Blog Awards

2010 Blog Awards

Thanks to all the award givers!

2010.01.21

Thanks to Krysten over at After I Do for passing on the fabulous GLOB Award!

2010.01.20

The Best Blog Award


Thanks for the Best blog award, Nikolett!



2009 Blog Awards

Thanks to all the award givers!

2009.03.29


Thanks Ace, for The Lemonade Award

2009.04.06


Thanks Ace, for the Kreativ Blogger Award

2009.04.13


Thanks Tamela, for the Superwoman Award



2009.04.23


Thanks Fidgeting Gidget, for the Honest Scrap Award



2009.05.15


Thanks Tamela, for the Queen Award



2009.05.18


Thanks, Mrs. C, for the Deer to Me Cupcake Award



2009.05.18

Thanks Novelista Barista, for the Funky Blog Award 

2009.06.22

Thanks Mrs.C, for the Charming/Honest Award 

2009.06.27

Thanks Cucinista @ Working-Lunch for the One Lovely Blog Award!

2009.07.15

Thanks ACE for the Honest Blog Award 

2009.07.15

Thanks Ali for the Kind & Charming Blog Award 

2009.08.06


Thanks ACE, for the Over the Top Blog Award

Back with Bread and Article News + Pumpkin Seeds Recipes?

Currently Listening to "Maybe," Ingrid Michaelson

Happy Monday, bloggers! I really really miss being in the blog world... I feel like I'm missing out on so much. But I've been spending most of my spare time on school and that article...

more on that in a minute :)

I can't believe it's October 12th already. I swear, yesterday was September 1st...

Comments
Jeremyandgirls: THANK YOU so much for the homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe! I am so looking forward to trying that! I love fall so much...

Thank you all for the comments about the blanket! Sad to say I haven't made much progress since I had a lot of papers due last week, but I'm hoping to get some quality knitting time in this week :)

Kathy, I loved your idea about making one big blanket for both the twins! 'Cause you're right, they'll be little enough to share it for a long time! And yes, Sarah, you should start knitting!!! As if you don't have enough to do with your new little baby :)


Cooking Update:
(plus flowers from my Mom!)

There, ladies and gentlemen, is a loaf of bread that I baked. That's right. With my busy schedule, I found time to bake bread.

(Thanks again for that loaf pan, Peggy!)




How does she do it?!

Simple... Betttttttty Crocker :)

See... Mrs. Crocker has these new boxed muffin mixes out... and on the back of the box is an additional recipe for baking BREAD instead of muffins!



Simple and delicious :)

And noooo, I wasn't paid for that mini-advertisement... I just truly appreciate products that make life happy.

Other Updates...

I haven't updated in forever and I am SO SORRY! But it's for good reason...


My article is going to be published :)

They checked yes!!

It took a LOT of work, and caused me to fall a liiitttttttle behind in grad school projects, so I've been running around catching up.

But it's definitely very exciting. I keep remembering that it happened and breaking out into a random smile... lol. I know, I know, corny. But I just can't wait to see my name, my words, my research in PRINT!!

As far as catching up on everything... my plan is to catch up this week, to carve pumpkins this weekend, and to bake some pumpkin seeds too...

Anyone have any good recipes I can try?

~*~*~

I also promise to catch up on your blogs-- I am so sorry I haven't been around! But I've been thinking about you (and keeping up with some of you busy people on Twitter!) and can't wait to see what you've been up to lately!

For now-- have a great week!

Your celebrating-that-Panthers-win,
leaves-enjoyin, apartment-decorating,
Halloween-decorations-lovin,
New Girl Blogger

CFP News, Baby Blanket and TWINS update!

Listening to "Extraordinary Girl," Green Day.

What a great morning... I have a new coffee mug, the window open to the rain, and my books spread out just waiting to be read.

But! I wanted to put my homework on hold, in order to tell you a couple things...

First, MATT passed his CFP EXAM!

You might remember me talking about his ridiculous course load, or all the studying he was doing over the year, and how he was a complete study zombie before the exam last July... well, we finally heard and he passed his FIRST time around.

There was only a 50% pass rate, and the rate was MUCH lower for first-time test takers... but he still passed. Because he's amazing.

We actually found out about a week ago, but I've been spending time thinking of something special to do for him to help us celebrate...

I have one idea, but can't really tell you yet because he's been known to poke around here some... but it's pretty silly, so if I end up doing it I'll let you know :)

But congratulations, Matt! I knew you could do it! I'm so very, very proud of you and feel very lucky to be your girlfriend, because I know I'm going to get to see you do more amazing things in the future!!

~*~*~

KNITTING!

I promised :)

I am currently knitting a cuuute little baby blanket, pattern on ravelry: Savannah's blankie by Amy-lynne Mitchell.

Below: Amy-lynne's picture of the blanket:

And then my progress so far...

I'm using the Mission Falls %100 cotton, which is so soft and nice to knit with! Small skeins... but makes it easier to carry the project around :)

Color: Lemongrass.

I know what you're thinking... my step-mom is pregnant with TWINS. Shouldn't I be making two of these?

Yes, Yes... but this one isn't for Maranna, it's for my friend and former co-worker Lori, whose fiancie's sister-in-law is preggers as well.

So here's a preview, Lori! Hope you like it so far!

~*~*~

As for the twins...

My step-mom and the babies are doing great, aaaaannnnnddd her BABY SHOWER is this Saturday!

So I'll be back with lots of fun pictures of baby things that make us all go "awwwww."

Plus, I got her the CUTEST baby shower gifts... but can't share just yet. Promise to show, though!

Also... I'm going to try and bake something new and yummy in the loaf pan that Peggy gifted me to celebrate our first day back in school. Can't wait to show you that, either!!!

But for now, back to coffee and homework...

Your about-to-scarf-down-some-cheerios,
loving-the-new-coffee-mug,
hoping-for-more-time-to-knit,
enjoyin-the-rainy-morning,
New Girl Blogger

Do you Like Me? Check Yes, No... or Maybe.

Listening to "Starfish," Sister Hazel.

When we were little, my best friend Allie and I were dorks.

No, like DORKS. Seriously.

We had a lot of fun and managed fine, but we definitely had our shares of the "awkward stage." Messy hair, crooked teeth, huge braces, funny glasses... you name it, we had it.

Well, when we were in the 5th grade, I decided to have a crush on the cool, skateboard dude on our bus. His name was... Brandon. ...I think. (and it was so important then, haha...)

So, in classic Elementary-school-dating style, I passed Brandon a note. "Do you like me?"

Underneath the question were two answers: Yes or No. Next to them I put checkboxes (usability first, people).

When I got the note back, I was really nervous. I knew there was no way skateboard guy would like me... but maybe he would...

and "maybe" is what I got. Underneath my "yes" and "no" options, Brandon had written in a "Maybe" option, drawn a box next to it, and checked that one.

There was hope for skater dude and I! Maybe I wasn't such a dork after all!!!!

Well, later, I found out that my bestie Allie, after delivering the note, convinced Brandon to put "Maybe" so he wouldn't hurt my feelings :)

That's what best friends are for!

So... what's the point of that story?

Right! Well, yesterday I got a great MAYBE...

Dear Sarah:

Thank you for your submission to EXPLORATIONS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity for the State of North Carolina.

[Cue the drumroll...]

...your submission has also been reviewed by three members of the Explorations Editorial Board and me. Based on these reviews, I am requesting that you revise and resubmit your paper, “Composition 2.0 in the Classroom: Studying the Integration of New Media and Multimodal Composition”, still for consideration in the 4th edition of Explorations to be published in November 2009.

So...

it's a maybe!!!

Woo-hoo!!!

I posted a while back about how I submitted my honors thesis from undergrad to a research journal. I've finally heard back! Even though I'm in grad school now this would be a great publication line for my resume/cv...

Even though in the rest of the e-mail, they basically said... your research is great! Just write better, it's still great news.

haha.

I can do it! I got a maybe! And this time, I don't think Allie put them up to it... although maybe I should call her and check...

Great news for a Monday! :) Now to find time to do those revisions...

~*~*~

In other news...

my next post will be about knitting.

Why?

because I haven't been knitting.

And if I force myself into a promise of it for next post, I'll be more likely to do it. I missss knitting. But haven't made the time! So now I will make time.

~*~*~

Also, I look like this.

Because I'm in the Christmas spirit already?

No.

Because I have a cold.

Honestly, I think I sneezed 10 times in a row yesterday.

My little nose is quite red.

But hey, at least it's not Swine Flu :)

For now, bring on the Kleenex! And lots of ramen... mmm...

~*~*~

Your sniffily,
article-revising,
promise-to-knit, knitting-new-project!,
annoyed-with-Kanye,
New Girl Blogger

The Fun Things that September Brings... like homemade applesauce!!

Listening to "Currently," Keaton Simmons

Comments:
I'm so glad you enjoyed my pictures from the cooking class; honestly, it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten... so if you have any inkling to try one of the recipes-- DO IT!

About the limoncello-- Jeremyandgirls and Samantha definitely noticed the absence in my review-- I didn't include that recipe because I had NO good pictures. But it was a delicious aperitif... and about as easy to make as moonshine!! (Which... I've never made lol, but I know it's not so bad) So I'll definitely post that recipe soon, whenever I try it here at home, because it would be a GREAT Christmas gift... (always thinking about Christmas!)

Peggy helped me learn a new word-- beurre manié = beurre manie = kneaded butter Pronunciation: BARE mahn-YAY This flour-butter mixture is used as a thickening agent. That's what I was stirring for the cauliflower gratin. Didn't know it had a name! Thanks Peggy!

Cucinista-- SO cool that you were just in Italy!! If only I had posted this sooner!! Luckily I posted before your big trip, green ink! You better take lots of pictures of the food! Mmmm...

~*~*~

HELLO, SEPTEMBER!!!

You're my favorite. Well, fall is my favorite-- I love all the months in fall pretty equally.

Things I love:

• School starts (...and school supplies)
  
• Football starts!!
• Fall leaves, pretty colors
• Crisp weather
• Pumpkin beers on outside patios with light sweaters
• Pumpkin lattes on a cool morning with school books and long sleeves
• Pumpkin pie (notice a trend, anyone??)
  
• Warm soup dinners
  
• Fall jackets with big buttons
• Autumn-colored shoes and corduroys
  
• Windows-open mornings with a couch blanket and a good book
• FOOTBALL STARTS!! Hmm... mentioned that...

Basically... I love fall... how about you??

Now, there's a new thing about fall I like as well: Making Applesauce.

~*~*~

Homemade Applesauce

Tom, my step-dad, recently visited his amazing 92-year-old grandmother, who decided to gift him her applesauce maker.

So, he also bought a bunch of apples, and away we went...

Get lots of apples

Cut and cook--

Note: It's easy to peel them when they're hot; just "dip" the skin-side of the apple into cold water and it's easy to tear off! Kinda like when you "shock" tomatoes! Way faster than a peeler, and you waste less apple...

Assemble alien-looking masher over sauce pan

No alien-looking masher? According to Matt's Mom, it's just as easy to warm (NOT BOIL, just a nice heat up) the peeled apples in a sauce pan and mash with fork, potato masher, whatever-- especially if you like them a little chunkier. Don't burn them!

Put peeled apple pieces in masher; mash!

-Add sugar to the mashed, warming-in-saucepan apples (how much depends on how many apples-- just remember, while you can add more sugar, you can't take the sugar away once it's in there!)
-Optional: Add cinnamon (Tom decided to let each applesauce eater decide if they wanted cinnamon or not; I think that was a smart choice)

Make a lot, put in containers, freeze some!

Good all fall!!

Happy September, everyone! Hope you had a GREAT Labor Day Weekend!

~*~*~

Your fall-weather-enjoying,
needs-to-go-back-to-reading-for-class,
excited-to-beat-Matt-in-fantasy-football-this-weekend!,
looking-for-fall-knitting-projects (as if I need more projects...),
New Girl Blogger