Lawrence is expected to get 4-5 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow and people couldn't be acting more freaked out. As I ventured out to my weekly visit to Target, people flooded the aisles, stocking up on soups/hats/milk. The panic in their faces was truly a sight to see. All students were a buzz today with talk of ice, snow, and possibly the cancellation of school tomorrow. And on every single news channel, they are already speaking as if a HUGE storm has already blown in. I guess it is important to remind people how to drive in the snow, but to spend hours upon hours talking to "driving experts" (is this a real job??) is a little much.

I have the day off tomorrow (I am thankful) and will be appropriately (and safely, I might add) glued to my warm, comfy couch all day long. I do hope to travel out my front door at some point to capture the beauty of the "storm" for all of you, so look forward to those and to my stories of my adventures at Silver Dollar City. Get excited. And stay warm. Frosty's comin' to town.

Unexpected Guest Stars

2009-12-04T06:48:00.000-08:00

So, I was slowly getting around this morning, doing my daily routine of eating breakfast while watching ABC's "Good Morning America" when all of the sudden, Wayne Newton came on the screen. He was doing a Christmas tree lighting in Las Vegas. I was intrigued because I like good ole Wayne (I like Sam Champion, who was interviewing him, more) but then I looked to the crowd and who do I see???? The best "guest star" I've EVER seen on GMA...my friend Jessi!!!!!!!! I freaked out and proceeded to text her (even though it was only 6:30am in Vegas). Yep, she confirmed that it was indeed her standing wrapped up in a pink scarf, overseeing the interview. Needless to say, it was a GREAT surprise. I miss you Jess! You're such a STAR!

To see Jessi in her daytime debut, watch the video here. You get really good shots of her toward the end of it (hint: she's the blonde wearing a pink scarf).

Craigslist: Sketchy Selling or a Treasure Trove?

2009-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

Craigslist. The crazy, wonderful, jam-packed full of stuff (sometimes crap), online tool to find roommates, dates, jobs, concert tickets, crafts, organizations, furniture, and even scandalous "rendezvous". I admit, I have used the site for job searches, apartment findings, and have even looked at the FREE STUFF section (nothing usually good), but I have never tried to sell anything on the site. Until this week.

I needed to get rid of some of my old (and may I say, not at all valuable) furniture including a microwave stand, dining table, desk, and a desk chair. I put the items up on the site, thinking that I might get an email or two this week regarding any one of the less-than-quality items. Oh boy, was I wrong!

I put the items up around 10pm on Monday night. I woke up Tuesday morning and was welcomed by over 20 email messages inquiring about my "crap". In fact, I already sold the desk and the chair yesterday night and will be selling the dining table and microwave stand either tonight or next week. How crazy is that?

I admit, my stuff did not have a high price tag (rightfully so), but the fact that people were so eager to buy (and pick up) was fascinating. I was a little leery about having strangers visit my apartment, but they were all very nice and Russell did show up for one of the sales (he's so intimidating).

Ip-so-fact-o, my Craigslist experience was great. I didn't even get too many spam messages. And the site is happily very user friendly. I found it to be a gloriously garage sale-esque. And you know how I love garage sales!

What are your Craigslist experiences? Any funny stories? Or funny finds? Do you find it to be sketchy? Or perhaps a trove of treasurers?

Christmas Cheer=Earthly Harm????

2009-11-30T19:26:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time, folks! Like most people, I LOVE the Christmas season...for many reasons. First, I'm down with G-O-D and my man J.C., so I love that this is J.C.'s birthday season. Second, Christmas=cheer and family fun, and I love fun!

The decorations are out in full force this year and marketers across the nation have definitely done their job of getting me to want to buy tons of things (that I don't need) each time I walk into Target or Hobby Lobby. Dang those twinkly lights and festive garland!

Speaking of lights, I'm having some moral dilemmas about some of our beloved holiday decor. So, I like anyone, loves to see all trees, lamp posts, and front doors illuminated by Clark Giswald-esque lighting schemes, but what about the energy effects on our beloved Mother Earth? I mean, are we not all about GOING GREEN, recycling, and Inconvenient Truths???? Doesn't it seem at a time like this when our planet is hurting for greener uses of energy (and pocket books are low on electricity bill funds, for that matter thanks to the recession) that we would cut back a little on twinkle lights and huge air-inflated Santas, reindeers, and numerous other holiday decor?

I think we should all try to do something festive, yet GREEN this holiday season. I, myself, will be wrapping all of my gifts to others in recyclable material AND I will not be putting up Christmas lights in my apartment. I will instead enjoy those of my neighbors who have definitely gone "Griswald".

What will you do this season to make our world a little GREENER?

Double Trouble Baby Shower

2009-11-27T21:23:00.000-08:00

Again, my wonderful readers, I apologize for my prolonged absence. This week has been crazy with final school papers, Thanksgiving festivities, and one of the coolest baby showers EVER. I hosted a Double Trouble Baby Shower for my friends Hillary (Hill-Bill) and Carrie (Care Bear).

(Hill-Bill and Care Bear=preggers)

The beautiful mommas joined me and my friends Sadie and Allie for a small, but intimate affair. The cool part of the shower (besides my signature red velvet cupcakes?): 4 of our other friends joined us via online video conferencing.

(all of the shower guests...including those joining us via the internet)

(A close-up view of the long-distance guests, Rachel, Jessi, Amy and Katherine.)

The mommas were so surprised by the extra guests. And we all had a blast chatting with each other, recalling jokes, and watching the moms-to-be opening presents. It truly felt like our long-distance friends were right there with us. I mean, we had gals in Washington (state), Vegas, Washington (D.C.) and Buffalo, NY, chiming in like old times. Technology is truly AMAZING.

This Thanksgiving I had a lot to be thankful. My super boyfriend and my wonderful family top the list, but my friends are also up there. And I was so thankful to get to "see" them this week. What were you thankful for this holiday?

My bea-u-t-i-ful new blog design

2009-11-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

As you might have noticed, I have a new blog design! Being without Adobe CS (meaning Photoshop) I am technologically unable to be creative.

THANKFULLY, my friends Rachel (Rach) and Victoria (Vic) have Photoshop and were gracious enough to help design my blog. And I love it.

So, tell your friends. Now that I have a wonderfully "delicious" blog design, I am even more on fire to write ridiculous blog posts.

Thanks Rach and Vic. I miss you guys!

"I love technology, but not as much as you, you see..."

2009-11-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's no surprise that my boyfriend loves technology. I, myself, enjoy it, but I'm not as obsessed as he.

Russell has this "app" on his phone that allows him to take pictures of things and then the "app" finds the "product" on Amazon.com and shows price, details, etc. So say you are at a retail store and see a TV that you like...you can take a picture of it, the phone finds it on Amazon.com and then you can order it. Russell, being a silly boy, decided to take a picture of me to see if anything showed up.

Well, it did, and may I say, that I am not disappointed. According to Amazon.com, I am:

that's right: Barbie Rapunzel Cut and Style, retailing at $22.40. See, I knew I was a real princess! I love technology...

Bad days could always be worse

2009-11-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

I thought I was having a bad day yesterday. First, I was in my English workshop class (very small and everyone sits in a circle, so nothing goes unnoticed) and I went to take a drink of water from my trusty water bottle when it tipped over, flooded everywhere on the floor (including on the girl sitting next to me), and thus interrupted class.

Then, I was walking down the stairs of the library (again, a very "nothing goes unnoticed" place) when I suddenly dropped my bag and my trusty water bottle and watch as both of them went tumbling down the steps, again interrupting sacred studying time for many students.

To top everything off, I had a hangover. Not an alcoholic hangover, but rather a caffeine hangover. This week has been research-paper-palooza and I drank around 11 cups of coffee on Tuesday and sadly felt the repercussions yesterday.

But, just when you think you're having a really bad day, you realize that there are other people who are probably having a worse day.

Unfortunately, that person was my boyfriend.

Yesterday, poor Russell got rear-ended while on a short trip to St. Louis. Now, this would be a pain in the butt for most people and would equal a pretty bad day, but this is the 2nd time in 2 months that he's been rear-ended. And he just bought his car in May. After I consoled him, all I could do was laugh at the irony of the situation. What luck! Apparently "Bridget" his hybrid Honda, is a bumper magnet.

But you know, my boyfriend is awesome and he handled it well. He's so easy-going that you could barely tell it phased him. Polar opposite of my "slight" dramatics.

Even though both of us had bad days, mine ended up being great as I realized (as I seem to weekly) that I have a pretty rad dude for a boyfriend. Bad day turned GREAT!

To Tweet or Not To Tweet...

2009-11-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

I love staying connected: connected to friends, family, information, the world. That's why I signed up for Twitter. I thought that it would be just another great way to be connected to people on the wonderful world of the Internet. I thought about the vast possibilities of connectivity that it would bring to my life. I thought about the fun. The distraction. The domination of communication.

But,

I rarely get on Twitter.

First, unlike Facebook or the amazing world of blogging, Twitter does not allow for much personalization. Only one background and profile pic? Atrocious! AND for gabby people like me, the strict word limit on Tweets just doesn't work.

Also, it is not easy to find other Twitter "friends" on Twitter. Basically, I'm not sure it's worth my time.

I'm thinking about de-Tweeting myself. I'm torn. I want to be connected, but perhaps I should be choosy about my vehicles of communication.

Thoughts? To Tweet or Not To Tweet?

I had the time of my life...

2009-11-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

I apologize for my recent absence. School is getting hectic and this past weekend's visit home did not allow for much blogging time. Please forgive me. I will try not to let it happen again.

Speaking of this past weekend, I traveled home (Andover, KS) to watch my beautiful cousin Maddie make her high school musical debut as Mayzie LaBird in Suessical the Musical. Maddie stole the show with her scandalous moves, humorous dances, and wonderful voice and I was so thankful that I got to see her!

Maddie follows in a long-standing family tradition of being in high school musicals. My dad performed in Meet Me in St. Louis back in the early 70s. My sister, Kerbi, performed and starred in many musicals in the early millennium, and I, myself, filled my high school years with stage performances.

My favorite show was Hello Dolly. I was thrilled to be Dolly and anyone who knew me back then could tell you how much the experience impacted my life. I fell in love with the stage and with all aspects of production. Most importantly though, I had a blast. I remember sitting down with my friend Carrie, who was queen of lighting and sound for the show, after the production ended and talking about how hard we had worked, but how it had been the time of our lives!

I unfortunately do not have pictures of my gorgeous cousin (need to get them from my aunt) or myself (need to scan them as that was in the days before digi cameras) but hopefully I will be able to post them soon.

Seeing my amazing cousin perform in the exact same auditorium as I once had, made me miss not only high school and the fun that came with it, but it also made me miss the stage. At her age, I dreamed of making my career by singing, dancing and acting in huge Broadway musicals. Oh, childhood dreams! Alas, the dream lives on, but has been unfortunately quieted by the harsh realities of the real-world.

Still, however, of my lifetime goals is to just try out for a Broadway musical...just to say I did. And my friend Christina and I have always wanted to create a stage version of the mega-musical Moulin Rouge. (Anyone interested can let us know so that we can start an audition list). So, I WILL be involved in musicals some way, some day. I can't let my childhood dream die.

What is a childhood dream of yours that you want to some day work to make come true?

Some poetry for your soul

2009-11-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, then this whole daylight savings time has been a struggle!

I love winter, but it is a real bummer not to have as much sunlight. My whole body starts to shut down around 5:23ish when the sun leaves our side of the earth and the moon greets us with its sleepy rays. I have to admit that I always experience a little bit of seasonal depression simply because I need the sunlight to feel productive, motivated. Being inside for extended hours due to the darkness and winter chill makes me feel a little restrained and a little sad. But this year, I am keeping my spirits up by engaging in uplifting activities like spending time with friends (and one amazing boyfriend), trying out new recipes in the kitchen, and by reading.

I, of course, read A LOT for school, but I also read for myself. Today I was reading through one of my old journals and came across a poem I had copied a few years ago out of a book that struck me as interesting. Although my affinity for poetry isn't super strong, I run across selections once in a while that really speak to me. This poem is one of them.

The poem can be happy, sad or anywhere in between, however you interpret it. It is interesting that when I first read it I was hopeful to learn the lessons of which it speaks and now I am thankful that I have.

"After a while"
by Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul

and you learn that
love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.

And you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises

and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child

and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns
if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure,
that you really are strong
and you really do have worth.

and you learn
and you learn
with every good-bye you learn.

Confession: The Mullet

2009-11-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

I did a lot of homework today and thus my brain can only think very elementary right now. I have 3 things that I wanted to write about today, but it would definitely take more mental power than I have right now to fully do those topics justice. So instead, I have decided to make a simple, honest confession...

I once had a mullet.

There has been a rumor for years, but the truth comes out. Now, I think that this picture needs a little bit of explaining in my defense. This was not an intentional mullet. I (clearly) was young and this was merely a "pretend barbershop" mishap. I was a creative, ambitious soul from the start, I guess. I was definitely not the victim of hick parents or anything. In fact, when my mom discovered my hair-to-scissor collision, she was mortified. I had hacked off most of the front part of my hair and had created a whole on the side of my head. My mom loved my long, blonde locks and didn't want to chop all of it off, so she simply had the hairdresser even out the part up front that I had cut off and the result=a mullet-esque hairstyle.

I would like to point out that I was way ahead of my time with this cut. And, it is a pretty perfect mullet. I've always been business in the front, party in the back.

You're welcome for the laugh, which I no doubt you are having right now. This skeleton is out of my closet and I am free. Your laughter is my reward.

Sunny Days, Sweepin' the Clouds Away...

2009-11-09T18:08:00.001-08:00

(source: wordpress.com)

No, today is not a bright and cheery wonderful day here in Lawrence, KS, but it is a bright and cheery wonderful day for my childhood nostalgia. Today is Sesame Street's 40th anniversary!!!

I spent all day humming the familiar tune, "Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?" and reminiscing about the good ole days of learning numbers and how to share with my baby sister. I bet a lot of people were a little bit happier today simply because they reflected back on the wonderfully warm teachings Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and even Oscar the Grouch taught us even before we could tie our own shoes. How happy I get thinking about the puppets and their wise human friends and I know I'm not the only one. I mean, try to name one person who does not like Sesame Street...I can't think of one! It's almost blasphemy not to like such a dynamic educational program. Who doesn't want to learn simple Spanish words or how crayons are made? I would honestly rather be watching Sesame Street than going to most of my "big kid" classes everyday.

I'm thankful that we (people in the last 40 years) had a program like Sesame Street that taught us wholesome and valuable lessons and that expanded our imagination to make us the people we are today. Sesame Street takes me back to a time of unimaginable happiness and innocence, and for that, I am truly thankful.

My favorite memory about Sesame Street (besides the Count, as I always had a HUGE crush on him) was looking forward to watching it everyday with my sister as we would sing out loud and dance around the living room together. Good times.

What is your favorite memory about Sesame Street?

Table for One

2009-11-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

When I see people eat by themselves, it makes me uncomfortable. Since I was little I have commented on solo diners. For some ridiculous reason, I always feel sorry for people sitting alone. I immediately think that perhaps they are lonely or have no friends. I always say when I see someone sitting alone that I would rather be the one eating alone and then I wish friends upon them. I know that it's not right to assume their motives for eating by themselves, but I can't help it.

I have been told by my friends and family since I was a teenager that it is ok to eat by oneself. Apparently, people like my mother and sister actually enjoy eating alone. They say that it gives them a chance to think, reflect on the day, and simply savor their food. Are you kidding? I hate eating alone. I NEVER do it. If I have no food and no one to eat it with, I simply pick up the food from whatever local restaurant of my choosing and then take it home to eat it (properly) in front of the TV in the privacy of my own space...without judgmental voyeurs...like myself. :)

I guess dining style really depends on the person. As a current college student (again), I see a lot of students eating on campus by themselves, but I just remind myself that they are probably studying, grabbing a quick bite between classes, or that their friends are in class and they can't meet up to eat. But when I see an older person, especially an old man, eating alone I get super sad. I make up theories about him losing his wife or never being able to find a wife or that he is homeless or friendless. Maybe I just think that women can handle themselves better. I don't know...

I have never tried eating by myself at a sit-down restaurant, but maybe I should. I'm just the kind of person who needs an extreme amount of human interaction. I honestly need no alone time. But I'm smart enough to realize that some people actually do enjoy sitting alone, but no matter what, when I see solo eaters it will continue to bother me for the rest of my days.

Have you ever eaten alone in a sit-down restaurant? What did you think?

"Flexitarian" is a real word

2009-11-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

I am a flexitarian. Most people laugh when they hear me say this. (Like today in class when I was describing it to a classmate of mine.) People think it is a made-up word and that I made it up! I wish I would have been creative enough to make it up. But I didn't. And guess what? IT IS A REAL WORD.

Here's the proof: Flexitarianism is a semi-vegetarian diet focusing on vegetarian food with occasional meat consumption. A self-described flexitarian seeks to decrease meat consumption without eliminating it entirely from his or her diet. There are no guidelines for how much or how little meat one must eat before being classified a flexitarian. (source: wikipedia; I know...not completely scientific, but good enough)

See? It makes me mad when people say that they are a vegetarian, but that they eat chicken and fish sometimes. That's ridiculous. Either commit to being a vegetarian or don't. Contrastingly, my mission is to try to eat as little meat as possible, but if someone serves me chicken, I'll try it. If my grandma makes her famous meat-rice balls, oh, I'll definitely eat them. Or if someone takes me to a BBQ joint (especially in Kansas City), heck ya...bring on the brisket!

I try not to eat a lot of meat mostly for health reasons. I have a sensitive stomach and cutting back on meat has helped ease my pain. I also have hereditary high cholesterol and since I hate being on medication, I have dropped my bad cholesterol naturally by 90 points since I cut back on meat and incorporated Flax Seed into my diet. Additionally, I think it is important to TRY to avoid meats that are injected with hormones as they can be harmful to our health.

Moral of the story: flexitarianism is REAL. No need to laugh when you hear it. It is not just in my imagination. So, try using flexitarianism in a sentence today. Feel good knowing that you just learned a new word!

Healthy Yumminess on a Budget

2009-11-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

I heart Jamba Juice. I miss Jamba Juice. I was only able to experience the amazingness that is Jamba Juice when I lived in Chicago. I was obsessed with their wonderfully creamy and nutritious smoothies and would indulge myself weekly.

I've been trying to eat healthier (and on a tight budget, no less) and I was craving a Jamba Juice Chunky Berry Topper the other day when I remembered that my mom had snagged a great deal on a blender and had given it graciously to me. Homemade smoothie=budget friendly fun. Perfect! But there was a dilemma...how would I make the smoothie exactly has I remembered it?

Oh, the power of the Internet. I simply looked up the ingredients of the smoothie on Jamba Juice's website and went to work. Below is the recipe. If I were you, and I had a functional blender, I would try it. It's the same old deliciousness I remember and is cheap! A bonus: you can go to Jamba Juice's website and make any one of their signature smoothies simply by tossing all of the listed ingredients together. You're welcome.

Rhonda's Version of Jamba Juice's Chunky Berry Topper

(ingredients are not exact...it's more fun that way)

plain, nonfat yogurt
frozen strawberries
one banana
skim milk or soy milk
low-fat granola
peanut butter (optional; mega-delicious, but adds some fat)

Throw all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend until slightly chunky. Pour in cup. Top with more granola and perhaps some banana slices. Dig in!!!!

My new theme song

2009-11-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

I think it's amazing how music can almost become a backdrop of our lives.

Today my bestie, Camilo, reminded me of how a song can lift up your spirits and change your outlook on life. Now, I love the soundtrack to Wicked, (although I've never seen the play...I wish!), but I had no idea that 2 of the characters from Glee had remixed one of Wicked's most beloved songs, Defying Gravity. I heart Glee and I think they did the song justice.

I was having a mediocre day, but out of the blue Camilo sent me the link to the song and after I choreographed my personal interpretation of it in my living room, I sat back and smiled. It just made me happy and made me energized to keep reinventing myself and going after my dreams. SAPPY! I get it, but I guess that's just me.

So, this is my new theme song.

Enjoy:

What's your theme song this week?

Verb [ICT] and Slow Foods

2009-11-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

I know that the overwhelming majority of you who read my blog live in Wichita, or are from Wichita, or have been to it, or at least love someone who embodies any one of these aforementioned things. Because of this, I would like to share my two new favorite things about Wichita:

verb [ICT]

and

Slow Foods (Wichita/Flint Hills Chapter)

First, some thoughts on verb [ICT]. This new blog/magazine is written by Wichitans, for Wichitans and my old (and ridiculously awesome) coworker Denise Grays happens to be one of their writers/photographers. The blogazine (as I am calling it) was started to let people know that there are truly (believe it or not) cool things to do in Wichita. The website is quite attractive and the articles are great. Check it out here.

verb [ICT] covers all things amazing going on around Wichita, which brings me to Slow Foods-Wichita/Flint Hills Chapter that is featured on the home page of the blogazine. My beautiful, motivated, and wonderful friend Jen Root recently started this chapter of Slow Foods for the Wichita region as she is passionate about consuming wholesome, local food products because of economic and nutritional gains. According to their Facebook page, the chapter is described as this:

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. To do that, Slow Food brings together pleasure and responsibility, and makes them inseparable.

Sounds pretty cool, huh? Slow Food=better than Fast Food. I think it's important in these economically hard times to support our local food suppliers. Additionally, I have been trying (due to Jen's influence) to eat as many organic/locally grown foods as possible for my health and state of mind. I know what some of you are thinking: organic is expensive and times are hard enough on my wallet! Well, both of these thoughts may be true, but even if we attempt to make small changes, like buying our veggies from the local farmer's market instead from a chain grocery store, we are helping out. For me, I can't afford to always buy organically even when I have a job. But my local farmer's market is affordable and way more fun to visit than some boring grocery store. I also like to buy local things like honey and hummus as they are both comparable to mass-produce products. I'm also trying to stay away from fast food. Not only does it make my Mii (on the Wii) virtually get fatter (and sadly my real-life body reflects this phenomenon), but it also takes money away from local restaurants who serve locally-grown food. So the next time you are contemplating where to eat (maybe for a hot date) consider eating at a place that serves local foods. Or buy some yummy groceries and make a fabulous meal yourself and your favorite eating buddy.

I'm so proud of Jen and all of the "founding" members of the Slow Foods chapter in Wichita. This group is needed in Wichita and I know it will bring nothing but great things for the community. If you live in Wichita and are interested in learning more, check out the links above or get in touch with me; I would be more than happy to hook you up with some of the coolest peeps in the "Ta".

Halloween 2009 Circa 1960

2009-11-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

Well, Halloween may be over, but its spirit lives on...in pictures. Halloween 2009 was a hoot, thanks to my wonderful friend Jen (and her hairy, yet lovable husband Will) who hosted an amazing party. Russell and I went home to the Ta to party with old friends and coworkers and we went as....

that's right...characters from Mad Men. Russy was my dashing boss, Donald Draper, and I was his flirtatious "secretary", Joan Holloway. I think Russy's resemblance to Draper is uncanny, don't you think?

(Source: interiordesign.net)

Ggggrrrrhhhhh! How handsome! And debonair! Don't worry: I didn't let him "boss" me around too much.

A lot of peeps thought that I cut off my hair to fully commit to my character. You've got to be kidding! No way in heck would that happen. I simply tucked and pinned a pony tail underneath my hair and folded under. Add a form-fitting dress from the Goodwill, a veil, and a paper cigarette (that's right, we DO NOT promote smoking...it's all for the characters) and you've got a subordinate, chain-smoking, "friendly" secretary.

I had a blast this year. I can't wait until next Halloween. Only 363 more days!!!!!!

Halloween Boo-cakes

2009-10-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are pictures of the Halloween cupcakes I labored over this week.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Choco-Tomb-A-Licious Cupcakes with Fudge Icing

I might have had to crush Teddy Grahams to make the "dirt" for the tombstones. My whole family is calling me the murderer of Teddy Bears. Small price to pay for such gooey, fudge-a-licious yummy-ness.

My cupcake making has really gone down since I moved to Lawrence. It makes me sad, because baking is my favorite form of artistic expression. Plus, everyone loves the girl who brings the cupcakes. I'm very pumped that the holiday season is here. This means tons o' excuses to make the small billows of happiness otherwise known as CUPCAKES. Here's to my upcoming Baking-Palooza and the joy that I hope most of you (if you're in the vicinity) get to taste.

Divine (Baking) Exhuastion

2009-10-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

This post won't be long as I am exhausted. Did I work out too much? No. Did I exhaust my brain cells by studying too much? No. I feel like falling into bed and never leaving due to a marathon bake-session. That's right: I spent 2.5 hours this afternoon baking. And not just any baking. My signature baking. Cupcakes. These treats are for the Halloween festivities this weekend and if you are in Wichita, you're in luck! You'll get to taste the fruit (cake, rather) of my labors. Look for the pics tomorrow. Blog-out.

Note: the cupcakes are not fruit-cake flavored. I would never do that. Party foul.

The Dynasty that is NEBRASKA

2009-10-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

Husker Power has the ability to infiltrate even Hollywood! An old college friend of mine found this and it made me so giddy. I love The Big Bang Theory! I mean, I kind of feel like I'm Penny and Russell is one of the nerdy, yet lovable scientists. Russy wasn't too excited to see this as he bleeds Jayhawk Crimson and Blue, but I couldn't be more excited.

So here you go, all you haters: (it might take a few seconds to load)