(fill in the blank) blonde

Presenting: my tumblr

2011-08-18T15:27:00.000-04:00

Tada!

Please visit and follow! :)

http://fullblown-technicolor.tumblr.com/

(I just posted my first ever video -- scary!)

REMEMBER WHEN...

2011-08-17T05:40:00.000-04:00

I said I was going to start blogging regularly again????

Whoops. A sentiment I've expressed before still holds true -- life gets in the way!

But don't lose faith in me yet :) I just created my own Youtube channel and a tumblr page (links will be posted soon) and I'm really interested in doing some video blogging on various topics -- cooking, clothes, working out, nail polish, my journey to med school... you name it. I just don't have the time to sit down and write hugh jass posts with tons of pictures and super engaging narratives, so I think maybe ~vlogging~ will work out better for me. Stay tuned! A video will be coming soon, pinky promise. It's a new era of (fill in the blank) blonde!

Question for readers: what types of videos would you be interested in seeing me make?

I'm Still Here!

2011-06-04T23:49:00.000-04:00

Don't worry everyone! I haven't abandoned you.

This quarter has been ridiculous and I'm hoping to getting back into a more regular blogging routine come summer. Only two finals stand between me and freedom -- for the next two weeks, that is. I'm taking a biochem class, volunteering at the medical center, and I'll be working, so I will be busy, don't get me wrong! It's just tough keeping up with blogging during the school year since I have so many more obligations. I think I did alright this year. Hopefully next school year I can make an even better go at it.

Until next time... (which WILL be soon!)

Relationships.

2011-04-25T10:55:00.000-04:00

Hey there peeps :)

see what i did there? credit

If you celebrate Easter, I hope you had a nice holiday weekend! I went out for brunch and coffee with my dad and it was two hours well spent. We used to have a not-so-great relationship, but now we're on good terms, and he is a really funny guy to hang out with! He always has some good stories to share and yesterday he was keeping me thoroughly entertained with his accounts of dates he's been on recently. Sounds like he's "playing the field" and have a good time.

Well, speaking of relationships, sorry for a major womp womp but it's been a kinda rough week on me because I broke up with my boyfriend last Monday. :( It was so difficult because we've been together a long time and I still care about him a lot, but I think that our romantic relationship had run its course. We both really want to stay friends, but it's kinda weird right now, as you might imagine. This was my first break-up and I unfortunately decided to cope by eating enormous amounts of ice cream (I literally ate ice cream all day last Wednesday and nothing else), which may not have been The Greatest Idea Ever, but today I'm feeling good and ready to get back on track with being healthy... trying to get off a couple extra pounds I might have gained this winter :/ womp, womp. Again, apologies for being a bit of a downer.

Anyhow, I'm hoping for a better week for myself, and hopefully it gets off to a good start for you as well. Already the last week of April... WHAT?! Where is time going? I must be getting old.

The Return of the Food

2011-04-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

Are you saddened by my lack of food bloggage as of late? I know, I know. I used to post pictures of my breakfast basically every day. But during the school year, I'm rushin' around like crazy 90% of the time, and styling a breakfast shoot doesn't really fit in with my morning routine anymore.

Here, as an apology or sorts, I give you the most amazing snack you could ever possibly imagine. You will forget that you were even mad at me.

PUMPKIN PIE YOGURT. It's not pretty, I am aware. But it is YUMMAYY as heck!

I'm probably not the first person to blog about something like this, but... if you haven't tried it yet, here's your chance!

"Recipe:" Greek yogurt, canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and agave. Mix. Consume. Experience mouth-gasm.

Now wasn't that nice of me? :)

Pumpkin is also good in many other things... hot oatmeal... cold overnight oats... smoothies... muffins... hummus. (Yep... just mix canned pumpkin into your plain hummus, store-bought or homemade.) Mix it with a box of cake mix and make a (slightly) healthier cake. Pumpkin seeds are pretty sweet too. Throw them on top of your oatmeal. Put a handful on a mixed green salad. Sprinkle them on top of your pumpkin muffins.

I'm even making a pumpkin pie on Bakery Story right now, even though it takes two whole days to prepare and I could be doing other things like making a zillion batches of brownies instead.

(And I wonder why I do poorly in school.)

Kate .... putting pumpkin in EVERYTHING since 2007.

I'm expecting my call from Libby's asking me to be in a commercial any moment now.

Friday Five

2011-04-15T07:56:00.001-04:00

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Five things I am planning on doing today:

1. Let's get the boring one over with first. Homework. Who's got two thumbs and has two midterms next week? This girl!

2. Going to the gym. I've been doing a lot of cardio lately and not much lifting, so I'd like to get a good strength training session in sometime this afternoon. Yay, physical activity! Yay healthy!

3. Seeing Rango. Apparently going to the movies is going to be a weekly thing this quarter. Last week I also saw Hanna, which was freaking SWEET. Amazing score, very visually stimulating, fast-paced action, and a kick-ass girl in the lead roles.

4. Spending time outside in between my classes. Pleasepleaseplease be a gorgeous day out like it was yesterday? I want to wear shorts and a tank top and soak up that sun! My naturally pale limbs are currently so pale it's actually kind of scary.

5. Wishing I was at Coachella. One of my goals in life is to go to a music festival. Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza aren't too, too far away from Ohio, so fingers crossed I can maybe make it out to one or the other next summer. I just LOVE live music, and going to a festival sounds awesome. For now though, watching the Coachella Youtube channel will have to suffice.

How are you spending your Friday?

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A Short & Sweet Review of "Source Code"!

2011-04-08T00:27:00.001-04:00

After Source Code I'm on a Jake Gyllenhaal kick.

awww yeah.

Le sigh. So adorbs! It might be more accurate to say I'm not so much "on a kick" but in a permanent state of infatuation with any attractive guy I come across in a movie :D heehee.

Source Code was really good though. It was very intriguing and I enjoyed watching the plot unfold. There was much more to the story than just watching the same eight minutes happen over and over. Not only were we trying to figure out what's happening on the train (inside the "source code") but also what's happening in real life--and how the two are intertwined. I don't want to give away too much because I highly recommend that everyone check out the movie for themselves, but I will say that a science geek such as myself found the premise very interesting. This one gets Kate's Seal of Approval!

I find myself at the end of the week yet again, with much to accomplish this weekend. Next week I'll have an anatomy quiz, an anatomy midterm, a chemistry quiz, a lab report, plus lots of homework problems, reading, and studying in between. Blech!!! I'm just happy I have my "fun" classes to help me chill out and totally free my mind from school several hours a week. I think I'm getting better at hip-hop by the way! Really, my ultimate goal is just to be less awkward. I think I can do that.

Did anyone catch American Idol tonight, by the way???? How shocking was the elimination? I'm voting for sure next week!

Happy Friday! ♥

Week One Is Done

2011-04-01T10:38:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, it's Friday! Don't get tricked by any April Fools jokes today! Have you tried Googling "helvetica" yet? Now that is just cruel :P (I HATE comic sans!!!)

To put myself a little more at ease about my heavy schedule, I decided to drop physics earlier this week. It was probably the easiest of my three science classes, but it's just time-consuming and kind of annoying. Not a physics person at all. I'll still have to take it, obviously, but I think I'll end up doing that over the summer instead.

when i break it down in my dance class i plan on looking this fierce. credit

Dropping a class brought me down to just 13 credit hours--just barely enough to be considered a full-time student, so I chose to sign up for another class that would bump me up to 15: hip-hop dance!! I've never taken a real dance class before (besides ballet, when I was like 5 years old) so I'm excited beyond belief. I missed the first class, which was Monday, but on Wednesday afternoon I went and it was super fun. Boy did I break a sweat though...! Mental note for next class: wear shorts, a tee shirt & a sports bra.

So this morning I've already had my anatomy lecture, and an hour from now I have chemistry lab, where I totally lucked out in having one of my closest friends in the same section. It sounds like lab this quarter will be easier than last, and my t.a. seems really relaxed about grading, which is nice. He's also pretty cute ;) Not that that means anything! But he said that he wanted us to have a fun time in lab, which might be a stretch, but I guess it's a good sign he has that attitude towards it.

any excuse to see jake gyllenhaal being all broody-like. he does that so well. credit

Tonight I'm going with some floormates to the movie Source Code--which I thought looked interesting but it's also getting surprisingly good reviews. I will also possibly be dropping by Target, which recently expanded to include a full grocery/produce section. Just when you think Target can't get any more awesome, BAM! Yes, this is how sad my life is, I go to the grocery section of Target just for funsies because I think it's exciting :( don't judge.

What are your weekend plans? Are you getting hit with wintry weather or are there sunny skies in the forecast? We had snow a couple days ago so *hopefully* now it will actually warm up and start feeling like spring outside :) Until next time... have a great day!

Bye, Spring Break... Hello Spring Quarter

2011-03-27T22:47:00.000-04:00

Spring break flew by! I didn't accomplish much, but it was nice having some free time to chill and do things that make me feel relaxed... watching Royal Pains with my mom, playing with my pet kitties, shopping with friends, cooking, baking, etc.

My new schedule of classes starts tomorrow, and although it's a tough courseload, it should be an easy day of classes--anatomy lecture, physics recitation, yoga :) and chem recitation. With luck, the recitations will be quick classes (since we won't have any lecture material to discuss) and I'll have time to go get my books in between. In the afternoon I have a mail-sorting shift at work. Then, in the evening, I have chapter dinner. I must say...... Monday nights are going to be kind of sad for a while now that I don't have The Bachelor to look forward to :( :( :( Yes, triple sadface. Although, being real here, this is probably a good thing considering how little I studied last quarter in comparison to how much TV I watched!!! Spring quarter I need to get. stuff. done. :)

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I'm enjoying my last evening of freedom perusing some blogs and reading City of Ashes. I started the Mortal Instruments books after finishing the Hunger Games trilogy because I wanted another series to get wrapped up in, but I'm still just not sure how I feel about these books. I know a lot of people really like them, but since finding out the author had been known to plagiarize, that kinda bummed me out :/ Apparently a lot of people also HATE Cassandra Clare--I also came across a hilarious breakdown of the first chapter of City of Bones. Maybe they were a little harsh, but they definitely pinpointed a number of things I don't like about her writing style. She can be a little too verbose at times.

Anyhow..... oh yeah. Blog-reading, book-reading, and MUNCHING on the best snack ever that I just discovered--Trader Joe's dark chocolate edamame. Can you say YUM? This stuff is delicious! My only problem with it is, why did I not know about it sooner????

Is it alright that I'm drinking tea out of my "I heart coffee" mug? I feel like that's cheating or something.

Hope you had a fab weekend and your week gets off to a good start! What are you looking forward to this week? I'm actually kinda excited about classes starting and having a brand new routine--that's the best thing about being on a quarter system in college :)

Pancake Breakfast

2011-03-25T14:25:00.003-04:00

Yes, this was my breakfast, despite the fact that it was actually 1:30 p.m. when I ate it :) Ahh, spring break.

I was totally in the mood for pancakes after working out this morning. I used Angela's recipe for the pancakes, and for a healthy topping, I used Alisa's idea.

Healthy Whole Grain Pancakes for one
Makes 5 small pancakes
Adapted from OhSheGlows.com

Ingredients
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup spelt flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%, although I'd have preferred vanilla soy/almond milk!)

Put a skillet on the burner over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the milk and gently fold all the ingredients together, but don't overmix. It should have some lumps in the batter. Let that sit for about 5 minutes.

Next, spoon the batter onto the hot skillet. When the pancakes begin to bubble on top, they should be ready to flip--although I like to lift up the edge with a spatula to see how brown they are getting. Golden brown = flipping time. After flipping they probably only need another 30 seconds to a minute on the heat.

The topping was quick and easy! I diced up a small apple, sauteed it in 1 tsp butter for about 10 minutes, until the apple started getting soft (but not mushy). I sprinkled a few shakes of cinnamon on top, stirred until that coated all the apple chunks, then drizzled 1 tsp maple syrup over everything. After heating for another minute or two, I spooned the topping over the pancakes.

I calculated the nutrition facts on NutritionData.com and the entire recipe was just 450 calories! Not bad. The pancakes alone were 315 calories--including just 4g fat, 9g fiber, 15g protein, 45% my RDA of calcium, and 20% iron. WOW!

A super way to start my Friday! I can't believe it's already the end of the week! Who decided that we get three weeks off to recover from fall quarter but only one week after winter quarter? After my horrible chemistry experience this quarter, I definitely could have used more than a week, but I'm feeling optimistic about spring, and I'm ready to tackle all that it brings--even though it's probably gonna be my craziest quarter yet! Physics, anatomy, ochem (again....) .... I should probably drop out of college now before it gets worse! Nahhh. Haha. I can do this! Stay positive! :)

Enjoy your Friday, friends. What are you up to this weekend?

This Is My Spring Break

2011-03-23T15:46:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time I took a fabulous spring break vacation to the tropics.

st. thomas

That.... was not this spring break.

blurry spots = rain. wahhh.

I don't really mind being home in Ohio but it's SO hard seeing everyone's Facebook updates about being in Florida. That nice weather we had last week... it lasted for a couple days, but today it's raining and there's even a tornado watch. Okay I do not want a TORNADO in the midst of my spring break!

Oh, sweet. I was watching The Doctors and they just interrupted it with a severe weather warning update. Sigh.

Anyhow, spring break. I went shopping the past two days but didn't buy much other than a few spring-y tops and two more pairs of Nike shorts. I found a pair in white that were really cute, but when I tried them on at home--TOTALLY see-through. I debated on whether it was subtle enough that I could wear them anyway, but ultimately I ended up taking them back for a hot pink pair. You know, I just don't want all the boys staring at me at the gym. Although I don't need see-through workout clothes to get that to happen ;)

...kidding. Haha.

(Weather update: 60 mph winds. Really?)

Nail-polish-mania still has a strong grip on me and I *accidentally* bought two bottles of Deborah Lippmann polish during my shopping excursion yesterday... oops. But I've really been wanting Bad Romance, and Today Was A Fairytale will be super pretty layered over other colors.

If you've been watching my Twitter, I put up a photo of the nails I did last night, but if not....

Not bad. Except for the part where my cuticles are really dry and icky :/ But I'm loving this jade green polish--Sinful Colors Mint Apple. By itself, it was really, really stunning. I think that next time I use it I won't put the cheetah on top, or I'll do a more subtle pattern. Still trying to get the hang of these Konad plates, but I'm definitely having a lot of fun with them!

And then this morning I did my toes. Who says fingernails and toenails have to match? Pink + glitter....

... = princess toes!

OBSESSED WITH THIS LOOK. I really want to try something similar on my fingernails using the new glittery Deborah Lippmann polish.

Anyway, for the rest of the day I am doing NOTHING. Watching TV, maybe running to Whole Foods ( my loooove ♥ ♥ ♥ ) to stock up on stuff like chia seeds and agave (breakfast essentials!), and then later this evening, tuning in for the finale of Top Chef. Anybody else watch Top Chef? Was it just me or did it seem like it was supposed to be the finale LAST week? The advertising was really confusing but I guess it's finally happening today. I'm really hoping the winner is Richard.

Some randomness... look what I spied on the table next to the couch in our living room...

Got my mom hooked on these AMAZING books. I feel like I was late to the Hunger Games party, but I know there are still lots of people who haven't read them. If you haven't checked them out yet.... GET ON IT!! :) Gosh, Suzanne Collins should start paying me for all the free advertising I give her.

I hope you guys have a wonderful Wednesday :) I'm enjoying mine!

SPRING BREAK/Life Update

2011-03-18T17:14:00.000-04:00

Sorry guys! Finals week/studying got the best of me yet again. Luckily, my finals were over on Tuesday so I've had the past few days to chill/watch The O.C./read/etc. and basically do whatever I want. SUCH a good feeling!

The Lady Gaga concert was simply amazing. Girl knows how to put on a show! It was my brother's first concert and he had a great time. Apparently people at school the next day got a real kick out of him wearing the concert tee he bought: an 18-year-old boy proudly showing his Gaga love--pretty funny.

My camera blows and our seats weren't great, but I did the best I could. I think I got a few decent shots. Some of my favorites in a collage:

I love Lady Gaga! Not only is she crazy, kooky, and an awesome live performer, but she also really she cares about her fans and is concerned with spreading the message about love and acceptance. Seems like a cool girl.

Finals are OVER thank goodness. I was worried for a while this might be the quarter I give up on my medical school dreams but everything worked out okay in the end. Chemistry was rough this go-around.

What I'm excited about today:

Watching Harry Potter on ABC Family! Love these movies! :)
The Buckeyes beating UT-San Antonio. I picked my Bucks to go all the way--bold choice? I think they can do it! They have had an amazing season so far.
They cast Katniss for the Hunger Games movie. It's Jennifer Lawrence if you hadn't heard! Wooo! I was initially pulling for Hailee but when J.Law's name came up I jumped on that bandwagon pretty quickly. She seems like a great choice. People are worried about the way she looks, obviously, but that is easily changed, and I think that fact that girl can act overrides casting based on looks alone! Besides, Suzanne Collins herself said Jennifer was a great choice. So, yay! Now they gotta cast the rest of the film. (Hunter Parrish as Peeta, please??)
The weather outside! Beautiful! As jealous as I am of all my friends who have left for spring break getaways (Florida, cruises) the weather in central Ohio today makes up for it... a little bit. I still wish I were lying on a beach somewhere. Maybe next year!

Have a fabulous Friday! Hope you're getting some nice weather too! :)

Tonight...

2011-03-10T10:05:00.002-05:00

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...is the LADY GAGA CONCERT!!!!

I have been waiting nearly a YEAR for this. I bought my ticket the very day they went on sale, so excited for this sure-to-be spectacle was I.

Now, wayyyy, way back, you may recall me talking about making some kind of crazy Gaga costume to wear to the concert. That didn't happen. If you read regularly you know I'm a pretty busy girl and I didn't exactly have the time to create something fabulously Gaga-worthy. (Still, somehow, I did find time to read the Hunger Games trilogy and watch one and a half seasons of The O.C. this school year.... aaand maybe that's why I'm doing so awful in chemistry. Someone clearly needs to get her priorities straight spring quarter... anyway, besides the point.) As of now, I have NO idea what I'm going to wear. Any suggestions? I really don't own anything that's super crazy or glittery or even 10% as ostentatious as something Gaga would wear, but I don't want to show up wearing just jeans and a tee-shirt.

I thought I would post my ever growing nail polish collection just for fun since I have recently re-fallen in love with nails with my discovery of Konad stamping plates. I took the zebra off yesterday and used a Wet 'n Wild color called Morbid for the base, then stamped silver on top. Check it out.

Taken with my phone. Sorry about the bad quality. If you can't tell there's a little tiny rhinestone in the middle of the bow on my thumbnail. You should have seen the *look* my boyfriend gave me when I told him I bought rhinestones for my nails, but I think he was imagining me doing all-out, fully encrusted nails. Which I wasn't planning on doing. But it would be fun, now that I think of it.... hmmm. Heehee ;)

So, my collection. I have about 50 bottles of polish, which might seem like a lot--my suitemate thought so when I showed her this array last night--but I don't think it's that many. There are so many pretty shades you can do different things with, and I when I don't have a variety to choose from, it's easy to get bored.

Here's everything arranged in color order on my desk. Again, phone picture, so the colors don't look quite as vivid as they do in real life. If you can see the yellow polish in the middle, it's actually extremely bright and sunny; some of my pinks and salmons are almost neon. And I swear all those deep reds are distinctly different shades! I went to Target yesterday and added a few to my collection: two from Sinful Colors (Thimbleberry and Mint Apple), a Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear glitter (Rockstar Pink), a NYC multicolor glitter (the name is escaping me), and Sally Hansen Insta-Dry (Blue-Away). So excited to do some fun things with these!

Looks like a somewhat dreary day outside today, but if its raining, at least I get to wear my adorable rainboots. Honestly that's the only good thing about when it rains! Yesterday it was just gross and windy and my umbrella flipped inside out multiple times >:( ... not my ideal weather. I can't wait for spring/summer warmth to arrive.

Happy Thursday! And to any college students who are finishing up the quarter--good luck on finals!!! :)

Three Random Items

2011-03-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

1) BUSY BUSY BUSY weekend. In the midst of writing a paper about blueberry muffins for my nutrition and food science class, and I'm on my 11th page. Whew! Also, o-chem lab final on Wednesday = studying forever :( Wahhh.

2) I have a place to live next year! I can't remember whether or not I've discussed this before, but I was initially planning to live with some friends off campus next year, but I've since decided that staying on campus was a better idea, since I have a scholarship that covers some of my university housing expenses. I'm not living in a "dorm" dorm next year, rather a building that's more apartment-style. Check out the room layout:

My room looks like the one that's labeled 105A, and it's really nice because my roommate and I will have our own bathroom, PLUS there will be a kitchen!!!! AHHH! I'm so unbelievably excited for that aspect. I can finally make real food for myself. Wheeee!

3) Remember my recent post about awesome nails?

Well, first, this happened.

ITS SOOOO SPARKLYYY. Thanks Katy Perry and OPI! Then, this:

Zeeeebraaa! Oh yes. I bought nail stamps. Did I really need to spend half my last paycheck on nail stamps and polish??? Probably not. But it looks freaking awesome and I'm obsessed with it. Plus, I will basically never need to get a manicure again.

***

I hope you are having a super weekend, bloggy friends. I've been having a hard time keeping up with everything in my life lately but soon, very soon, it will be spring break, and I can return to my summertime staples of lounging by the TV watching Say Yes To The Dress and writing awesome blog entries about delectable-looking food and stuff. So stay tuned for upcoming awesomeness. Have a great day! ♥

Buckeyethon, A Party With A Purpose

2011-02-28T10:26:00.001-05:00

This weekend, I did something that tested my endurance and strength--both physical and mental.

When I signed up for Buckeyethon, a 17-hour dance marathon benefitting Nationwide Children's Hospital, I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into. I mean, standing up and dancing around for 17 whole hours? And overnight no less? There was NO way I was going to be able to stay the entire time. And many people did leave throughout the night.

But I decided to stay and I'm proud to say that I danced for 17 hours. Every time I thought about quitting and going home, I thought about the kids I was dancing and staying strong for. The kids we sponsored came for a few hours in the evening (the event started at 5 p.m. Saturday) and again Sunday morning (it ended at 10 a.m.). All of them are facing life-threatening cancers, but treatment at Children's Hospital has given them hope :) Anytime I thought about giving up and letting my aching body parts have a rest, I thought about all these kids have endured at such a young age--chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, transplants... and things as a result of their ailments that they have to deal with every single day. So for 17 hours I stood and I danced, for the kids.

A few pictures from the event (stolen from my friends on Facebook, ha, thanks guys):

all the teams in the middle of the student union, right at the start of the event.

learning a choreographed dance from our team leaders/"morale captains."

go blue team!

a big game of tug of war--orange team won.

Most of the time was spent dancing to music supplied by a team of two awesome DJs, but throughout the night we had breaks to eat, plus opportunities to play card games, participate in a Mario Kart tournament, play tug of war, watch the Mr. Buckeyethon "beauty pageant" (guys dressed in drag--always funny), rave with glowsticks at 4a.m., and listen to or watch live performances by various acts (a local band, a California-based singer named Kelley James, and several hip-hop dance teams on campus).

The most amazing moment was when the kids came back in the morning for the big reveal of the total dollar amount raised by our efforts. This was Buckeyethon's tenth year; last year, the event raised $100,000 for Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Miracle Network. This year?

Over $222,000. There were lots of tears of joy at the reveal, and although we were all exhausted by that point in time, we continued to dance and celebrate for several more songs until the clock struck 10a.m. and we all were finally allowed to sit down.

I volunteer at the hospital and I've done other charity work, but nothing has resonated with me so much as Buckeyethon. Seeing the kids this affects made it really real. Sometimes it's not fun giving up your free time when it seems like you're getting nothing out of it, but I think that doing something for a great cause is totally worth it and extremely rewarding. I can't WAIT to do Buckeyethon next year, and if there are any dance marathons in your area, check it out! It's a great way to have fun and promote a good cause.

Have you ever done a dance marathon? Pulled an all-nighter? (It was my first!) What kind of charity or volunteer work do you like to do? For me (someone who is interested in the medical field) I prefer to volunteer at the Ohio State Medical Center, and I like the fact that Buckeyethon was for the benefit of children who could one day be a patient of mine.

Have a great Monday, friends! :)

I Am A Twitter-er!

2011-02-24T20:55:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, sorry for lack of updates again! The past week has been hectic--a huge lab quiz in chem last Friday, cranking out an English paper this weekend, cramming for the chem midterm I had today--but the good news is that it was my last midterm of the quarter (YAY) so all I have to do is keep up with my school work for the next two weeks and I should be golden. I NEED SPRING BREAK. ASAP. I can't wait to go home and be a lazy bum who sits around doing nothing. The best feeling ever. Hee hee.

So--if someone who blogs is a "blogger," what do you call someone who uses Twitter? A "tweeter" maybe? "Twitter-er" just sounds silly, ha.

After hearing my suitemates talking about Twitter I was convinced to sign up. I had previously thought it wouldn't interest me, but I really like the format and the way it lets you interact with people.

Anyone have a Twitter? Follow me @kandapillar! :) Have a fabuloso Friday, friends!

New Obsession: Nail Art

2011-02-21T01:27:00.001-05:00

I randomly happened upon a blog devoted to nail art and almost instantaneously I was hooked. How freaking cool are these:

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Umm yeah. Loves it. Who knew so many neat things could be done to nails?

I usually do one solid color and I'm good to go, although that definitely looks a little boring--especially after coming across all these! It's like I've discovered a whole new world. Those patterns that appear so painstakingly applied actually come from nail stamps, something I've never even heard of before. Here's the product on Amazon if you want to give it a look. I ordered the stamp tool tonight, plus a set of image plates. It should be here in several days and I can't wait to test it out! As soon as I get the chance, I will definitely post pictures.

Do you like doing fun nails? Have you seen these "stamps" before??

A Dorm Room Baking Adventure

2011-02-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

Obviously at school I'm not able to whip up *elaborate concoctions* with quite as much ease as I can in the comfort of my own kitchen. For Valentine's Day I decided to make a batch of cookies for my boyfriend but I took the super easy route--a box mix.

Soooo.

How did that work out?

Well, not as horrible as I was anticipating, which I guess is... good?

I had no butter so I used applesauce.
I had no egg so I used chia gel (1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water).
I didn't have parchment paper or Pam. Luckily they did not stick to the baking sheet.

Something smelled kinda funny around 10 minutes so I took them out of the oven. Let's be honest y'all....... these are probably the ugliest freaking chocolate chip cookies, EVER. They're also a little bit chewy. But I would rather have "chewy" than "overdone/burnt/inedible." Agreed?

I suppose I cannot prolong this anymore but I feel like I'm contractually obligated to post a picture since I've basically written a whole post about them. As long as you swear there will be no making fun :( I did as best I could....

Well. On second glance I guess they aren't that bad. The chia seeds are throwing me off, though. If I didn't know better I'd probably guess they were oatmeal chocolate chip.

But how about some pretty cookies??????

Om.

Nom.

Nom. Cookiesssssss.

Heyyy what do you know. It's the Christmas cookies I said I was going to post but apparently never did. Mmm yeah.... sorry :/ but look how delicious they look! I thought I would give you at least something to stimulate your taste buds. (Fun fact: according to my nutrition professor, there is actually no such things as "taste buds." Mindblowing right? My whole world was turned upside-down.) Those last cookies--ginger-toffee--AMAZING. I'll share the recipe if you'd like!

Anyhoo, from me to you, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Have a loooove-filled day!

♥ ♥ ♥

Bee tee dubs. I thought Justin Bieber was really cute at the Grammy's last night and I may or may not have downloaded "Never Say Never" this morning. I'm so ashamed :(

NEW GAGA

2011-02-11T10:54:00.002-05:00

image credit. graphic made by me!

What better way to kick off the weekend than with the release of a brand new Gaga track? (Answer: there is no better way.)

Thoughts???? Personally--as much as I love a good upbeat, dance-y tune and I love Gaga more than life itself, this sounds just like Madonna's "Vogue" and "Express Yourself" and David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over" all rolled into one. While I don't doubt this will soon be creeping its way onto my list of "most played" songs in iTunes, coming from an artist who prides herself in being so different and original, this single is somewhat uninspired and frankly a liiiittle disappointing :( BUT NO WORRIES GAGA. I still love you and am hella excited for your new album and counting down the days until I see you in concert. JUST ONE MONTH AWAY! AHHHH! ♥ ♥ ♥

Happy Friday! Have a good weekend!

Be My Valentine

2011-02-10T14:08:00.000-05:00

Winter quarter is FLYING! It's near the end of week six already, which I can hardly believe. I have this weird feeling where it seems like I've barely learned anything, and that makes my upcoming midterms and exams all the more stressful, but maybe it would just be more accurate to say that I haven't been spending as much time studying as I should :/ I have a TONNN of chemistry to pound out this weekend, plus I need to get started on a paper for English and my nutrition class project. School. Ugh. Can it be summer please???

Hopefully you liked my last post in which I professed my love for Peeta Mellark and talked about a little something other than just how my week is going! I know the "hey, I'm busy with school and I have no life" thing probably gets boring, ha, so I want to try mixing up my post topics a bit... book reviews, fashion trends, TV/movies.... and so on. I did title my blog (fill in the blank) blonde after all, and that blank was definitely meant to be filled with something other than "studious"!

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Today, I bring your attention to the fact that Valentine's Day is coming up! Although if you have two eyes and have set foot in basically ANY store in the past month you are probably aware of this already. I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY, so even if you hate it, no raining on my V-Day parade, please. "Single's Awareness Day," pshhh, whatever. That only seems to make people feel worse! Valentine's doesn't have a to be a day to make single people feel bad about their... single-ness... I think it's more about just showing people you love that you care and appreciate them. Every year I buy a pack of little-kid valentines, the kind you put in shoeboxes in way back in elementary school, and give them out to my friends. Maybe it's a little cheesy but I guarantee I see plenty of smiles as I'm handing them out.

♥ ♥ ♥

This particular V-Day promises to be perhaps the most epic one EVER, as there is a new episode of The Bachelor on and I'm planning to have a pizza&chocolate-consuming/champage-drinking watch party with all the girls in my suite! Wooooo! Gonna be amazing :) Additionally, we're doing "Secret Valentines," like Secret Santa, so everyone will end up with a little bag of candy, a card, etc... something sweet. Awww :) I'm happy I have such awesome roomies. It's going to be lots of fun! (Who is watching the Bachelor this season, by the way? Isn't Michelle CRAZY? Yikes. She needs to go home, but at least she's fun to watch!)

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Do you like Valentine's Day? Do you have plans with a special guy maybe? ;) My boyfriend and I are still as together as we've ever been, in case you were wondering, but he had some kind of plans Monday night, which is why I am chilling with my ladies instead. Still, I think I might cook him a surprise dinner later in the evening. And by cook I mean "boil water for pasta and heat marinara sauce in the microwave in my dorm's pitiful excuse for a kitchen." I'd love to whip up some homemade chocolate chip cookies too (his favorite), but I'll have to make a trip to Target to see if they have the proper ingredients. Hopefully he doesn't see this in advance--I don't *think* he reads my blog! Haha.

Peace out, homies, and do enjoy your Thursday! ♥ I hope I've inspired you to get your Valentine's Day spirit on! :)

Pssst.... It's A Secret...

2011-02-06T18:32:00.002-05:00

Oh jeez, I never thought this would happen. It came on so fast, out of nowhere really. I didn't even stand a chance on this one. Even after alllll the times I've poked fun at girls in love a fictional man... sigh. This here lady has just lost all her credibility. I remember giggling and rolling my eyes once last year when my suitemate made a Facebook status saying how she was depressed because she knew Edward wasn't real, and I knew she wasn't even joking. I didn't understand.

Well, here it is. I am a fangirl. Obsessed with The Hunger Games trilogy. And I am crushing mad on Peeta Mellark. After reading THG in about a week, slowing working my way through Catching Fire in the midst of studying organic chemistry reactions, I finally came upon a weekend where I didn't have much studying to do and I absolutely flew through Mockingjay, finishing it in a mere 24 hours. Holy moly. I wish it could have lasted longer, and the fact that things were drawing to a close felt bittersweet. So worth it though. Definitely a series I'll reread.

i. love. this. book. please ignore my post-workout gross-ness :/

For anyone who hasn't read the books you may not want to read any further, just in case spoilers come out. Let me elaborate on my Peeta looove and why I think Katniss/Gale wasn't meant to be.

***POTENTIAL SPOILERS***

So throughout the books, just like Katniss, I was back and forth between Peeta and Gale, but by the third book I was whole-heartedly Team Peeta. Even through all the heartbreaking moments in Mockingjay--the "hijacking" of Peeta's mind, his attack on Katniss upon their reunion, the slow and painful recovery process--I had faith in Peeta, that he would find his way back to Katniss. The girl on fire and the boy with the bread.

I was really torn about this whole Gale vs. Peeta issue for a long time. From the first time I was introduced to Gale and Katniss' relationship in THG, I knew that there would grow to be something more between them. It's evident he cares for her so much, but ultimately Katniss could see that he was "kindled with rage and hatred," and honestly, I think he was too much like herself. Gale was the one "she could survive without," but more importantly, Gale could survive without her.

Additionally, there were a lot of things I didn't like about him in Mockingjay. The fact that he'd kissed numerous girls back home, too many to count... that just flat-out made me mad. I wanted him and Katniss to have something special even though I already should have guessed this, knowing his popularity among the other girls in 12. How he somehow couldn't grasp why Katniss had such deep feelings for her prep team... they were people she cared about, wasn't that enough? Did he need them to prove themselves somehow? And finally, when she asks about the bomb that killed Prim, and all he can muster is, "Does it matter?" Guhhh. I was so frustrated with Gale in that moment.

Buttttt we are here to talk about Peeta, right? My love. Sigh.

I want this boy for my own. Strong, even through all the turmoil he endures. So caring, so devoted, even when the girl he loves pulled away. All those scenes where they would hold each other as they fell asleep... ahhhhh my gosh. So innocent, and yet I was picking up on some strong sexual tension. Am I right here or just making that up?? Haha ;) It was SO evident to me that Katniss was falling in love, no matter how much she tried to deny those feelings.

Peeta is really a beautiful character: honest, selfless, creative, intelligent. As Katniss and Haymitch both observed, he was truly the only decent one among all the victors. Always full of hope, and he always knew the right thing to say. From their first meeting so many years before the Games, Peeta was "the dandelion in the spring" for Katniss. Those last lines of Mockingjay--"You love me. Real or not real?" "Real."--oh god, it just killed me. What a perfect ending.

SO. The book may be over, but the exciting news is that I do have a movie to look forward to! Wheeeee! According to IMDB, it's slated for release in 2012, but considering it hasn't even started filming yet, I'm gonna hazard a guess we may not see it until very late in the year.

The one thing that's making me nervous, as always, with book-to-movie adaptations, is losing the characters I have in my head. I know how I envision them, their expressions, their mannerisms, and some of that will certainly be lost when I see it up on the big screen. Still, I'm uber-excited and all I can do is wait for casting news and hope that when the film(s) are released, my expectations are met.

I personally am in the camp of those who can see Hailee Steinfeld as Katniss. She was great in True Grit and could do the part justice. I've heard lots of talk about Kaya Scodelario from the British version of Skins but I've never seen her act and don't really know what she's capable of. As for the boys, Prim, Haymitch, Rue, Finnick, and others... I still need to give those some thought. I'm kinda feeling Kiernan Shipka for Prim? She looks so young and sweet but she'd have to grow up a lot by the third installment.

photos from google images and imdb.com

Who is your dream cast?

I guess that's all my Hunger Games banter, for now. In other news, the Super Bowl is on tonight. I have no moral obligation to either team and could really care less who wins but I do like the commercials and I'm excited to see a modern act doing the halftime show for once... these last few years have been booooring. The last exciting halftime show I remember was Justin and Janet. I recall seeing that live, with my virginal, middle school eyes... travesty. Anyhow. Hope the Black Eyed Peas bring their game.

Enjoy watching the Packers and the Steelars y'all and you BETTER be tuned in for GLEE afterwards!!!!

SNOW DAY.... ish

2011-02-02T12:05:00.001-05:00

Mmm, tea. I am enjoying a nice warm mug of Tazo Earl Grey at this moment. My tea collection has gotten a little out of hand lately but it's just so good.... there are worse things to collect, right?

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Well dang, you guys. Apologies again for being such a slacker blogger lately, but my life is so very busy! This quarter is actually rougher than fall quarter, which I thought would've been hard to beat. I think this can be mainly attributed to the fact that I didn't start actually paying attention in class or doing any homework until about three weeks had gone by... yeah... I had an extremely tough time getting back into the swing of things after winter break, especially with those super busy recruitment weekends and all.

No worries, I've managed to get up to speed. I had two chemistry midterms last week and nutrition coming up tomorrow night. Chemistry went all right, though not as great as I'd liked to have done. Nutrition shouldn't be terribly difficult, but I won't deny that I do have a ton of studying to get done today! This nutrition class is more "food science" than "nutrition," and there are tons of little details to remember about the different components of food and how they interact with each other. LOVING this course by the way--lab is the bomb dot com. Last week: vegetarian jambalaya, among other items. This week: vegetarian chili. (Also this week, red beans and rice with SPAM, ewwww, but that I did not sample, of course.) For next Tuesday's lab, I think we'll be doing some kind of fruit pie/crisp/pastry-type desserts. Yum!

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So: I am pretty sure that basically everyone in the United States has the day off school today, except for good old Ohio State! Boooo, hiss. Snow days are a rarity around these parts. We actually did get one snow day last year, but that was quite an anomaly. My dad works here at the university, and in his 15 years of employment, he's seen just two or three days called off due to inclement weather.

I haven't given up hope though, it's only February 2nd, after all, and in Ohio that means we could still have another two and a half months of winter... so LOTS of opportunities for snow days!!! Especially with this extra weeeird weather recently. Anybody see the satellite pics of the country covered in clouds and storms?? If I didn't know better I'd swear they were screen-caps from The Day After Tomorrow!

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I had to brave the cold, yucky weather on my way to chemistry lab earlier this morning, but my English professor decided to cancel our 11:30 class on her own accord. Awesomesauce. So now I'm home, studying for nutrition and watching Say Yes To The Dress. My theory... if OSU won't give me a snow day, I'll just have to have one for myself :) Any ideas for a good snow day movie? I've already seen The Holiday twice this winter, haha, so I'll probably pass on that one, although the winter-y-ness would be appropriate. Moulin Rouge, perhaps? I could go for a musical.

I suppose I should get to studying nutrition, y'all. For those who have the day off... first of all, LUCKY. But second, enjoy it, and be safe if you decide to go out and brave the elements!

Apology...

2011-01-26T18:23:00.000-05:00

...for the lack of posts as of late. School is hitting full force again and I have two midterms in the next two days, plus a paper due on Monday. MAYBE this weekend if I need a break from doing my essay I will write a post, but otherwise, expect a major update sometime next week. So sorry guys :( I've been a bad blogger. Life is just crazy at the moment.

Here's a couple random pages I found on stumbleupon, for your enjoyment.

The 29 Healthiest Foods on the Planet: Which do you regularly eat/enjoy? I'm a big fan of all the fruits and vegetables listed, except cranberry juice and figs. Quinoa, lentils, beans, yogurt: awesome. Peanuts = peanut butter. Yay! I don't eat much wheat germ and don't drink skim milk, and obviously, none of the seafood.
Owen and Mzee: Now how stinkin' adorable is this???
Girls Are Like...: We've all heard this before, but it's a sweet affirmation nonetheless :) Good for those times when you're feeling down about yourself because of boy troubles.
Book of Art: Just totally cool and really creative! People are just incredible, the things they come up with.

Have a fantabulous rest of the week!

Golden Globes. BID DAY.

2011-01-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

I am an awards show-watcher. I LOVE AWARDS SHOWS. I almost slugged my suitemate last weekend when she told me she thought the Oscars and the Academy Awards were two entirely different shows and proceeded to say something along the lines of, "people actually watch those things? Why?" WHO ARE YOU? Well, she is a freshman and a ginger so I cut her some slack. (Gingers, no offense. Haha. Running joke amongst my other roomies and me. But seriously.)

I was really please with most of the winners last night, even though I think the Golden Globes are kind of a joke since supposedly awful movies like The Tourist got nominated. I have yet to see The Social Network (I know! I live under a rock!) but it's absolutely at the top of my list right now after all the acclaim it's received, plus several awards last night.

One of my favorite things about awards programs is the fashion. There were a heck of a lot of BAD dress choices last night, so many women looked straight-up "Dynasty," but there were a number of dress I really loved. My favorite:

CZJ. Lovely. I think she is one of the most beautiful women in the world. Green dresses were rather abundant last night but this one was certainly the topper.

Changing gears, the day is finally here: BID DAY! After two crazy weekends of recruitment, we get to meet all our new girls and welcome them home. I'm super excited to meet everyone :) The mass exodus of screaming new sorority women from the student union to sorority row is set to occur in just a couple hours so I myself must run off to the house to be prepared to meet them. Have a pleasant Monday! I promise I'll be back with a longer post as soon as I find the time.

Cutesy Bootsies

2011-01-11T13:10:00.000-05:00

First off I apologize for the sickening sweet title, but I thought it was appropro. Anyway, moving on.

UGG boots: Love em? Hate em? Personally, I am among the camp of people who will defend UGGs till kingdom come. Their warmth and coziness cannot be surpassed. They are seemingly the perfect cold-weather boot. Although I have to admit--they have one major, glaring flaw. They aren't waterproof?? What in the heck are you supposed to do when it snows?

If you're dumb like me (and please take no offense if you actually do this, I'm just trying to look out for you!) you go ahead and wear them anyway and ruin not one but TWO pairs of boots over the course of once season. A word of warning if you have not yet discovered this, but UGGs don't exactly get along well with water once SALT gets into the mix. Trudging through salty mushy, slush on your way to class is possibly the most surefire way to damage your $150-180 investment. And you don't want that do you?

not mine, but this is what my old ones looked like :( credit

So trust me here, save the UGGs for days that are cold but have a very low chance of snow. UGGs and snow: just say no!

What do you wear on gross snowy days? Two options.

Rainboots. Sage advice from the brain of Kate so listen up: get a nice pair of rainboots! Not the cheapy rubbery kind. The ones they sell at Target are cute but how often do you end up buying new ones? Probably more often than you'd prefer. That thin rubber material just doesn't hold up... and it's not comfortable or warm at all. L.L.Bean, Hunter, Sorel, and J.Crew all make great rainboots, from what I've gathered. Personally I love the pair I bought from Burberry. They are lightly lined and have a snug fit. Plus they're Burberry. Did I mention they're Burberry? Hokay, stopping now.....
Option number two. May seem obvious, but... snowboots! You might be thinking of giant puffy Moonboots (not cute, IMO) or something resembling one of those nylon snowsuits you wore as a child:

i dunno whose kid this is but it makes me giggle. credit

Tee hee. There are lots of cute snowboots out these days, however. After coming across this pair in a post on College Fashion, I knew I had to have them:

The name is the style is "Alycia" (made by The North Face) and they were $125, but lucky for myself they were a belated Christmas present from my dad. Quality number one that makes them so very desirable is that they are waterproof! Waterproof suede in fact. This is a truly wonderful invention. I went ahead and misted them with some water protection spray as well, just for good measure. But some other positives here? Warm, lace-up (meaning adjustable for maximum comfort), and, oh, super stinking cute. I love the knitted detail around the top of the shaft. When it comes to winter-weather attire, The North Face is definitely a brand I trust, but again, Sorel and L.L.Bean are good, as well at Sporto, for a slightly lower price point.

If you live somewhere that gets lots of snow, I highly recommend purchasing some good all-weather boots. It's just not worth ruining all your other pairs of shoes. On a day like today, where several inches are expected to accumulate around my campus, I couldn't be more happy to have some good snowboots, since I do a lot of walking around outdoors.

Thus concludes my sales pitch for snowboots... they're not paying me, I swear, haha. And on two random, completely unrelated notes, 1) we sauteed and tasted onions in my nutrition/food science class today, and my breath is totally noxious right now. Umm, well, thanks for enlightening us... I'll be sure to keep my distance. FYI it's amazing the difference you can detect when really being critical in comparing food cooked in olive oil vs. canola oil vs. butter. (Butter was my hands down favorite.) And 2) a big congratulations to my best friend Mer, who is now a sorority woman at a notoriously competitive university! So proud of you girl. I am loving Greek life so far and I know you will too ♥

On the subject of Greek life, I'm pretty busy this week with formal recruitment going on at OSU, in addition to keeping up with work and classes--the usual. As I've mentioned before, the posts may be fewer and further between, but I still care a great deal about this blog and I love connecting with you guys who read. (50 followers now! Ahh!) Have an awesome week, although it's kinda dreary out. And don't forget to make a wish today at 11:11--it's extra lucky! :)

Bookish Blonde

2011-01-06T01:08:00.004-05:00

My friends. I have an obsession and it's called The Hunger Games. I had a tough time tearing myself away from it's pages even for just a few moments to write this post.

I think I'm a little late on the bandwagon with this one, but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying it immensely! I've been hearing talk about these books for a while, but never sought it out for myself. A few nights ago, I mentioned the title to a coworker, however, and she replied that she had the book upstairs and she'd go get it for me and I just had to read it! That was Sunday night, and since, I've been flying through it, reading pages here and there, any chance I get.

I used to be a major reader. I read ALL. THE. TIME. I was that girl who carried a book with her everywhere, reading between classes, on the school bus, etc. Admittedly.... we're talking middle school here, and the vast majority of what I was reading were teen romance/comedy novels. (Georgia Nicholson, anyone? 1-800-Where Are U? or The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot?)

Lest you think I wasn't really reading anything worthwhile, I swear I did read some stuff of substance too. I had a Lord of the Rings phase during which I read all the books numerous times and I even did a project on The Hobbit in the eighth grade. LOTR ♥

But as the years went on, my free time for pleasure reading grew to be smaller and smaller, and to be honest, I can't even recall when I last read a book of fiction just for the heck of it. The Time Traveler's Wife, maybe? That was definitely more than a year ago.

This is a good time to read, since the quarter just started and I'm not swamped in work yet, but there are two more books in this series, and you better believe I will be trying to get my hands on them! I forgot how much fun it is to read and lose yourself in the world of a good book like this.

Have you read The Hunger Games yet? I feel like I'm the last person on the planet to delve into it, but I'm glad I did. It's a little bit sci-fi, but I happen to be into that sorta thing. Even if that's not really your deal, check it out anyway! You won't be disappointed.

First Post of 2011, Last Day of Winter Break

2011-01-02T07:58:00.000-05:00

one of my favorite movies, ever. a holiday must-watch! credit

Time to say "so long" to home and the holiday season, January is here and winter break is nearly over :( It was so heart-wrenching leaving my mom yesterday. We have built a strong relationship throughout the past several years and I can honestly call her not just my mom, but a close friend. I spent my last day at home with her, watching several episodes of "our" show, Royal Pains--we started watching old episodes together this past summer and have since been trying to get caught up.

After enjoying some quality Hank/Evan/Divya bantering, I packed up all my stuff, which didn't take too long since I've been living out of my suitcase mostly.

Back in my dorm, it's super lonely! I moved in a day early since I was scheduled to work today--that's where I am right now, in fact. Working at the front desk is a really great gig, one I'm hoping I can do again next year, since I'm likely going to still be living on campus. *story time* Once upon a time I really super badly wanted to move off campus. Earlier this fall, I started looking at apartments with two girls I live with now, but they wanted north campus and I wanted south. It was a hard decision since we're friends and all, but I decided it was for the best we didn't live together.

Moving right along, I found another potential roommate and we found a couple places we liked, but over break, I did some serious thinking, and I came to realize that moving off campus next year just isn't going to be practical. I have a scholarship that covers some of my room and board, so giving that up would be thousands of dollars lost. I know--junior living in a dorm = NOT cool. But there are some apartment-style dorms on south campus I'm looking at, and they even have a kitchen in each suite, which would be super nice. See, not so terrible.

Apologies for that deviation... but not that this post was going anywhere important anyway :) Ha. So I'm here at work until 11. I brought breakfast in a bag, since we have a microwave down here, and by mixing my dry oatmeal ingredients in a bowl the night before and pre-measuring the right amount of water into a bottle, whipping up a healthy breakfast was super simple!

Step one: prep.

Step two: consume!

bad camera phone pics again, sorry.

I must be honest... my healthy plan of action over break didn't really work out. I did manage to exercise at least four times, which isn't bad considering how busy I was with work ($400 paycheck this past Friday, hollaaaa) and being out of town for several days. But food-wise.... yeah. I don't even wanna talk about how many cookies I ate at my mom's holiday open house this past week! (Although they were delicious--pictures to be posted soon.)

I made a couple new year's resolutions for myself, several involving health, and my number one resolution is to eat right, once and for all. I know, I know. I'm a dietetics major. I'm supposed to have a handle on this. But I think that almost everyone struggles a little bit with eating how they should, no matter how many times we are told what to eat and what to avoid, and I am certainly no exception. After reading a great book, The End of Overeating, over winter break, I'm using some of the techniques the author outlines for how to stay on track with a healthy diet.

Some other resolutions?

Be nicer to people. Not that I'm mean. But I know that sometimes I can be a little selfish and stubborn if I don't get my way. I'm working on that.

Work out at least 3-4 times a week. Part of my healthy lifestyle plan. I'm getting back on the train!

Run a 5K. Alright y'all, I am NOT a runner. But I discovered that I was easily able to run a mile on our treadmill at home (perhaps it was thanks to my new kicks?), and I think that working my way up to 3.2 miles is a respectable goal.

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Get at least six hours of sleep per night. Self explanatory. No more staying up until 4a.m. on school nights without good reason.

Maintain my GPA. Definitely achievable so long as I keep up with everything the way I did fall quarter... hopefully chemistry won't drive me quite as insane this time around!

Get more involved with my sorority. I love my sisters but I still feel relatively new to the chapter and I want to make the effort to get to know them even better. We're going to be spending some looooong days together with formal rush coming up over the next several weekends, what better time to bond than over the process of recruitment?

And finally, stop buying clothes I don't love. Sometimes I just stare at my closet and wonder, "why did I buy this junk?" I'm going to go through everything I own and donate the stuff I don't need, and in the future, only purchase things I really love--and take care of those items. No more machine-washing stuff with a dry-clean-only tag... yes, I'm guilty of that.

Did you make new year's resolutions? I usually do. I find that it helps to write down your goals, rather than just keeping them in your head where your brain can modify them to something easier to accomplish... or something you needn't try to accomplish at all. Writing stuff down holds me somewhat accountable.

Anyone who's going back to school tomorrow, good luck! Anyone who is still on break... lucky you. And anyone who's out in the real world, well... keep chugging along, my friends. At least you probably get MLK day off, right? Have a fabulous start to your week!

Christmas Recap

2010-12-28T12:28:00.001-05:00

Okay, so often when I begin to write a blog entry, I pause and think, "doesn't this sound a little self-centered?" I am really paranoid about coming off as conceited, so I'm a little awkward about sharing things about myself with others sometimes.

Buttttt then I remember that it is MY blog, after all. It's cool if I talk mostly about myself, right? And so then I just try not to worry about it and write whatever I feel like. Without further ado, let me share with you the highlights of Christmas gifts I received this year. Oh, and do feel free to share what you got in the comments section :)

The thing I was most excited about was a new iPod nano! Have you seen the new teeny tiny ones? They are SO stinkin' miniscule! Luckily it has a clip on the back so it can be clipped on a pocket or something, otherwise I'd be scared to death of losing it. This is going to be great for taking to the gym. No more big, bulky, first generation iPod touch. Woohoo!

i did not receive the entire array of colors, unfortunately.

Also good for taking to the gym?

New Nike shorts and running shoes! This is gross but I've been wearing the same pair of tennis shoes since freshman year of high school. (Can you believe I had size 10 feet at age 13? Yikes.) They are absolutely broken in and comfortable and wearable but they are also absolutely filthy. There's chunks of candy and dried ice cream embedded into the sole, very likely things I picked up off the floor from my high school job at Cold Stone. Yuck. I was sorely in need of a newer, nicer pair. I tested the new ones out on the treadmill today and I really like them!

The Glee Christmas album. Yes, I am a Gleek. I LOVE their renditions of "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "Last Christmas." I've actually been hearing the latter getting a lot of airplay on the Christmas station here in Columbus. The station that is now back to broadcasting regular music, sadly :( But at least I have my CD.

Hello Kitty alarm clock. This is actually my second Hello Kitty alarm clock, but a certain parent of mine dropped the original one on the icy, hard pavement outside my dorm when he picked me up for winter break two weeks ago. Very thoughtfully, however, he bought me a new one. Thanks Dad :)

An Anrthopologie cardigan from my boyfriend. We went shopping last Monday and I spotted this, but forgot about it after we went home. And a few days later it showed up at my house. I loooove it. Just my style. It's a little more drape-y than it looks in the above picture. The boyfriend enjoyed his dinner by the way. It was a fairly simple recipe that I'll definitely be making again!

OATMEAL. A gift from my grandmother; she knows me well. As much as I love frou-frou presents like teacup-shaped alarm clocks with a Hello Kitty sitting on top, I do enjoy a good practical gift. I was honestly thrilled to get oatmeal. And rather disappointed no one got me socks this year. I love socks. I've been getting holes in all my socks lately and I am in dire need of new ones. I suppose this can mean only one thing: Target trip!

I also wanted to share a couple picture from my visit to my mom's parents' house, plus Christmas day: cookie decorating, grandparents acting goofy, family pic by the Christmas tree, etc :)

my mom frosting a snowman cut-out cookie.

excess frosting = chubby/pregnant reindeer

grandparents hamming it up :)

my brother chris and me on christmas day.

our cat brandy enjoying the wrapping paper and boxes.

haha... just testing the self timer.

me, my dad, and chris.

Well, I can't believe this is my last week of break. Times flies. Three weeks go by pretty darn quickly. Still much to do in the next week however before going back to school. Over the next few days I'm hoping to get together with friends I haven't yet seen. And on Thursday my mom is hosting a holiday open house with appetizers and desserts, for which I'm helping her prepare. Friday night is new year's eve, of course, and some plans have materialized; I'll be going to a campus party with my boyfriend. Every single year I hope I'll get to go to some classy new year's eve event that necessitates a fancy cocktail dressy, heels, maybe some diamond chandelier earrings, and a limo to take me there, but it hasn't come up yet. And probably won't so long as I'm a college student. Oh well. Girl can dream. Maybe in a few more years. What are your new year's eve plans?

Enjoy the last several days of 2010! It's crazy that this year is almost over!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T10:52:00.001-05:00

Dearest bloggie friends,

I hope your Christmas day is a happy one, spent with family and friends, and full of joy and laughter. I'm heading up to northern Ohio to visit some relatives for the day. Anyone else who is traveling today, please be safe! Happy holidays!

Lots of love, Kate ♥

Cake Balls! And Oreo Truffles Too

2010-12-21T12:21:00.000-05:00

When Laura Wynn guessed that I was making cake balls, she was 100% correct! Now, having never made cake balls before, I don't think they turned out quite as well as they could have. But they were definitely edible and at least they look pretty! The cake balls are the ones covered in white chocolate, the dark chocolate ones are Oreo truffles :)

The cake balls were inspired by this recipe. What I did was make a simple cake by mixing a box of yellow cake mix with canned pumpkin, a pinch of cinnamon, and apple juice. Normally, I would not have used the apple juice but I realized I didn't have 15 oz. worth of pumpkin left, and I needed some extra moisture in the batter. The cake was baked and I let it cool over night.

The next day, I mashed it up and stirred in 3/4 a can of creamy vanilla frosting. This is where things went wrong!!! I soon realized that the consistency was NOT right; it was far too moist. The cake itself was already quite moist by itself, so next time I'd probably just mush up the cake and add only 1-2 Tbsp of frosting. To salvage my cake balls, I crumbled up some graham crackers and mixed those in, which helped a bit. Last, I formed 1" balls of cake, then put them in the freezer to firm up before attempting to dip them in chocolate.

Surprisingly, from there on out, things went surprisingly smoothly. I just melted the chocolate (Baker's squares) in the microwave, dropped the cake balls in the dish, ladled a bit of chocolate on top, then fished the cake ball out with a spoon and set it on wax paper to dry--Bakerella's method (see comment number 28). Worked like a charm! I used that same process to chocolate-coat the Oreo truffles.

The pumpkin "cake balls" were good, verrrry sweet! But I served them to my family as "pumpkin truffles" instead, just because of the textural difference. Next time, less frosting will be used. Have you tried making cake balls before? Oreo truffles?? I do love experimenting in the kitchen, even if things don't come out exactly right.

Tonight I'm trying out a Barefoot Contessa recipe on my boyfriend, who requested a simple Christmas dinner as part of his Christmas gift. I'll serve it with garlic bread and a salad. Fingers crossed it goes off without a hitch! I haven't cooked a full meal in a while. He is a boy though, and fortunately that means he will eat pretty much anything I serve him.

Questions of the day! Have you finished your Christmas shopping? I still have to get something for my dad, ahhh! I'm thinking Inception on Blu-ray. Did you see the eclipse last night? Alas, I did not, but I hear it was pretty cool. Anyone remember the solar eclipse on Christmas day in the year 2000? I recall getting these special glasses to look at it.

Have a fab first day of winter!

Now THIS Is What I Call Break

2010-12-15T12:51:00.001-05:00

Although I've technically been home three days now, today feels like my first official day of winter break. My dad picked me up from my dorm on Sunday morning and we headed for Whole Foods to get a delicious lunch. I snagged a monster salad, as usual.

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Whole Foods = the bomb. They were giving samples of these amazing pretzel crisps dipped in white chocolate, with crushed peppermint candy sprinkled on top. INCREDIBLE. Oh god. We bought two bags and I could have eaten them both by myself. Look for these at your Whole Foods store! Likewise, you could even make these in your own kitchen--just three ingredients.

After a little relaxation at home, I was off to work at 8pm. We got some crazy snow on Sunday, and the driving conditions by the time I came home at 3 in the morning were treacherous to say the least. Luckily I made it home safely :) Monday morning it was back to work from 11-4. Would you believe I turned in for bed at 8:30pm? That's WAY early for me but my body was calling out for sleep. I ended up sleeping for 13 hours! And it felt GREAT.

I worked again yesterday and to my delight, I got to cashier the whole time. I really enjoy working at the cash wrap. I feel like I get a better chance to connect with the customers, as opposed to working on the floor, trying to hawk products to the disinterested teenage girls who shop in PINK. I love the satisfaction of seeing a customer leave with a smile on their face. *dork* I'm serious!!!!

SO. That brings us up to speed. Since I finally get a day off today, I am lounging on the couch, my cat Coco at my side, tuned in to Top Chef reruns. (Anyone else watching Top Chef: All Stars?) My mom decorated a gorgeous Christmas tree in our living room and of course I have the lights turned on to enjoy it!

I love the little tree topper idea she came up with.

There are garlands strung up along the banisters.

And another lovely tree decorated in the front room of our house. Sorry for the lower quality pictures, I accidentally left my camera at school so I'm using my phone.

Today I'm up to something fun, and it involves this, which I baked last night. Any guesses??

I'll report back with the results soon :) Have a stellar day!

Back In Business

2010-12-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

Autumn quarter is over, thank goodness! :) The finals week stress has subsided, and what a great feeling that is. But now I'm all alone in my dorm, trying to figure out what to do with myself all day. Hmmm. I'm staying through tomorrow because I'm working at the front desk tonight (the dorm officially closes at 6 p.m. on Sunday).

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Since the number of people still in the building has dropped to approximately 10, I've just been hanging out with the other office assistants who are also staying to work. Two nights ago we watched "10 Things I Hate About You" and "When Harry Met Sally" -- love WHMS, by the way. One of the best movies ever. And last night we watched "Accepted" which was funny, but not my favorite.

Inconveniently, all the campus dining locations have closed for the quarter and don't accept meal plan payments anymore. Boo. On a whim, I ended up ordering from Pita Pit last night for dinner. I'd never tried it before and it was actually really good! My garden wrap tasted very fresh and healthy, just what I was craving.

Confession time: I've gained 5-10 pounds since the school year started. Shocked? I know I was. I thought the infamous college weight gain was called the freshman fifteen, not the sophomore ten! Anyhoo, I saw a number I was definitely NOT expecting when I hopped on the scale about a week and a half ago. Kind of depressing.

But here's the deal: I was working out nearly every day for the first couple weeks of the school year, and eating pretty well. But as my life became more and more busy--studying, working odd hours, sorority stuff, etc.--I found it increasingly difficult to fit in gym time, and I also started stress eating. In a few words, a lethal combination.

With the holidays come up, it's more difficult than ever to eat healthy. But when I'm at home, I feel more in control of my life, and I find it easier to make good choices in regards to my health. I'm thinking about buying a month's membership for the gym I went to over the summer, so I can get back on track and get back to feeling as healthy and fit as I did at the end of the summer :)

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Changing subjects. IT'S WINTER BREAK! And there is so much to be excited about, beyond the fact that I do not have to think about chemistry for even a split second. Here's the breakdown of my next couple weeks:

Tomorrow: going home finally. I guess I'll need to do some packing today... ew, dislike. To keep myself preoccupied while packing I think I shall watch a few more episodes of The O.C. (Finished the first season yesterday, by the way. Now on to season two! Srsly obsessed with this show y'all. WATCH IT.)
This week: WORK! Almost every day. I'm going back to my job at VS, but luckily all my shifts are short ones, just like 5-6 hours each. I know, that sounds like no fun. But interspersed with work, I get to lounge at home, finished knitting my Slytherin scarf, get coffee with high school friends, cook/bake with my mom, and eat home-cooked food. Oh, god, the home-cooked food. I miss that. Until you get to college and have to be on a meal plan, you never truly appreciate how wonderful home-made food really is! Amiright?
Next week: visiting my grandparents December 21-24. It's my mom's parents and I always look forward to seeing them over the holidays. I foresee several games of Pictionary, ~~eating dough~~ making frosted cut-out cookies, watching "White Christmas," and visiting with more extended family who live in the area. On Christmas Day, I'll visit with my dad's side of the family.
The following week: who knows? I'll probably get scheduled several more shifts at work, and hopefully I'll get to spend a little more time with my friends. And New Year's Eve is that Friday... no plans yet but I would looove to spend that evening with my boyfriend so I can have a new year's kiss at midnight :) Last year for New Year's Eve I was in Disney World, and while watching the fireworks going off all throughout the park with pretty cool, I was seriously missing my guy. We did talk on the phone at midnight though, so he was the first person I spoke to in 2010.

One last item of importance! Not all my final grades have been posted yet, BUT...... guess who got an A in organic chemistry! AHHHHHHH! I guess all the craziness was worth it. It's a good feeling knowing that I worked hard for it, and all the time spent doing practice problem after practice problem paid off.

Have a fabulous weekend, you guys. And thanks for being patient this past week while I had to focus on school ♥ Are you up to anything exciting today?

Finals, yuck.

2010-12-02T23:14:00.000-05:00

Hey all! I'm still here! I'm just devoting all my time to studying for finals. One more week and I'll be headed home to relax for the holidays... until then, wish me luck!

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So on a related note, Christmas is quickly approaching! I can hardly wait. Is everyone feeling the holiday spirit? I know I am! This truly is the most wonderful time of the year ♥ What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?

Seven Things About Me

2010-11-26T19:33:00.000-05:00

Since it is Thanksgiving weekend, I must say "thanks!" to the three lovely ladies who have all honored me with the "Stylish Blogger Award."

Big thank you to S, Kendra Sue, Alynne Leigh. You all are too nice!! :)

The Award's Rules:

Thank the person who gave you the award.

Tell 7 facts about yourself.

Give the award to 7 bloggers you just love.

Leave the 7 bloggers a comment telling them they won.

Now, seven things about me.

1) I go Black Friday shopping every year! Well, almost. This morning at 4:00 a.m. I awoke, but I was not preparing to shop; rather, I was preparing for an 8-hour shift at Victoria's Secret. Surprisingly I wasn't too tired at all, but even if I was tired, I probably wouldn't have even noticed because I was so darn busy the entire time. VS is CRAZY basically anytime we have sales, and it was interesting being on the retail side of the Black Friday madness for a change. After work, I was pretty much ready to get the heck out of the mall, but I couldn't go the entire day without shopping at least a little bit, so I went to--where else?--Target. Buh-bye $125....... whoops.

2) I was a drama club kid in high school. I definitely wasn't the best but I gave it my all because I loved it. I was heavily involved with drama all four years, but it wasn't until senior year when I finally got a lead part. I seriously considered dropping out of the theatre program at the end of my junior year due to my frustrations with casting, but I'm happy I stuck with it. The people I spent time with during my run in the theatre department are probably those whom I'd consider my best "high school" friends :)

3) I love traveling, but to be honest, I've never been anywhere more exotic or interesting than Mexico or the Caribbean islands. I live in Ohio and I've never even been to Canada! In high school, I took Japanese, and I have always been interested in that culture, but I definitely want to travel to Europe too. SO jealous of people my age who have already had the opportunity to visit there!

a photo i took in beautiful st. thomas, spring break 2009.

4) My right pinky fingernail is often painted a different color than the rest of my nails. That's because I always let my boyfriend paint my pinky nail, and even if the rest of my nails are chipped and I want to put on a new color, I keep my pinky as is until my bf gets the chance to redo it himself. We would always do this last school year when he was four hours away from me at a different school, and anytime I saw my pinky finger it reminded me of him :)

5) I am almost always cold. I think it's because I have poor circulation. Other than that I have very few health problems. I'm a healthy girl!

6) I am staunchly team cake! I love cake. Red velvet, carrot, chocolate, whatever. Pie is okay, I guess, but I really only like apple pie, pumpkin pie, and key lime pie, and only if it's homemade by my mom. Cake is just lovely. When it comes to cake I don't really discriminate. (UNLESS... its a whipped cream type of frosting. Yuck!)

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7) I enjoy knitting. I taught myself to knit in high school because I wanted to make a cute little cozy for my awesome brand new iPod nano (this was 2005, haha) but my little foray eventually led to bigger and better things, such as the epic Gryffindor scarf I made two years ago. I started a Slytherin scarf too, but still am not quite finished. Just about 20 rows to go, then I have to add the fringe. According to a quiz I took on Facebook, I am a Slytherin, so I guess it is appropriate that I stop being a Gryffindor imposter and wear the Slytherin colors instead.

Okay, now for the hard part! The seven bloggers I chose to pass on the award:

1) Mer, Princess and the Peanut Gallery

2) Amanda, Amanda's Musings

3) Kaitlyn, College Girl Runs

4) Michelle, Give Me The Almond Butter

5) Luinae, More Magic Always

6) Cat, Tales of An Eccentric In Training

7) Anna D., The Fit Collegiate

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all get to enjoy a nice, relaxing weekend. Also, GO BUCKS!

The Greatest TV Show Ever

2010-11-22T12:29:00.000-05:00

What's your favorite old TV show? (i.e. it's been cancelled, had its series finale, etc.) For me, it's definitely The O.C. Although it was only on the air for four seasons, I faithfully watched all the drama unfold each week, wondering why life in California was so much more exciting than mine? I'd consider The O.C. a primetime teen soap, but I didn't think it was "cheesy" at all, and I feel like comparable shows on the air today just don't measure up.

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Although quite serious at times, the show had its share of light-hearted moments amidst all the heavier ones. What fan didn't love the snappy back and forth banter between Seth and Summer? ("Cohen!!") And who didn't cry at the end of the first season when Ryan left behind Marissa and the rest of Newport Beach to head back to Chino with Theresa? Those four characters seemed so very real to me, and there are so many moments I can recall that really tugged at my heartstrings.

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The other day, College Candy put up a clip that reminded me just how much I miss this show. Shockingly I do NOT own the series on DVD but I think I'm going to ask my parents for the complete series for Christmas this year. The show's soundtrack was another thing that I loved, so in honor of my reminiscing, I thought I'd post a few clips myself, featuring some of my favorite song moments.

Good stuff, right? Even if you're not into the show you have to admit the music is awesome. And if you've never seen The O.C. but now you're intrigued, I know it still plays on TV sometimes, or you could find a copy of the DVDs. You'll love it, I promise, it's hard not to get wrapped up in all the drama. Have a fantabulous Monday! :)

Another Night In

2010-11-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

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So has everyone seen Harry Potter yet?? Ahhhh, I loved it! Most of the criticisms I've heard were that it was too light on the action, but I see it as more of a prelude to Part 2, due out next year. (Although I do happen to think it was still a pretty good film in it's own right.) Obviously for non-HP fans it may have been confusing/boring at times, but I think other diehards probably appreciated it :) Lots of super intense dramatic moments, that's for sure, but I enjoyed the numerous little funny bits that made the entire theatre burst out laughing.

The plan for last night was to hang out with my boyfriend and see "Unstoppable," but I had some cramps that turned from mild to really uncomfortable after a filling dinner at Chipotle. We ended up just going home, where we watched the beginning of HP5, then I started getting super tired and my bf decided it was time for me to go to bed. Asleep before midnight! When is the last time that happened? Such a rare occurrence for me these days.

Today involved a Target/coffee/Whole Foods trip with my sorority sisters, before returning home to watch the end of the Ohio State-Iowa game. That fourth quarter was SCARY! But I was glad to see my Buckeyes come out on top. A sixth Big Ten title in a row, perhaps? My fingers are crossed. Next week is the big Michigan game.... SO pumped to watch my team defeat our rival Wolverines!

So I'm watching the end of Pirates of the Caribbean on TV right now and totally crying because Will is leaving Elizabeth to go back to the ocean.... embarrassing. Thanks PMS. In about an hour I have to work so it's going to be another night in for me. Maybe I'll rewatch the third film from the beginning during my shift. What do you all think about the idea of them making a fourth "Pirates"? I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed with the second and third installments, but now that the Will/Elizabeth storyline has come to an end, my hope is that they'll have some fresh ideas and not totally ruin the franchise. Plus, it's going to have Penelope Cruz! I guess I'm excited to see where that goes.

Well, ya'll are probably out having rollicking, rip-roaring Saturday nights.... have you realized by now that my life is totally lame and I basically never go out? Ahaha. I swear I'm fun, you guys! School and work have just been particularly time-consuming this year so far.

Speaking of school... GUESS WHO got at 87 on her chemistry midterm??? Mmhmm :) And it was my last midterm of fall quarter, thank god. I can't wait to go home this week for Thanksgiving break, only if even for a couple days. I really miss my family, my kitties, my bed..... college is great and all but there really is no place like home.

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Freedom!

2010-11-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

Celebrate and get excited, because this blonde officially has a life again! Since my chemistry midterm is over with as of last night at 9pm, I am FREE. I don't know how well I did (grades will be up in a few hours) but no matter what, I'm just super happy and very relieved that all that pressure is off.

Now, I just have lots of fun stuff to look forward to, like initiation this weekend, Thanksgiving break a week from now, and......... HARRY POTTER! Tomorrow night, eeek!!! Who else is going to the midnight showing? :) My RA saw an advanced screening last night and he was actually a somewhat disappointed, but he said it was mainly due to the fact that it was only the first half of Part 7. I can't believe the movie series is almost done... what will I do with no HP-related activities to look forward to in my life?? (A realistic answer to that question--chemistry homework, probably.)

I was thinking people might be curious about the kind of food available here at Ohio State, since I know I have a good chunk of collegiate readers :) One of the best things about being at a HUGE university is that there are tons of options for where to eat and what to eat! There are traditional dining halls in several locations, but there are lots of other places to go when you're just not feeling the buffet.

My favorite place to have meals is at the cafe at the RPAC, which is our big rec center on campus. It's super close to my dorm so I end up eating there pretty often. They have options that are both healthy and delicious, and they've even been mixing it up a little bit this year, offering a number specials each day in addition to the standard soup-of-the-day. Today for lunch, I tried one of the daily specials: a spinach and arugula salad with beets, walnuts, goat cheese, a sherry vinaigrette, plus grilled tofu.

Not too bad, you guys! For "college food," not bad at all. I use to hate beets when I was younger but these days I love them! So good!

What exciting things are going on with you? Anyone catch Glee last night? I though Gwyneth did a great job with her role--looooved her duet with Lea Michele for "Nowadays." Also, would anyone want to locate some baklava and send it to me? This is National Baklava Day and I could so go for a piece. I hope good things are afoot in everyone's lives today and have a happy Wednesday! ♥ ♥ ♥

Target Love

2010-11-13T22:34:00.000-05:00

My roommates were thoughtful enough to get me a Target gift card for my birthday, and you know I didn't hesitate to use it!! :)

After classes, work, and several hours of studying chemistry on Friday, my boyfriend and I walked over to do a little shopping. (Target is just 5 minutes from my dorm... how very convenient, right? By "convenient" I mean terrible for my wallet.) I like to take my boyfriend with me because when I saw things like "Oooh! Hello Kitty stickers!" or "A piggy bank dressed like Frankenstein! I need it!!" he's very good about steering me in the opposite direction.

Would you believe I don't own a basic, black cardigan? That was the number one thing I wanted to buy. I have plenty of shorter styles, and WAY too many grey ones, so a plain, black, boyfriend-style cardigan seemed to be a perfect choice.

not too, too exciting, but it was necessary.

True story: I was once obsessed with Target's v-neck boyfriend tee shirts (does everyone know about these, or was it just me and my high school friends?) and I owned it in about 10 different colors. But then I gained a teensy little bit of weight freshman year of college and my dorm's dryer shrunk the shirts, so bye-bye boyfriend tees :( Anyhoo, since then, I've been on a never-ending quest for the perfect, wear-with-everything slouchy t-shirt... and I just might have found the winner last night. Meet the drapey tee! The fabric is just the right weight and it hangs perfectly on my frame--not too tight but not shapelessly baggy.

They had it in grey and purple and black as well! I'm for sure going back for more.

Okay, I had to get SOMETHING fun ;) I'm not usually one for loud patterns, but plaid is definitely doable. A flannel shirt like this is good for chilly fall and winter days like I've become accustomed to in Ohio.

The last thing I bought was a beanie/beret type hat. I couldn't figure out a good way to photograph it, but it's similar to this one below, except medium grey-colored with some sparkly thread woven throughout. I'm not usually a hat person, I just thought it was adorable.

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SO glad I have a job this school year, to fund my little Target excursions. Last year I blew my way through a lot of my savings, which proooobably wasn't the best idea in retrospect. Can't wait until next Friday when I get paid.

Chemistry is really getting tough, my friends. I have my midterm on Tuesday and I'm freaking out. I legitimately spent about twelve hours working on practice problems today but there are some concepts I'm still not grasping onto.... sadface. At least I still have a couple more days, plus my professor is holding a review session tomorrow. Hopefully that helps to clarify some things for me. His last review session was very helpful.

Tomorrow, review session aside, it's going to be a VERY exciting day, because I will finally find out who my big sister is! Myself and the others in my pledge class have been very anxiously anticipating this day and I cannot wait to meet my new family within the sorority. Next weekend is our initiation, meaning that FINALLY we'll be able to wear our letters! Goodness, we're all so excited for that too. I'm pretty sure that half the reason we all joined is getting cute shirts, bags, etc. with the letters AXO emblazoned across :) Kidding, haha, but we're pretty pumped nonetheless.

Just so you know, I was supposed to go to a crazy party with a ton of kegs tonight, but nope, here I am blogging, watching football, and doing practice chemistry midterms..... ♥ Saturday night.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone :)

Nine Things

2010-11-10T19:51:00.000-05:00

Reasons why yesterday, my twentieth birthday, was awesome:

1) My day started off with a bang at exactly 12 a.m. when a large group of boys from my floor burst into my room to sing me "happy birthday" (orchestrated by one of my lovely suitemates). It was surprisingly in tune, for the most part.

2) The weather was perfect.

3) The case for my new phone arrived. Um, adorable??

4) I got back my chemistry quiz from last week--25/25 :)

5) I shared a fabulous birthday dinner with my family and my boyfriend at a great little restaurant called Betty's. Check out their offerings! Everything is amazing!

6) CAKE.

{yellow with buttercream frosting, from Whole Foods}

(my full name is caitlin--kate for short. nobody spells it cait and i didn't want to be different! haha)

7) Lotsa moolah from my mom, stepdad, and grandparents ;) Plus a bar of my favorite dark chocolate and a box of Tazo teas from my brother.

8) THIS on Glee.

9) And one more year until I'm 21! Let the countdown begin!

My Last Day As A Teen

2010-11-08T12:46:00.000-05:00

This morning saw the happy return of overnight oats :) It's supposed to be 60° out today (warm!!!) and I figured I'd take advantage of a non-freezing morning and enjoy a chilly breakfast.

I opened a huuuge can of pumpkin! I was hesitant to do so because 28 ounces is usually more than I can figure out how to use up in a matter of a few days, so I'm thinking I might have to do some cookie-baking this week before it goes bad. The kitchen in my dorm is not great... but it usually produces edible food :) I actually have a few friends on my floor who bake bread every Monday night; last week they made chipotle-chocolate chip bread. Sounds weird, but it was actually a good combo (think Mexican hot chocolate--mmmm!).

My life = studying. As per usual. The midterms never end!!!!!!! The good news is, after taking microbiology this morning, I only have one more midterm this quarter: o-chem exam numba two, next week Tuesday. I'm feeling nervous about it right now, only because I've pushed aside chem in the past week to devote my attention to microbiology, but I know that if I really work hard in the next week, it should be a breeze (like the last one!). Plus we have Thursday off for Veteran's day and I'm planning to study all day long. Who does that?? I remember last year we got a snow day (extremely rare occurrence at Ohio State) and I definitely spent the entire day working on homework. College ain't high school, that's for sure.

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On November 8th, 1990, more than a week after her due date, my mommy finally began having contractions, and she was whisked off to the hospital by my daddy, who was very nervous about the birth of his first child and passed out while mommy was in labor. Hee hee. Many hours and one c-section later, the world was graced with my presence, all 9 pounds and 8 ounces of me :)

This time tomorrow, I will be twenty years old. Dang! I really can't believe it. Twenty just sounds so old. It's very strange that I'll be out of my teen years. It is very much the end of an era. The weird thing about birthdays is that you never quite feel any different on that very day, do you? I honestly think that "age" is more than just a number. So I'm 20. What does that really mean? 20, I suppose, is kind of a milestone birthday, even if there's nothing inherently special about it--no gained privileges like turning 16, 18, or 21. Living two whole decades though... I guess that's pretty cool. Think about how much has changed in the world in the past twenty years. Out of curiosity I looked up the Wikipedia page on 1990 for a little world history flashback, and remember this is before Facebook, digital cameras, mp3s, Wi-fi, flat screen TVs, Macbooks, hybrid cars, and certainly the existance of blogs! Crazy. How did people live back then???! Haha ;)

I hope you all have a supremely happy, fantastic Monday, and I'll try my best to enjoy the last day of my life at a teenager!

Questions! What modern-day technology or advancement could you NOT live without? Any famous people born on your birthday? (I share my special day with Nick Lachey and Sisqo, what what!)

An Early Birthday Present

2010-11-05T12:51:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday night I was delighted to get a text from my dad informing me that my new phone had arrived!!!! Ahh! He actually works here on campus so yesterday morning between hospital volunteering and microbiology lab I stopped by his office to pick it up. In a matter of about 15 minutes we had it activated and ready to go.

lady gaga wallpaper..... it was necessary.

I am obsessed with this phone. It's about a zillion times nicer than my old one! I spent a lot of time yesterday just trying to figure out how everything works... there is so much to discover. I love the fact that I can add apps and widgets on the home screen of the phone--it's almost like a little miniature laptop!

Well the weather around here is definitely getting colder. I think that we've seen the last of those randomly freakishly warm days for the season. As you can see on my phone's display, it's just about 40°F today, and the wind isn't helping either. I think it's getting dangerously close to the season where I start getting lazy and wearing sweats to class. Ohio winters really just aren't conducive to dressing cute :( I do like layering though, and I adore wearing scarves. I noticed they have a ton of cute ones at Target right now that are rather inexpensive.

I want one in every color!!! My winter uniform is dark skinny jeans, a black fleece (or my enormously puffy Northface jacket, when it gets really cold), and Uggs, so a scarf is a good way to add a pop of color.

The rest of today is going to be a laid back day. I work 3-5 after class, then 9-11 later on. Between those shifts I'm going to the gym and maaaaaybe going to Target to pick up a scarf. Or two. Or three. Hmm ;) The thing that sucks is that I also have to work from 1-5 a.m., ewwwww. Hopefully I stay awake and don't die, but at least I get to sleep in tomorrow, and believe me, I will be sleeping in!

Breakfast today:

Typical oats. I SERIOUSLY want some pancakes you guys. Craving them like MAD!!!!

What is everyone up to tonight? Hopefully something more fun than working! If you still happen to be awake in the wee hours of the morning, think of me, and pray I haven't fallen asleep on the job, haha. Have a great afternoon :)

I've Been Bad

2010-11-03T01:42:00.000-04:00

Aw guys, I'm so sorry to have left you hanging these past few days! My life is busy as can be, as has been typical lately. Halloween recap...

Olive Penderghast was a success! I got a lot of compliments... aaaand several people who had NO idea what I was, ahaha. Sadly my "A" fell off like halfway through the night, but by that time I was in a state of mind where I didn't really care anymore. Ha ;)

sisters!!

I went to a party at the home of one of my sorority sisters for several hours, then trekked about eight blocks in heels to north campus, to a party at another sister's apartment. My pledge classmate dressed as Snow White happened to see another Snow White along the way, and while the other girl seemed friendly, my Snow White got really pissed and had some very funny choice words for her costume twin. Teehee.

Favorite costumes of the night: Katy Perry (purple wig in the above picture) and Four Loko (middle below), both completely homemade. People are so creative!

Monday I spent every free second studying since I had both microbiology and chemistry quizzes on Tuesday. Unfortunate how that happened. I think they both went okay though, and I was thrilled to get back my chem quiz from last week to see that I'd gotten 25/25. YAY!

After taking my quizzes I went home for a brief while to vote! I forgot to get an absentee ballot but since I'm only 20 minutes away from home on campus, it was no big deal. I picked up some winter weather attire and DVDs while at mi casa, visited with my kitties Coco and Soleil, and hung out with my mommy :) She had just baked an apple pie and offered me a slice. I know, such a burden, but someone had to eat it. May I just say that it was totally SCRUMPTIOUS. How I miss homemade food. My college diet has become extremely heavy on the cereal, cookies, pizza, candy, and other junk as of late... apple pie may be "junk" but at least it's homemade junk. That's better, yes?

In all honesty though, I've really gotta work on eating healthier. I don't have time for lunch every day, so often I'll end up snacking throughout the afternoon and by the evening, I'm ravenous for a big dinner and I've been doing a little too much late night snacking too :( Goal for tomorrow is to eat a real lunch between classes and hopefully that keeps me going all afternoon.

Well my friends, I'm at work right now and I still have an hour and a half on my shift, so I'd best get to studying for nutrition since I've got a 9 a.m. midterm in nutrition. (The midterms never end!!!!!!) Hope your weekend was fab, and have a super Wednesday!

It's The Halloweekend!

2010-10-29T09:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday and happy almost Halloween my friends! I finally chose a costume for tonight--Olive Penderghast from "Easy A." I've never done the slutty Halloween costume thing before so I figured I might as well plunge right in and dress like a fake prostitute. The look I will be emulating tonight:

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Sooooo excited to rock this. It's really not THAT slutty is it? I'm using my beloved straightener to do the curls, hopefully they stay put for the night. I think I'm going to a party with my boyfriend and his friends, but who knows just how the night will play out?

This morning, the Halloween fairy paid a visit to my suitemates........

Wonder which kind and caring individual lovingly and thoughtfully prepared these candy cups for everyone?? Must be a totally awesome person! And I wonder how my cup got extra Reese's in it???? Very strange indeed...

A quick and very necessary closing announcement: Since it's nearing the end of the month, let the official birthday countdown begin--a mere 11 more days of teenhood! I just found out I'm getting a new phone for muh bday since my 2-year contract on the crapV2 is just about up. Can. Not. Wait. Fun birthday fact of the day: I was actually supposed to be born on Halloween! Somehow I arrived a week and a half late. And that tendency to be late for everything would continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.

Halloween-y oats for breakfast, obviously. I am almost out of pumpkin butter :(

Questions for you loverly folks... favorite Halloween candy? What is the best Halloween costume you've ever seen??

Crazy Weather

2010-10-26T16:24:00.000-04:00

Ahh! So sorry for going MIA for a little while. My days have consisted of work, sorority stuff, going to class and studying for art history and chemistry, and not a whole lot else. My midterm went really well, I thought, and my chem quiz today was good too. Finally I can take a little breather. My weeks seem to be going in cycles... stress, stress, STRESS, relax, start thinking about all the stuff I should be doing instead of relaxing... and repeat cycle. Ugh. Freaking college. At least I'm about halfway through the quarter.

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We're having some craaazy weather today in Ohio, you guys! It was like hot and windy around noon when I went to microbiology lab, but when I left just after two, it was raining buckets and the tornado sirens were going off! Well, my chemistry quiz was at 2:30 so I effectively walked through a tornado warning to get to my quiz. Such is my dedication to o-chem. I guess we're back on good terms.

Not much of anything going on today, other that catching up with my nutrition reading and spending a little time with my boyfrannn :) I'm lucky I have him, he keeps me sane when I start going crazy stressing out about everything I need to accomplish. And he's a good study partner too, I have to credit him for helping me learn all those dates for my art history exam this week. Our one year anniversary is coming up in about a month, but I feel like we've been together much longer... maybe one day I will tell you all our *love story* if you're interested. Heehee :)

Oh! Nearly forgot. I got some mail this weekend.....

Notice anything new? It's a painting by the lovely Taylor! I won her giveaway a little while back.

Thanks so much Taylor, for the painting and the kind handwritten note as well :)

Random question time... (birthday themed since my big 2-0 is coming up) ...what food holiday takes place on your birthday? Did you have any fun birthday parties growing up? (My 3rd grade party at the bowling alley was awesomeeee.) If you could receive one gift on your next birthday, regardless of cost, what would it be?

Is It Winter Break Yet?

2010-10-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

I'm feeling stressed y'all. I seriously feel like I have no time for myself anymore and my days are so structured just to make sure I'm fitting everything in. Maybe I'm trying to take on too much this school year. Maybe my classes are just more difficult than last year. Whatever it is, I feel like I need to start doing something different to balance everything I'm working with.

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I was studying for my art history midterm tonight, and I checked the syllabus for some reason, only to discover that the midterm was on MONDAY, not Wednesday as I'd originally been thinking, for whatever reason. I seriously almost peed my pants. I have SO much studying to cram in in these next two days! Plus there's that chem quiz on Tuesday. And I've fallen behind in my nutrition class--since it's online, I've been putting off doing my notes and reading, working on my other classes instead. UGHHH. Taking that day off this past week was a bad idea :(

Last night I had the sleepover with my pledge class and we had a good time, although only four of 11 girls actually stayed the night. This morning I headed home with my overnight bag and blanket, looking all "walk-of-shame"-y. Awesome ;) Campus was of course packed with people, since it was a game day. I thought about trying to sell my football ticket last minute, since it was difficult to rationalize spending all afternoon watching the game when I had so much work I needed to get done, but I ended up going, staying only for the first half. The band's halftime show was Elvis-themed--very fun! I'm amazed they learn a new show every two weeks! Ohio State ended up beating Purdue pretty bad, which makes me feel a little better about the travesty that occurred in Wisconsin last weekend.... hmm yeah let's not discuss that.....

Tonight I'm working 9-1 and hoping to get a lot of homework done! I'm bringing my art history notes and my chemistry book. Hopefully I'll witness some random drunk people wandering in to help break up the monotony of my studies!! That's one of my favorite parts of this job :)

Tomorrow morning I'll be participating in a 5k walk for the National Hemophilia Foundation. My friend and I started a walking club on campus this year, and one of our main things is going to be rounding up groups of people to participate in these charity walk-type things. Hopefully the weather is nice for us. Bee tee dubs, we started the club because my friend wanting to do Running Club last year, but she couldn't keep up with them... hence, Walking Club was born. (a.k.a., the "We're Lazy" Club) I know, we are SO cool, right?

stressed....... credit

I was planning on doing another sisterhood event with my sorority in the afternoon, but the entire day has GOT to be devoted to my studies. Ew. I wish I had more uplifting exciting things to tell you, but that's pretty much the way things are these days. Any study tips for me? I took art history in high school and loved it, but my professor wants us to have all these dates memorized and that's really tripping me up. Oh. And o-chem is officially back on my black list. Stereochem is killin' me!

Anyway, thanks for reading about my super boring life. I promise my blog will one day be interesting again... maybe something fun for Halloween, or in the days leading up to my 20th birthday. (November 9th!!!!!) Hope you're having a more relaxing weekend than I am!!

Could Not Have Been Happier

2010-10-22T10:04:00.000-04:00

Friday! Friday! Friday! Can you tell I'm excited??

Well, well, it has been another long week. After allowing organic chemistry to completely consume my life, I made the bad decision to pretty much take the past two days off from homework :/ And now, I'm just feeling stressed again because I know I have a lot to accomplish. Can you believe I already have another chem quiz on Tuesday??? Sigh. The world is not fair.

But speaking of chemistry... guess who got an 89 on her midterm?

Yes that would be me :) I could not have been happier with that score, it just goes to show that all my hard work paid off. My professor even sent me an email saying "great job, keep up the excellent work." I mean, I realize he probably sent it to everyone who made over a certain percentage but shhh let's pretend it's just me. I felt special.

I finally hopped back on the exercise train on Wednesday and Thursday. I went to the gym in the early evening both days, around 5:30-6ish, and it was really strange being there that time of day! It was SO crowded as compared with 7 in the morning. Yesterday was my legs day and let me tell you, they are sore, sore, sore this morning. I guess that's what a couple days off can do for you. My plan is to fit an elliptical quickie in today, around noon, since after class I have work 3-5, then tonight we're having a sleepover at my sorority! It's pledge class bonding :)

Breakfast porn...

Yum. Sorry if you ever get breakfast overload on here. I just LOVE breakfast and it's often so very photogenic.

As much as I love my oats though I'm seriously craving a big stack of fluffy pancakes with warm maple syrup. My favorite restaurant, Northstar Cafe, has THE BEST ones ever.... I'll have to see if a trip there can be arranged, maybe for Sunday brunch.

More updates tomorrow on what all I have going on this weekend. Enjoy your Friday!

I'm On A Very Tight Schedule...

2010-10-20T02:41:00.000-04:00

Well hello there everyone :)

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I know what you're probably thinking.... first of all... she's still alive? She survived her chemistry exam?? Yep! Certainly did. You'll be happy to hear that our relationship troubles just might have been resolved tonight. It honestly wasn't all that bad.

And secondly.... she's writing a post at 2:30 in the morning? What the heck?? Well... that is because I am at WORK right now! My new job as an office assistant is quite glorious. All it really entails is manning the front desk, which must be staffed 24 hours a day. (I am a tad drowsy, I admit, but I drank some coffee, which is helping.) Basically, I got to choose all my shifts, and during the week, I'm doing Monday 1 - 3 a.m., Tuesday 9 a.m. - noon, Wednesday 1 - 3 a.m., and Friday 3 - 5 p.m. Not too terrible. This will be my work schedule for the rest of the quarter, through December, and then the schedule for each weekend will vary. This coming Saturday I'll be working 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Yupp, I know...... things are gettin' a little crazyyy up in here!! Try not to be too jealous.

So between work and my sorority and studying my face off, I've sorta had no time for ANYTHING else in the last week. I also have to confess that exercise has been temporarily pushed to the back burner :( I feel like such a lazy bum these past few days but I've just had SO many other obligations, and working out would mean sacrificing either sleep time or study time, both of which I'd deem pretty crucial if I want to keep up with my schoolwork.

Now that the pressure of the big o-chem midterm is off, I can take a deep breathe and relax a bit, and the plan is to get back to the gym tomorrow--after class. I'm definitely not making myself get up at 7:30 since I probably won't even get to bed tonight until after 3. But it has become apparent to me over the past several days that working out as often as I'd prefer is just not going to be possible anymore. And working out exclusively in the mornings is no longer an option, unless I want to become a zombie. Which is probably not preferable...

I dunno if this early morning blogging is working out so well. I've written and rewritten numerous sentences over and over just to get them to sound coherent, haha. I only have 25 minutes left on my shift, however, so I'll probably just chill with the latest issue of Glamour magazine. Tomorrow is my "lecture" day: microbiology, chem, and art history. In the evening I'm looking forward to relaxing and watching Modern Family with my boy :) Sounds like a good way to end the day, am I right? :)

Motto for tomorrow, with regards to homework:

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I need a break! I think it's deservedly so.

Questions for you, my dears :) Are you a late-night person or an early-morning person? Where does working out fit into your schedule?

An Open Letter

2010-10-18T15:27:00.000-04:00

Dear Organic Chemistry,

I thought we were friends. You seemed kinda *fun* and *nice* and not too terrible to hang out with. I was telling the whole world that maybe you just had a bad reputation, if only they took the time to get to know you better, they'd see. I thought we were going to be pals until the end.

Well. I was wrong. You lied to me and deceived me. Just when I thought I had you all figured out, you had to go and pull a stunt like making approximately 80% of last week's quiz to do with acids and bases. I'm very sorry to have to do this, but in order for us to continue being friends, you're going to have to eliminate all this acid/base equilibria crap I've been putting up with for so long now. Resonance? Sure. Chair-flipping? No prob. But for the love of God PLEASE do not ask me to do any more acid/base equilibria. Especially not on my midterm tomorrow.

You see, o-chem, I want to like you again, but right now I'm just not sure how I feel about us. I hope very much that we can continue our relationship, but we're going to have to make a few changes in order for this to work out.

Sincerely, Kate

An Oatmeal Tutorial + World Food Day

2010-10-16T14:08:00.000-04:00

As mentioned yesterday, I'm doing a more expansive how-to post on making my perfect microwave oatmeal! It's really simple, delicious, and takes only a few minutes, so there's no excuse for you not to try it out...

First: measure out your ingredients. I start with 1/3 cup of dry oatmeal--half old-fashioned oats, half quick oats. It is crucial that you use half of each type! Doing half and half will mimic the texture of stove-top oats really well. If you only have one type on hand, you'd also need to adjust the amount of liquid you add.

Into the bowl it goes.

Next is your mix-ins. I put a tablespoon of chia seeds...

...dried fruit...

... lots of cinnamon...

...and I mean LOTS of cinnamon. I completely douse it. Cinnamon is my favorite spice and it's healthy too :) Plus your oats will smell amaaazing while they cook! If you're not a fan, you can skip it of course, but my personal opinion is that no good bowl of oats is complete without it.

Next, add about a cup of water. You can use milk or soymilk too, just reduce the liquid by 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Oats in the microwave don't absorb milk as well as they do plain ol' H2O.

Microwave for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Then take it out and give it a stir to get everything evenly incorporated.

On to toppings! One of my favorite oatmeal toppings is toasted pecans. You don't even need to chop them (I hate getting extra dishes and utensils dirty) just break them up with your fingers over a sheet of wax paper, then put them in the microwave on high for 50 seconds.

Throw 'em on top.

I put a little more cinnamon, then a spoonful of peanut butter and a blob of ginger pear butter.

Drizzle some agave nectar on top, and there you have it. Time to eat!

hearts in the background for sweetest day ♥

Of course, you can switch up the toppings and mix-ins, but this is pretty similar to what I fix for myself nearly every morning. I hope you try it and enjoy it :)

On the topic of food, today also happens to be World Food Day. As someone who's passionate about nutrition and food, the consequences of eating a poor diet is something I'm pretty knowledgeable about, and I wish that everyone globally were receiving adequate nutrition.

Unfortunately that's not the case. Hunger and poor nutrition is an issue worldwide, and I think people too often take for granted just how much food we have access to here in developed countries. An astounding amount of food goes wasted though, here's a good video clip to watch on that subject. And if you're interested, check out this article which details some facts about global hunger and lets you know some ways you can help out. My favorite? The free rice game!

Have an awesome Saturday people, go out and do something to help change the world for the better today!

Happy To See The Weekend

2010-10-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

Hello friends, it's Friday! This week seemed like a long one. I'm always glad to see a weekend but today I'm EXTRA happy :) I have two midterms under my belt, which feels pretty good (got 116/120 on nutrition, by the way, yayy) but I do have chemistry next week, which will necessitate a good deal of studying over the next three days. I'll probably work on that this afternoon and pretty much all day Saturday. Taking a break to watch the Ohio State game tomorrow, of course ♥

Sorority updates! Two sisters popped over to my dorm the other day to drop off my official bid card, plus a big Hershey's Symphony bar and a red carnation. (Huge clue as to which sorority it is!)

Tonight we're having a get-together at the house and it will be the first time I get to meet my pledge class. I'm a little nervous, but if we were all hand-picked by the same group of girls, I figure we'll all mesh fairly well, right? There are only 13 of us, which could eventually make for a tight-knit group. From what I've heard, you'll make friends throughout the house, but your relationship with those in your pledge class is always a special one. I'm all pumped up about so many aspects of being involved in Greek life, but being a part of a sisterhood is definitely one of the things I'm most excited for.

Sorry my life is so boring lately, haha. Study, sorority, repeat. I'll try and write something more interesting and substantial tomorrow since it's my day off :) I've had a few people ask about how I make oatmeal, so maybe you'll get a how-to! I think I actually wrote about that before once, but it wasn't very explicit instructions. So stay tuned and I will reveal all my secrets ;)

Whatcha got goin' on this weekend? Hopefully something more fun than studying your life away!!!!

It's Midterm Season

2010-10-13T13:06:00.000-04:00

Only three weeks into school and the workload is totally redonk. I had my first midterm of the school year this morning and another on Friday. Today's was nutrition, the class I've been taking online, and it was honestly really easy. For someone like myself who already has a strong interest in nutrition, a lot of the material covered and questions asked were kinda no-brainers ;) Yay for easy exams!

My next midterm, microbiology.... yeah. That's another story. Hahaha. I should probably get on studying that material pretty soon because we've covered a lot and I haven't devoted much time to this course, instead focusing most of my energy on o-chem. (By the way, yesterday's o-chem quiz: more difficult that the first. It wasn't terrible though.)

This morning, since my midterm was at 9, I was up extra early to hit the gym. So proud of myself. I'm totally becoming my mom's daughter, she wakes up at like 5:30 every day to exercise, even the days she doesn't have to go to work! While doin' my thang on the elliptical I studied my nutrition notes, which was a good way to pass the time. It was so crazy leaving the gym when the sun still hadn't come up.

Breakfast today was oats as usual :) So scrumptious. I kinda neglected to take a photo because I was in a hurry and more focused on last-minute cramming for nutrition, but I do have pics of b-fast yesterday and Monday I haven't shared yet:

Sunday: My favorite overnight oats/banana soft serve combo--oats with vanilla rice protein and soymilk, banana soft serve with peanut butter and cocoa powder, mmmmmmm ♥ Happy Kate :)

Yesterday was hot oats with my usual peanut butter, plus pumpkin butter and maple syrup on top. The flavors of fall! Although pumpkin and maple syrup are flavors for all seasons IMO. Peanut butter obviously acceptable year round, any time of day... or night ;)

After breakfast and my microbiology lecture, I had a meeting with my academic advisor. If if wasn't for the fact that he's like a 40-year-old man and giving him a hug may have been slightly creepy, I totally would have given him a HUGE hug. My advisor last year was not helpful in the least, but this guy had my schedule printed out, color-coded (with a key!), everything ready to go, and told me exactly what I needed to know! Backstory, if I haven't mentioned this before: I was a little concerned about fitting in all my required classes since I'm pre-med in addition to my dietetics major, and my dietetics coursework will fill up my entire junior and senior year. That leaves me with the rest of this school year and this summer to knock out all the pre-med stuff. Luckily, it looks like I'm on the right track, so long as I finish my o-chem and physics classes this year the way I'm planning, plus take a few more GECs.

ALSO, I had no idea this was a possibility for me, but apparently I'm eligible for a Life Science minor! We don't have a specific "pre-med" program at OSU but this minor covers basically the exact same coursework. I had never heard of this before so I was pretty psyched when my advisor brought that up. Having a minor will definitely look good on a resume, and it also helps out with a requirement I need in order to graduate with honors.

Sorry if I bored you to tears with all that school stuff, haha.

The rest of my day today is just classes as usual, plus another meeting with my college's Office of Student Affairs to sort out a few transfer credit issues. Tonight I finally get to relax a little bit because I have free tickets for a screening of the Hilary Swank movie Conviction. Seems like it will be a good one from what I see on Rotten Tomatoes. Note: Rotten Tomatoes whore right here. I'm a chronic visitor of their website. While I'm not opposed to seeing terrible movies, I would at least like to know the general critical consensus so I don't walk in expecting greatness and leave really disappointed... case in point: Charlie St. Cloud.

Questions for the day.... Do you look at movie reviews beforehand? Did you declare a minor in college or are you planning on it? What's the worst movie you've ever seen in a theater? (The worst for me, by far: White Noise. Ugh! Awful! Bad memories from that particular movie also due to the fact that it was supposed to be a double date, but when we went to my date's house to pick him up, his mom said he was at another movie with friends.... awkward. We never spoke again. Gotta love middle school "dating".)

Have a wonderful Wednesday ♥

Best Monday Ever

2010-10-11T23:54:00.000-04:00

Best of news! AHHH! I was seriously hit with a triple whammy of awesomeness in the past 24 hours. Here goes.

1. I got a bid from my favorite house! I had four favorites at the end, but this one is definitely the best fit for me :) I've heard it said that "you'll end up where you're meant to" and I totally think that's true. I can't wait to get to know all my sisters. (Also, I'm pretty sure my Facebook is about to crash because I've gotten approximately 40 friend requests in the last 20 minutes! Haha.)

2. Grades went up for my first o-chem quiz, and--drumroll--I got 24.5/25. Ohhhh man, I was so happy I could have cried when I saw those numbers. Of course I've already got another quiz tomorrow afternoon to worry about, but I've been studying like cray-zeeeee and I think I should be okay.

3. I got a job! (I had an interview a week and a half ago, if you didn't recall.) My new position is working at the front desk in my dorm which is fantastic news. This was the job I wanted last school year but it's apparently pretty competitive. I heard that this year, maybe 30-some residents applied, and only six of us were hired. I feel quite honored to be among the select few :) I totally thought I did awful at my interview (I had to apologize at one point in time because I got flustered and starting tripping over my words) but perhaps my personality shone through and my real-ness was endearing. Who knows? Anyway, I had my first meeting tonight, and this coming weekend I work my first two shifts.

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Holy cow. I don't even know what to think of all this but I'm really on a high right now. Let's hope all this good news alleviates some of the stressing I've been doing lately and I'll be able to focus on school hardcore the next couple days and kick butt on my first two midterms.

Hope it was an excellent Monday for everyone else :) Tell me something good that happened to you today!

Number One?

2010-10-10T10:53:00.000-04:00

Like Coach Jim Tressel said after Ohio State's defeat of Miami for the 2002 National Championship... "We've always had the best damn band in the land... now we've got the best damn team in the land!" And so the case might be again today.

If you weren't watching college football yesterday I'll clue you in: an Ohio State victory and a Michigan loss, plus a shocking 'Bama loss makes for LOTS of happy OSU fans! The polls haven't come out yet, but #1 Alabama losing to #19 South Carolina just might mean that the #2 Buckeyes will land in the top spot this week. It's kinda scary to be ranked number one, because you have high expectations to live up to, but I think we have a good team this year. And although Michigan is our biggest rival, I actually wouldn't have minded seeing them win yesterday, because a victory for MSU means the Buckeyes could have some competition for the Big Ten title this year. And as stated by a fan in at Ohio Stadium yesterday...

If you can't read the sign--It ain't easy pimpin' the Big Ten 5 straight! Haha. Love it.

Today I work from 12-6, which is unfortunate because I REALLY would have preferred to spend the day studying. I'll bring my functional group flashcards and chemistry notes to study on the 40-minute bus ride (both ways) so at least I'll be able to get something done. And I guess I'll have a few hours tonight as well. I just really need to focus and work hard. I've already crossed off half my to-do list for the weekend, so I'm not feeling too overwhelmed, although there's still lots left to get done.

Tonight, I'll also find out whether or not I receive any bids--AHHH! I've been freaking out about this for the past few days and I'm so excited to finally know!

Happy Sunday, friends, have a relaxing day :)

This Post Is Me Procrastinating.

2010-10-08T13:00:00.001-04:00

So I'm blogging instead of doing my nutrition notes... maybe not the best idea since I have a midterm next Wednesday, but I'm not too worried about this one. As an avid health & fitness blog follower, I kinda feel as though I've been taking online nutrition courses for the past several years, haha. This quiz I had to take last week was essentially, "Here's two food labels, let's compare. Which has more sodium per serving? Which has more saturated fat?" No joke. It may be a little boring but at least it's some relief from all the complex stuff we're getting into with microbiology and o-chem.

Another day, another bowl of oatmeal. Ever since I started putting jam on my oatmeal when I visited Saugatuck, I can't get enough. So. Good. Although today my Crofter's Superfruit spread was a little... for lack of better descriptive terminology... crunchy? Ehh, well maybe not crunchy. I dunno. We got a new fridge this week because our other one broke, and we're having some issues figuring out the temperature settings, because everything in the fridge part keeps freezing! So try to imagine jam if you put it in the freezer for a little while. Haha. All I can say is, frozen jam = not okay. It softened up when it hit the hot oats, just kind of an odd texture at first bite.

I also have a *secret* photo for you today, and this is only because it's slightly crass and I didn't want you being surprised or offended when it popped up on your screen without warning, so view at your discretion. But this is my favorite coffee mug ever, tee hee ♥ Found that at Urban Outfitters last fall.

So...... another day, another outfit of the day! (I'm so original lately, right?) I love getting creative with my wardrobe, trying out new combinations, and putting together fun outfits. I am that college girl who refuses to resort to sweats until it's absolutely necessary (usually around the time I have to break out the Uggs and warm winter jacket). But from that point on, I'm all sweats, all the time. Enjoy me feeling inspired to look cute & put-together while it lasts :) ...this is Ohio so you never what to expect when it comes to the weather.

welcome to ma crib, dis be ma decked-out bathroom, yo.

scarfage close-up.

Isn't this shade of purple so nice? I love it. Look completed by one of my favorite pairs of earrings :) I think they're from Nordstrom? Cardigan and scarf from F21, tank from VS PINK, jeans from Coco & Lilly. I love mixing and matching cardigans, tanks, and scarves.

Well, back to nutrition. (As my girl Snooki would say, wahhhhhh.) I have so much studying to do and I'm definitely feeling a bit stressed. But as long as I pace myself and don't get distracted and give my schoolwork the attention it needs, I should be alright :) Any big weekend plans, anyone? I'm going to the OSU-Indiana game tomorrow but that's about it. Homework tonight. Homework tomorrow night. Homework Sunday. Lamesauce :(

Quick shout out to Taylor, I was picked as the winner of her giveaway! Thanks Taylor! I'm really excited and I will take very good care of your painting :) Check out her blog, she's awesome.

Random questions for the day... what's your favorite thing to wear in the fall/cooler months of the year? Are you a coffee fanatic, as I am? Do you have a Halloween costume picked out yet? (I LOVE Halloween! I myself am still trying to decide.)

Another OOTD Post!

2010-10-06T12:06:00.000-04:00

CRAZY freakin' busy today, so no time for a big long post about anything. I have so much studying to do, with a lab quiz tomorrow, and two midterms and another o-chem quiz to prepare for next week :( Social life ending approximately... now.

I like my outfit today and felt like sharing so here is your daily dose of OOTD courtesy of (fill in the blank) blonde.

Sorry I'm in my suite bathroom, that's probably kind of gross. I wish I had a ginormous piece of cute scrapbook paper to put in the background like I do with my breakfast pics but you'll just have to let this one fly and focus on the ruffled cuteness that is my cardigan ♥

cardigan, F21. black tee, target. tank top, VS PINK. jeans, levi's. sandals, target. necklace, unknown. earrings, claire's.

Same jeweled headband I showed you last time. Said headband and I are very much in love as of late.

i'm aware of the duck-face. sorry it's just a habit. also ignore my chipped nails :(

That's all for now, happy Wednesday friends. Halfway through the week! Tomorrow's Thursday which means it's almost Friday and therefore it's almost the weekend!!! :)

Fun With Chemistry

2010-10-05T11:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for the kind comments on my last post since I brought up something kind of personal. You all are wonderful :) Apologies for the lack of posting yesterday but I finally went into hardcore study mode since today is my first o-chem quiz! Am I nervous? A little, because I want to do well. Honestly I always get nervous before any test or quiz. But I did the homework, the problem set, the practice quizzes, and I feel like I really understand the material.

I guess I'll let you in on a secret... yesterday as I was drawing out some structures... I realized I was having FUN. WHAT? I confided in my biochem-major roomie because I was worried I might be going insane for enjoying my homework--organic chemistry homework at that!--but she confessed that she herself had done the problem set twice just for the heck of it. Organic chemistry: it's what all the cool kids are doing!

Anyhoo, on to other things. I was SO proud of myself yesterday because I accomplished everything on my to-do list. Now, I jot down a to-do list every day, but it's pretty rare that I'm actually able to cross everything off.

I was certain I wouldn't get done with all this, especially the chemistry stuff, but since it turned out to be an enjoyable experience, it was a breeze. And it wasn't until about 11:50 p.m. that I had time to sit down and write a quick email to my mom, but I sent the message before midnight. My mom and I are pretty close and I try to keep in touch and give her updates, even when I'm busy.

This morning so far, I've done a cardio workout and had breakfast, of which I snapped a quick photo for ya:

Peanut butter and strawberry preserves on top. As much as I love any nut butter + jam combo, peanut butter and strawberry has got to be my favorite! My senior year of high school I ate PB&SJ (strawberry jam) sandwiches for lunch almost every day.

I have lab today at 12:30, then my quiz is at 2:30. (Wish me luck!!) Hopefully I'll be able to knock out some of my to-do list for today after I get back to my room later this afternoon, before heading out again to visit more sorority houses. I think that bid day is this Friday so just one more week of this. And hopefully next week I'll be a new pledge :)

Have you ever found yourself enjoying schoolwork? Or am I just crazy?

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Gym Snafus and Wireless Woes

2010-10-03T14:14:00.000-04:00

Last night I may or may not have consumed several slices of pizza at approximately 2 a.m. Okay, I confess. And let’s just say my body wasn’t too happy with me for making that decision. Something I haven’t ever discussed here (but I will in a future post) is that I went through a dramatic weight loss and subsequent bout with disordered eating in high school. Don’t worry, I’m better for the most part, especially after reading “Intuitive Eating” earlier this year (a book I highly recommend!) :) But I still think the same disordered thoughts sometimes and if I fall into one of the old pitfalls, I tend to beat myself up.

However, I tried not to stress too much about this. I stuck with my plan to get up and go to the gym this morning at 8:30—early, yes, but again I had an on-call shift at work and I wanted to make sure I got in a workout either way.

WELL. Apparently the gym on campus doesn’t open until 10 on Sundays. What about crazy people like me who would prefer to go earlier? Luckily it’s just a five-minute walk from my dorm so I didn’t go way out of my way, but I was kinda bummed and just headed home.

But then 10:30 rolled around—time to call work—and I was told to enjoy my day off, yet again. (I feel like they never use my on-calls anymore, not complaining though.) So back to the gym I went for a cardio session on the elliptical with the intervals I’ve been loving so much lately.

Of course I accidentally chose the machine right in front of the TV showing Food Network, and this morning’s programming included “Grill It” and “Guy’s Big Bite" :( I could have done without seeing all that raw meat. Instead I tried to focus on my workout and I listened to a fun playlist. The tunes that pumped me up this morning:

“Are You Happy Now?” by Michelle Branch
“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga
“Believe” by The Bravery
“Bang Bang Bang” by Mark Ronson ft. Q-Tip
“Bottoms Up” by Keke Palmer
“Faster Kill Pussycat” by Oakenfold ft. Brittany Murphy
“F*ck You” by Cee Lo Green
“I’m A Slave 4 U (Dave Aude Slave Driver Mix)” by Britney Spears

On the brisk walk home, I jammed to “Release Me” by Agnes, and “Somebody To Love (Remix)” by Justin Bieber. Yeah, I rocked out to J-Biebs. No shame. Funny enough, I have my boyfriend to blame for getting me hooked on that song. Hahaha.

Back in my room, I enjoyed my first ever oatmeal in a jar for breakfast. GLORIOUS. Melty, peanut buttery goodness in every bite. The oats themselves were almost the same as yesterday: pumpkin, cinnamon, raisins, vanilla, and chia seeds, with walnuts and maple syrup on top.

I just spent the last hour trying to get my internet connection to work... the campus wireless connection sucks lately. Finally I just hooked up with an ethernet cable, but the telephone jack is in a really awkward spot so I'm sitting on the floor by the fridge in my boyfriend's room, haha. Since I’m off work, I’ll be studying organic chemistry all day long… fun! My first quiz is already on Tuesday. I don’t think it will be too tough, I just have a whole slew of practice problems to do, to make sure I’ve got this stuff down. Aside from that, should be a pretty chill day. I’m decked out in cozy sweats and a favorite tee, ready to enjoy a little down time after all my running around in the past week.

What are your favorite songs to work out to? Do you read, watch TV, or otherwise attempt to distract yourself while you’re on the machines at the gym?

Sorority Blonde?

2010-10-02T11:14:00.001-04:00

Once again, it's football Saturday! Today is Ohio State's Big Ten opener against Illinois, and even though it an away game, I'm still getting all pumped up to watch. There ain't nothing like a home game though!

I started off my morning with some tooootally yummy pumpkin oats. (Note: pumpkin can be found at Whole Foods and Wal-Mart!) I actually opened the can yesterday to make an overnight oats parfait, but after drooling over Kaitlyn's breakfast in my Google Reader this morning, I knew that some hot oats were in order.

Very cheerful, no? :) I picked up several packs of scrapbook paper at Target the other day because I feel like my desk as the background isn't quite as aesthetically pleasing. I miss taking photographs in my kitchen at home where we've got nice, big windows that allow for bright, natural light. I have just one window in my dorm room (in the bedroom) but it's west-facing and doesn't get any good light this time of day.

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Do sororities girls really have lots of secrets? Haha. I will be attending two more events today (and I get a break tomorrow) but I'm actually looking forward to going. I feel like Greek life gets a bad reputation because of a few select instances, but I can't say anything but positives about what I've experienced thus far. The only sorority "secret" I've uncovered is that it's not at all like some exclusive, hoity-toity club--all the girls are way nice! I've been really enjoying meeting everyone and learning about all the different chapters.

Have a happy Saturday, everyone. What are your plans for the day? Cheering on your favorite football team perhaps?

On Dealing With Stress

2010-10-01T09:48:00.002-04:00

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Maybe you've seen this before, maybe not--I have that little Colorstrology calendar on my desk, the one that's like a flipbook with a different hue designated for each day. Each page has a short write-up about the personality traits of people born on that day, the qualities they possess, and how the color is beneficial to them. I don't know how much I believe in that, but I do enjoy the calender and turning to a new page every morning, especially the pleasant surprise of seeing a color I'm totally not expecting. It's fun :)

Anyway, today is the first day of October, and the color for this month is... cerulean. This is possibly my favorite color ever, and cerulean, according to the calender, is peaceful, poised, and balanced. I was doing some thinking yesterday about how I'm going to juggle everything I want to do this school year, between classes, blogging, volunteering, acting as treasurer of a club, spending time with friends and my boyfriend, working, possibly joining a sorority, etc... it's a little scary to think about! And so, I think that the color cerulean and what it embodies could not have popped up in my life at a more perfect time.

Calm. Soothing. Balanced. But at the same time, strong. Decisive. If I want to do all this stuff, I'm really going to have to work hard to prioritize my time, making a conscious effort, cutting out distractions. I can't just coast along and hope that everything works out the way I want.

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College can be rough at times because there are just SO many opportunities thrown your way and if you're someone like myself, you want to try and do everything. But I've come to learn that's just not always possible (if you're trying to maintain your sanity, that is).

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I tend to take on too much at one time, and that can only result in me stressing out because I feel like I don't have enough minutes in the day to get it all accomplished. Stepping back, however, taking a deep breath, and setting some goals for myself helps to take off some of the pressure. Balance is definitely achievable--but in order for that to occur I need to make some decisions about what's truly important to me. And usually, when I stop worrying so much, everything falls into place. When it suddenly hits me, like, "Hey! I can manage this," the stress begins to fade away, and that's when those feelings of calm and complacency wash over, like ocean waves of soothing cerulean blue :)

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Sorry to get all deep on you this morning, maybe I should have prepared you for that with a li'l disclaimer, ha ;) But I'm sure many of you can relate to what I'm feeling, right? As much as I love autumn, these times be crazy y'all. I have a lot on my plate at the moment.

Do you believe colors can be therapeutic? Cerulean just makes me so happy, that's why it's sprinkled everywhere throughout this post. Maybe this colorstrology stuff isn't just a big load of hooey. If things are getting hectic today, simply take a moment to chill out and look at the bigger picture. Relax.

And remember, it is a Friday after all--and nothing beats that big-exhale-out-at-the-end-of-a-tough-week feeling :) I sincerely hope that today is a fabulous first day of the month for you all!

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Happy National Coffee Day!

2010-09-29T09:57:00.000-04:00

Today is going to be a busy, busy day. In between microbiology and chemistry lectures, I have to print out my entire microbio lab manual plus work on some o-chem homework, as I've already got a quiz next Tuesday. Eeek! I'm not ready for this yet! I have a feeling about about to become one of those kids you see walking around campus with a big stack of flashcards, in my efforts to memorize all the functional groups.

After classes, I'm meeting a friend at the union to make fliers for a club we're starting up this year, then from 6-9, I have several sorority houses to visit! Yep, I decided to do informal rush :) I went to a recruitment event last night and met lots of really cool girls. Informal rush seems super nice because you can pick and choose which houses you go to, stay as long as you like, and there's no strict dress code. Formal rush sounded waaay too crazy for a more laid-back person like myself. (Plus it would involve trudging across campus to the houses in the middle of winter, potentially in heels, or whatever the required attire.) I have lots of information on all the various sororities, and I've already narrowed it down a bit, but I'll still be visiting at least nine houses over the next several days. I'm so excited to be a part of Greek life on my campus, it seems like a really good way to get involved. Did you rush/are you a sorority girl?

Yesterday was my 10-month-aversary with my boyfriend, and after we went to Johnny Rockets for dinner (they have a pretty good veggie burger) we made a trip to TARGET ♥ The main thing I wanted to pick up were some new earbuds for my iPod, but obviously more stuff found its way into my basket, hehehe. I ended up grabbing a pair of gloves for lifting, because I'm starting to get calluses on my palms. The selection was pretty limited, but these Reebok gloves seemed to be a perfect choice! I tried them out this morning and they were super comfortable, plus there's a little block of terrycloth/towel-like material that was nice for wiping the sweat off my face.

The title of my post probably clued you in to the fact that it's National Coffee Day today, and I know I'm celebrating! I was legit addicted to caffeine last year, to the point where I'd get headaches when I went without it. (Prob not a good thing.) I was able to break my addiction this summer, but I still do appreciate a nice cup of java. This morning I took my new coffeemaker for a spin and enjoyed a mug with breakfast. Have a lovely day friends :)

Another Grey Day

2010-09-28T12:22:00.001-04:00

It's drizzly and a little chilly again this morning. I looked at the weather though and it's supposed to be much nicer for the rest of the week, which is something to look forward to. I got a good night's sleep last night because I do NOT want to be falling asleep in class again! But luckily, today I just have microbiology lab and chemistry recitation, not bad at all.

At the gym today I did 35 minutes on the elliptical, with an intervals plan courtesy of Fitnessista. Her blog is really a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to get into working out, or just somebody wants something new to try. I was sweating like a pig. It was only 55 degrees outside when I left the gym, but it actually felt pretty darn good after a hot workout.

Breakfast today was my old stand-by, hot oatmeal: oats with chia seeds, cinnamon, and dried cherries, topped with walnuts, peanut butter, strawberry preserves, more cinnamon, and agave. It was just what I was craving on a cooler morning like today. ~~I took a pretty picture but it's taking for-ev-ah to upload, sorry.~~ Update: okay, now it works :)

My outfit today kind matches the weather--dark jeans, a grey tank, and a navy v-neck from J.Crew--bland and blah. But I spiced it up with some fun argyle socks from Target :)

Now, I have to run off to lab! Later, gators.

Weekend Recap

2010-09-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

Hi bloggie friends, I hope your week got off to a good start. It was rainy, dreary, and cold this morning, but that also meant I got to break out my rainboots :)

I. Love. These. Boots. I got them last fall and I have worn them a bazillion times in the past year. Rainboots are not only great for rainy days, but for traipsing through the snow as well! You know that slushy kinda snow? Yeah. And I learned the hard way last winter that my Uggs don't fare quite as well in that sort of weather.

Well, let's recap the weekend. Friday night was the Weezer concert!

So I guess I don't know as many Weezer songs as I thought I did... but it was a fun time nonetheless! It was cool hearing them play Island in the Sun, Buddy Holly, Beverly Hills, Hash Pipe, Pork and Beans, and some of their other hits. I always liked River Cuomo for some reason... I think he wrote an article in Elle Girl magazine once, in which he talked about his next door neighbor's pet cat. I remember thinking it was cute. Maybe that's why. Idk. Haha.

On to Saturday. I had a good, early morning workout (wellllllll, more like 11 a.m.) with two of my suitemates. We did some cardio, then five-minute abs, which is actually pretty tough for only being five minutes. I made it through the whole duration though, and I was rather proud of myself, since last time I gave up at around a minute thirty. After a good breakfast, a shower, and some organic chem homework, IT WAS TIME. Time for the event I'd been pee-in-my-pants excited for all week:

My first home game of the season. Awwww yeah.

If you didn't hear, it was a total blowout, 73-20. We did stay the entire game, but to be honest, the fourth quarter was reeeally dragging and by that point in time we were more interested in getting score updates from the Alabama-Arkansas game. Wish we'd had a little, portable TV to watch that fourth quarter instead.

The rest of the evening was pretty chill. My friends and I got dinner, then came back to the dorm for the night, and I ended up watching more football with ma boyf :)

Sunday, as you know, I didn't have to work. (Woohoooo!) Me and my boy decided to go for a late brunch at my most favorite restaurant, Northstar Cafe. It's seriously the best place ever. I was hooked when I first tried their sensational veggie burger (made from beets, black beans, and brown rice) but everything else on the menu is pretty awesome as well. I like going on the the weekends when they have their brunch menu, including these awesome ricotta pancakes, as well as my favorite, the Big Burrito--a tortilla filled with eggs (I sub in tofu), roasted sweet potato, black beans, sauteed pepper & onion, white chedder cheese, and spicy salsa.

Sorry it's half eaten! I was so excited to start stuffing my face I almost forgot to take a picture ;)

I couldn't help but finish off the entire thing. I did feel a little bit too full, but it was worth it.

That afternoon, more o-chem problems. Grrr. College sure doesn't waste any time giving you a crapload of work. I had my hall council meeting later in the evening and gave my speech (gahh soo nervous) but unfortunately I did not win the seat I wanted. I am a senator for my floor though, so at least that's something! I was a little bummed, honestly. But the thing to remember is that my position is exactly what I make of it, and I'm going to be the best senator my floor has ever seen.

Today wasn't too bad of a day. I worked out, had three lectures (almost fell asleep in nutrition!!! Not good!) then came back to my dorm to refuel with a radioactive green monster smoothie.

in my smoothie: a banana, cantaloupe, honeydew, soymilk, and spinach.

My art history lecture was next, then I walked to the student union for dinner, spotting this guy on the way there.

Well hello, you! What kind of bird/duck is this??? It was HUGE!

Tonight, more homework, what a shocker. Organic really doesn't seem like it will be terrible but it's going to be a whole lot of work, that is for sure. I'll prob have to slip in a TV break at some point in time. What good shows are on Monday nights anyway? (I haven't been keeping up with Gossip Girl, oops. It's hard to watch all my favorite shows these days.)

What do you have going on tonight?

My Morning Thus Far

2010-09-26T12:18:00.000-04:00

1. Woke up at 9 and got ready for work in case my on-call shift was needed.

2. Ate breakfast; a huge bowl of oats, featuring pecans, almond butter, and ginger pear butter. Ooooh.

3. Called work to inquire about the status of my shift, and much to my delight, I was not needed :)

4. Boredom struck.

5. Decided to collage my binders.

6. Looked at the clock. Holy cow, it's already past noon?!

Which brings us to now. I have a liiitle bit of homework today, and I have to write a short speech to present at my dorm's residence hall council meeting tonight--I'm running for hall improvement chair :) Wish me luck! And enjoy your Sunday afternoon.

Friday Night Quickie

2010-09-24T19:53:00.002-04:00

Hey thurr, just a quick end-of-the-week update. I can't believe I'm already done with my first week of school! (Although, it was only three days. I wish every school week was so short!!) I think I got off to a good start though. My professors are great, I'm loving seeing my college friends all the time, and I'm feeling really good and confident about balancing everything I want to do this school year.

This morning I awoke at 7:30 again to go to the gym, then I had a school day almost identical to Wednesday, minus the art history lecture. My chemistry lecture was actually kinda interesting and it absolutely flew by, which doesn't always happen in science classes. My professor is just so great though! I can't get over it. He moves at a brisk pace but still explains everything so clearly. Today I had some concepts "click" with me that never totally made sense in the past, and I was really excited. Maybe organic chem won't be so bad. I spent some time studying at the main library this afternoon, then got dinner with friends a little while ago. We're all going to a free concert (Weezer!) in about an hour, then returning home for a movie/junk food kinda night :)

Just for funsies, I'm doing my very first Outfit Of The Day post because I got several compliments on this look.

I love love love this bejeweled headband, which I found at Target. I like that the band is wrap-around elastic, because those hard molded headbands tend to hurt right behind my ears after a few hours of wear. The sandals are also from Target, the v-neck is VS PINK, and the skirt was bought at Forever 21 (just $10!).

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That's all for now. Have a super Friday night, and bon week-end!

I Like School.

2010-09-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

Good Thursday morning! Yesterday was my first day of classes and it was a loooong day. It wasn't a bad one though! I started the school year off right by waking up at 7:30 and heading to the gym. I decided I want to start a legit strength training regimen, instead of just dividing my lifting sessions into "upper body" and "lower body" and doing whatever exercises I feel like, so I stole a routine from Fitnessista. Day One focuses on shoulders, chest, and triceps, and let me tell you.... it was tough! I wasn't even sure if I would be able to do 10 regular push-ups, but the stability ball push-ups followed by planks was a real challenge.

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Back in my room I fixed up a yummy overnight oats/banana soft serve b-fast using my new Cuisinart! This thing is small but mighty. It made the banana soft serve get a really nice texture... almost mousse-y? Anyhoo, I liked it. No photo due to the highly un-photogenic nature of this meal, but it sure tasted awesome! And since I didn't get to eat another full meal until dinner around 7, it held me over fairly well, and I was able to just snack throughout the day between classes.

So--my classes! Let me tell you about them. At 10:30 I had microbiology and would you believe I showed up late because I couldn't find the classroom? Yep true story. It was even a room I'd been in before. I was SO embarrassed. It was in a big lecture hall and the door to enter is near the front of the room, so of course everyone could see me walking in after the bell. Ughhh. I totally felt like a freshman. But as for the class itself, I really got a good first impression of my professor, and I think the subject matter is fairly interesting (umm, science geek alert), so this is a course I'm looking forward to.

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At noon, I went to my human nutrition class. I'm actually in an online section of this course, but it said on our syllabus we could attend in person if we so chose, and since I have the time in my schedule to do so, I figured, why not? I think I'd rather physically sit in a classroom with a professor than figure things out on my own, provided it's a good professor, of course. Now this class is another one I'm definitely anticipating because I'm extremely interested in nutrition--I am a dietetics major! This is the first course I'll have taken that corresponds directly to my major and it's also my first ever nutrition course. Our professor did a brief lecture giving us an intro to the course, and it seems as if it will be a class worth attending.

From nutrition, I rushed right to organic chemistry (grrrr, back to back classes) and by the time I got there, the house was packed! I have at least 15 friends taking this same class with me, but forgot to ask anyone to save me a seat. There was literally not a single empty chair on the lower level, so I headed upstairs to the balcony, where just a sprinkling of spots remained. Anyhow, class started, and from the moment my professor started talking, I was smitten. Is it normal to fall in love with your organic chemistry professor? Prolly not. But he was seriously amazing. The guy could probably be a motivational speaker. He gave a really great talk, trying to clear up some misconceptions about the class, namely the fact the o-chem is super difficult. It sounds as though the class will be a lot of work, but if I put in the time I'll be fine.

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Last class of the day: Italian Renaissance art history. Another class, another great professor. Did I luck out this year or what??? This is proof that everyone should be using RateMyProfessors.com, because that's how I picked them all out! Art history was one of my favorite classes in high school and the Italian Renaissance it arguably one of the most important periods in art, so this should be a very good course. I am not kidding when I tell you that my heart actually started beating a little bit faster during the lecture--I was THAT excited. (Errr, art history geek alert?)

We had some crazy freaky weather walking back to the dorm after art history, and they actually sounded the tornado sirens! But luckily, all we experienced on campus were some strong winds and rain.

I spent a relaxing evening with a delivery pizza from my favorite campus pizza place, my boyfriend, and the television. (Modern Family, anyone??) This morning I'm up getting ready to go to the gym again, then, thank goodness, I only have one class today! That would be my first microbio lab, around 12:30.

Tonight on campus there's a massive pillow fight scheduled, then another free movie! Ahh, welcome week. I'm sure I won't be feeling this happy and giddy about everything a few weeks from now when I'm studying for midterms but I'll savor the feeling in the here and now while it lasts :)

The Best Thing About Welcome Week...

2010-09-21T21:40:00.001-04:00

FREE STUFF.

Free t-shirts.

Free flip flops. Free pens, pencils, water bottles, candy, gum, coupons.

Free pizza.

Free beauty products.

Free movies.

Free panty-liners. (Us ladies always need 'em!)

Free laundry detergent.

Free PRETZEL M&Ms.

Another free t-shirt.

Free cupcakes.

And my favorite.....

A free plant. I need a name for him. Any suggestions???

Hey College... I've Arrived!

2010-09-20T17:32:00.000-04:00

I've been back on campus for a mere 24 hours and already I'm starting to feel busy! What have I been up to in my brief time here?

For one, I finished moving in and setting up everything in my room. The bedroom is complete now that I have my bedspread, sheets, and pillows, plus a purrty poster of the tropics mounted on the wall :) And I have all my makeup/hair/jewelry stuff arranged on my countertop area, in front of a large window.

My view this year is parking lots, a river, a highway, and lots of buildings--honestly, it pales in comparison to the east-facing view of campus I had last year. I can see downtown though way off to the left, which is pretty at night! And in the shopping center across the river... I SEE TARGET! Hee heee! So now whenever I feel like going to Target I can just check the parking lot first to see if it's busy or not. AWESOME.

My desk area is also fully stocked... it probably looks quite similar to the photo I put up the other day, only now I've got my new coffee maker, my Barbie calender, and a few more food items.

Uhh, speaking of food.....

I have a miniature health food store in my room, or so I have been told. I also have a totally unnecessary collection of coffee mugs, so much so that I purchased that rack on the right to help store them, but I kinda have a fixation with these. It's just fun drinking out of a different one each day!

Notice the empty bowl in the desk shot? That would be today's breakfast. Introducing....

Perfect Microwave Oatmeal

I have absolutely perfected the art of making oatmeal in the microwave. Microwave oats just don't get the same texture of stovetop oats, as you may know. But with my method you won't be able to tell the difference. My secret? Use half quick oats and half old-fashioned. As seen above, I premix them in a big tupperware so I can just scoop out my portion and that's that.

My basic ratio is 1/3 cup oats and a little more than 3/4 of a cup of water. If using milk, decrease the amount by about 1/4 cup. Combine your oats, liquid, and mix-ins in a microwave safe bowl. Today I used cinnamon, dried cherries, dried cranberries, and chia seeds. Then, microwave on full power for 2 1/2 minutes. Take it out, give it a stir, and voila: perfection in a bowl. Top with whatever you like! (Suggestion: walnuts, agave, peanut butter, and pumpkin butter. Mmmmm.) Promise me you'll try this and report back? You'll never go back to your old method, I swear!

Pressing onward... today was the big involvement fair on campus, and on a beautiful day like today, it was jam-packed! My boyfriend and I went to check it out and it was seriously difficult to move around, there were so many students. We both are thinking about rushing this year so we spent a little time looking at the signboards for the various Greek organizations. My school has an informal fall rush in which I might participate. One of my suitemates last year did formal rush when she was a freshman, and the way she described it, it seemed kinda intense and a little scary. I'm not sure if I'll have that much time and effort to commit to formal rush winter quarter, but informal seems like something I could handle. Any sorority girls have advice or thoughts about rush?? Much appreciated! :)

After the involvement fair, we went to the gym, and I was shocked to see I was literally the ONLY girl in the weight room. (It's more like a weight warehouse, actually. The weight room is huge, cavernous even!) There are lots of women at the gym where I've been going this summer, but all the girls I saw at the rec center were hanging out on the cardio machines. Maybe I'm the minority but I like lifting way better than cardio! All I can say is... I'm glad I started going to the gym with my guy this summer so I could learn the ropes and get comfortable with lifting in a smaller, less crowded place. Last year if I'd walked into that room full of big, muscular guys, I honestly would have just turned around and left.

Right now I'm working on a job application for a position as an office assistant in my residence hall! I have to attach a resume, and I've never made one up for myself, so that's what I'm trying to get finished at the moment. Plans for the evening include dinner with friends, then maybe going out with my guy and his friends later on. Tomorrow is my last true day of summer, and classes start on Wednesday! Enjoy your Monday nights, everyone... and promise me you'll wake up tomorrow and make my perfect oatmeal :) Haha. I'm telling you, you won't regret it!

Too Sinful For A Sunday

2010-09-19T12:24:00.000-04:00

My breakfast today? In a word, decadent. Feast your eyes on this:

That would be overnight oats (made with almond milk) layered with chocolate Amazing Grass/peanut butter/banana soft serve, and topped with Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter. Yep, I went there--I doubled up the chocolate and the peanut butter. Can this even still be considered healthy!?? But ohhh man was this fantabulous. Definitely too sinful for a Sunday morning!

Well friends, this is my last morning (and last time blogging!) at home--for this summer, at least. I love starting my day off like this: preparing a nice breakfast in the kitchen, looking out the back windows at the trees, flowers, and birds (sometimes deer) in the backyard, and enjoying a leisurely meal, no reason to rush around. Those are things I'm going to miss when I'm back at school. Life (as I'm sure you know all too well!) gets a little more hectic when we're at college. My typical morning routine in the dorm is wake up, wash face/beautify/etc., throw oats in the microwave, scarf 'em down, and rush out the door to class. Spring quarter I had class at 7:18 a.m. Monday-Thursday and you better believe that made things even tougher. I drank lotsa coffee those days!

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This autumn, though, I don't start until either 10:30 or 12:30 each day (with the exception of Thursday mornings, when I'll be volunteering at the hospital from 9-12) so I'll have a little more time. I'm hoping to exercise in the a.m. most weekdays as well, since that's what's been working for me in the summer, because I feel like as the days goes on, I'm increasingly less likely to make it to the gym. There are a couple group fitness classes in the afternoons though, which I will be checking out.

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Mornings aren't the only time of day things will be a little different. With classes like organic chemistry and microbiology this quarter, I have no doubt I'm going to have to devote a lot of time to studying throughout the day and on into the evening. (O-chem has such a bad reputation for being reeeally tough... anyone taken it who can dispel or confirm the rumors??) I might be blogging with less frequency, especially for the first few weeks when there are tons of activities outside of classes/schoolwork going on around my campus. I hope you'll all stick with me though, because I honestly love this little space of my own I've created online and the friendships I've begun to form, even in just the two short months this blog has existed!

I need to finish packing and get ready for my move, but I'll leave you with a favorite quote of mine about balance and health that I think is a nice quote for anyone to draw upon when you're feeling worried or stressed. It's a good mantra to remember when you've got a full plate and need a reminder to slow down and take things one at a time.

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Happy Sunday!

Cookie Fail

2010-09-18T23:13:00.001-04:00

Hello! It turned out I did not have to work so I had a relaxing day today--I worked out, had a good breakfast, watched some football, spent the rest of the afternoon shopping with a friend, and tonight, went out for dinner with my mom and stepdad.

After coming home, I whipped up a batch of cookies for my suitemates! Last year, when meeting my new roomies for the first time, I brought puppy chow for everyone in order to win their hearts. (They all fell for my tricks, tee hee, and we became good friends.) So, this year, to keep a tradition going, I chose to make chocolate chip cookies with the addition of crushed pretzels! I do have two go-to recipes, but this time I tried another one I had bookmarked--the best chocolate chip cookies in the vegan universe.

Looks good, yeah?

But unfortunately, these did NOT live up to the lofty expectations I had based on the recipe title. I'm not sure what went wrong, but it could be my fault for messing with the recipe a little bit. (I used a mix of AP, whole wheat pastry, and spelt flours, plus I subbed in almond milk and left out the applesauce.) Something about the flavor is just off... and don't get me wrong, they're not awful! They're still cookies, and even a bad cookie is usually a decent cookie. But something about the flavor... I think maybe the spelt flour is to blame, or perhaps the pretzels I used were a little stale. And I've never baked with agave either. Anyway--who knows?

I'm not going to toss out 40 perfectly okay-ish cookies though. After they cool, I think I'll get a pint of vanilla bean ice cream and just turn them into sandwiches. Sound like a plan? Subpar cookies salvaged!

I'll work on that tomorrow morning though. As for now, I better get to bed. My cat Coco just whispered, "Hey pssssst Kate. You've got a big day tomorrow and you need your rest. I know I'm ready to go to sleep..... join me?"

Nighty night :)

Move-in Day

2010-09-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

Thank you so much for the well wishes with my "move" today! We got to campus around 10 this morning and took everything up to my room on the 17th floor with no waiting and no hassle. Waaay, way easier than the assisted move-in last year. It felt really weird leaving my room with all my stuff and going back to my parents' house for the next two days!

This is my side of the bedroom:

There's also a built-in dresser with drawers and a waist-level countertop, plus a big mirror and a window. When I move in for real on Sunday I'll be bringing my bedding, posters, pillows, and other things I opted to leave at home today.

Also: my desk and study area. Note the brown paper bag under the left side of my desk which contains like 7 boxes of Quaker Oatmeal Squares... haha. *obsessed*

I helped my boyfriend unpack and move in today too. Check out the AMAZING view out his window!

I will be in that stadium in 8 days watching Ohio State take on Eastern Michigan. Cannot waaaaaait.

Well, I am super tired after a long day and ready to fall asleep on my keyboard. Until later...

Last Day of Summer... ish

2010-09-16T10:49:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday everyone! Thursday means it's almost Friday which means it's almost the weekend!! :)

I've been talking about this a lot lately, but in case you missed it, I'm moving my stuff into my dorm on Friday (tomorrow!) which would make today my last day at home, right??

Well, not exactly. I got scheduled two call-in shifts at work this weekend, and I decided my best option would be to go ahead and move in tomorrow as planned, but return home myself so transportation to and from work, if needed, would be less of a hassle. (I only live 20 minutes from campus, so going back and forth is no big deal, but I don't have my own car at campus and I'd have to take the bus.) ... I guess I actually don't mind a whole lot though. I'll get to spend a little more time at home with the fam and I'm just happy I won't have to deal with all the hoopla on Sunday, the day that assisted move-in is scheduled, when all the freshmen will be arriving. It's definitely going to be nice just heading up to the 17th floor and OH HEY! Would you look at that? All my crap is already here! Awesomeness.

moving day last year. my cat, soleil, really wanted to come along.

So yesterday morning I tried something for the first time. When I got to the gym, the woman at the desk asked if I was interested in taking a Zumba class. I've never Zumba-ed before but always wanted to give it a go, so of course I said, "sure!" Apparently it's a new offering at my gym, which is why they were trying to recruit people for the class, and it ended up being just me, one older woman, and the instructor, Jill. But the class went on nonetheless!

there were def. not this many people in my zumba class! credit

Both my classmate and I were popping our Zumba cherries that morning, and even so, I admit I was feeling a little self conscious in that big room with full length mirrors on every wall. But Jill was really encouraging and told the both of us we were doing a great job for being newbies. I was really amazed at what a great, upbeat attitude she had, especially for having only two people show up. The class lasted an hour, but it flew by. I was having so much fun! I told Jill that unfortunately I wouldn't be able to attend future classes due to college stuff starting up next week, but I did tell my mom about the class when I got home, and I think I may have talked her into trying out Zumba too! Have you taken a Zumba class? They offer it at the rec center on campus 2x a week and I know I'll definitely be going back!

No gym this morning, however, as I was feeling a little crampy if you catch my meaning... and I do apologize if that was an overshare. (Thoughts on exercising while also dealing with the lady business? Do you do your regular workout, do something lower intensity, or just skip?)

I was craving a hot bowl of oats though.

oats with chia seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, and cinnamon, topped with almonds, pb, my new crofter's superfruit spread, and agave nectar.

My view out my kitchen window this morning:

Today's plans? Going out grocery shopping and getting coffee with my mom, first of all. She and I are pretty close, and I will miss spending time with her when I'm on campus. Then, since both me and my boy have the day off, now it's my turn to help him pack. And tonight, myself and two high school friends are going to see a theatre/dance performance in which another friend is participating. I was a theatre kid in high school and I miss it like crazy, so it's the least I can do to go out and support my friends who have continued to pursue performing arts in college.

I suppose I should put on some real clothes and a little makeup if I'm going to go out in public, so I'm off to go get ready. Have a stellar day!