A Week in My Life: Week 21

I've decided to move these posts up to Fridays instead of posting them on Saturday. Here's what the past week looked like:

Luis and I actually spent quite a lot of time at various beaches this week. The weather has been perfect, and we're taking advantage of my time off before I start working full-time. On a side note, Life of Pi is amaaaazing.

 

I got pretty sunburned... 

Downtown Kenosha is such a photogenic city! I love this...

 

I love old signs like this. On another note, I really want to go see a production at this theater!

Does anyone else's cat sleep on their back like this? Is this normal? Poor thing, her fur hasn't completely grown back in after her surgery.

We had one really rainy day this week, so I whipped up some (gluten-free) French toast! Yummm.

I don't know why but this Jimmy John's delivery guy really made us laugh. Not only was he speeding like crazy, but it was funny to see the sandwiches chilling in the little basket as he zoomed by. Freaky fast... 

I made some crazy-good pasta this week. It was the perfect balance of warmth and nuttiness (I love that word).

Tonight starts most of the graduation celebrations for Carthage College! So I'm heading to their New Alumni Convocation and Promenade dinner tonight. I can't believe it's done. Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

An Education.

Today is day 23 of the Blog Every Day in May challenge: things you've learned that school won't teach you.

1. Don't construct your self-worth on those around you. I used to be the most insecure person you would ever meet. It got better in the later years of high school, but didn't really taper off until college. It was at its worst in middle school; they were rough years for me. I didn't know who I was, so I defaulted my identity to match everyone else's. I was so unhappy, and one unkind word could shatter me. But over time, I learned who I was and who I wasn't. In part, getting to know yourself requires an absence of fear, at least it did for me. Fear paralyzes any action that is required of you in a situation. I had to get rid of the source of fear and when I did that, I was free to stand up and start building myself.

2. How to be fiscally responsible. Yeah, yeah, there's that one week in school where they teach you how to balance a check book, but it doesn't go beyond that much. But nothing kicks your butt into shape like paying for college yourself... (I did that for two years).

3. Don't be afraid to say no... and don't be afraid to say yes! There's not much explaining necessary for this one. Know yourself and be aware of each opportunity or choice. If you feel like it's wrong for you, then it probably is...(and vice versa).

4. Do not wait until the timing is perfect, to have all your ducks in a row, or the right amount of money in the bank....that time will never come.

5. Don't project your fears and failures onto other people. The week before my wedding, I had someone approach me about my future marriage. "Are you sure you want to be doing this? You're so young..." First of all, how dare you? Second, this goes back to points 1 and 4. People spend all of their lives mulling over their mistakes and regrets, and instead of moving on or resolving those issues, they project them on to the choices that other people make. They are making a huge mistake because a) that person is not them, and b) it's incredibly rude and insensitive. Needless to say, whatever relationship I might have had with that person ended that day.

6. Don't take shortcuts. Someone I admire very much used to tell me that there are no shortcuts to any place worth going... and he was right.

I would really love to hear about some of the life lessons that you've learned along the way!

P.S. Have you liked me on Facebook yet? 

Sundried Tomato Penne Pasta

So... I kind of love pasta. It's the perfect meal: uncomplicated, delicious, and goes with pretty much everything. It was the first "real" meal I ever made for my hubby, and is therefore my first love in the world of food.

Before I moved out, I had absolutely no interest in cooking, learning to cook, or doing anything remotely close to that. Growing up, my mom tried to teach me what she could, but as she'd turn her back to stir the pot, I'd run off and hide.

One day, it just hit me. I was hungry and I wanted food. How's that for a basic impulse? So I went to our pantry and started experimenting with pasta. I ended up with my own version of farfalle alla vodka (sans vodka... I used cooking wine as it was all we had around). It blew my mind. I loved what I had made and wanted to make more. Ever since then, I have grown to love creating new dishes and making food.

In addition, pasta pairs favorably with my other love: cheese; the more the merrier, I find. What more is there to say? Pasta is amazing!

Sundried Tomato Penne Pasta
Adapted from epicurious
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/4 cup toasted almonds
A handful of parsley, roughly chopped
15-20 pieces of sundried tomato halves
3 tbs of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb penne pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Toast the almonds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, around 5 minutes. Add parsley, almonds, tomatoes, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until smooth. You can add more oil if it's not blending together as you like. Add salt and pepper to the pesto mixture as you prefer.

Cook the pasta, drain, and toss with the pesto. Add as much cheese as you'd like! Bon appétit.

Journey Into the Archives

Today's challenge is a list of links to your favorite posts in your archives. Let's go!

My Five Day Gluten-Free Meal Plan- This post alone has about 500 pageviews and has been repinned a lot on Pinterest. But it's also my favorite because it shows how easy it is to make the transition to eating gluten-free.

DIY Facial Toner- I am a huge sucker for DIY beauty products because they contain far less chemicals (if any at all) and are inexpensive. This is my most popular post to date, with 1570 page views.

Gilded Cat Canvas Painting- I really enjoy making my own artwork to decorate our apartment. I was inspired by a pattern I saw online and decided to spin it my way and paint it on a canvas.

DIY Project: Pinterest Terrarium - This was my first "real" blog post (after creating the About Me page) and it's one of my favorites because it ignited a new hobby. I hate so much fun creating this simple DIY that I now try to have as many plants, herbs, and greenery in my apartment as I can.

Up-Inspired Bridal Shower - Last year my best friend, Alyssa, and I threw a completely DIY'ed bridal shower for our best friend, Kelsey. Warning: this is not for the faint of heart. DIY'ing a complete event like this is very time consuming! But we enjoyed it and it turned out really well. We themed our shower after the Pixar movie "UP" because it's one of Kelsey's favorite movies.

Happy reading!

Some Catch-Up and a Dose of Real Talk

As Monday rolls to a close, I am hoping that yours was relaxing and beautiful! Before I jump into the meat of this post, I have some blog-housekeeping updates that I wanted to be sure that I pointed out! Not only did I clean up the blog itself, I revamped my About Me page. I've always been dissatisfied with it, but felt stuck as to how to change it up. Then I happened upon an article that answered a lot of my questions and, well, the rest is history. I've added new social media icons for your convenience. I know some readers don't have blogs and it may be easier to follow on Twitter or Facebook.

I've been following along with the Blog Every Day in May challenge over on Story of My Life. I missed yesterday's challenge, which was to list and describe five of your favorite blogs. Over the weekend I created a page where you can see the blogs I read, which can be found here. I don't know about you, but I love finding new blogs and I especially like seeing who my favorite bloggers read. So let's keep that love going!

This is my "anxious" expression. I start twisting a piece of hair around my fingers and adopt a "pensive" demeanor.

Today's challenge is to get real and talk about something that you are struggling with. To be honest, there's quite a few things I have had to confront and deal with these days. I struggle with saying no to chocolate. I struggle with waking up before 9 a.m. And I can never walk away from a Sex in the City marathon...

But let's be real. I'm graduating in a week and I am so excited and relieved to be finished with that part of my life. But two days after graduation, I immediately dive into an industry that I know very little about: the financial industry. I am so blessed to have found a full-time, salaried job straight out of college, but it's an unknown for me; I am no longer anchored in the harbor of "college life."

I got married a year and a half ago, so I have already grown accustomed to living as an independent adult, but this new opportunity has me a little weak in the knees. What if I fail? What if the corporate work-place isn't for me? What if... what if... what if...?

Last night, my hubby could tell that I was not quite myself. I expressed my fears and doubts in much more length than I have here and he listened patiently. He reminded me of the blessing that is this job and told me that even if by some unforeseen chance it doesn't work out, that I am not going to be a failure. He acknowledged my reasons for being anxious, because the unknown, newness, and change are always unsettling. "I have faith in you" he said to me, "and I will always love you." 

While my anxiety is still present, it's another comfort to have a companion who understands and just pulls you into a loving hug (as he did after our talk). I'm thankful he's by my side. I would be a mess if I had to go it alone. All I can do is continue to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward; take one moment, one day at a time, instead of being so caught up with anxiety that suddenly it's upon you. It's easier that way.

A Week in My Life: Week 20

Here's what the past week looked like:

A week or so ago Luis and I went to Scoops Ice Cream with my brother, Andrew, and his girlfriend, Bailey, when we saw this sign. It made me really happy.

Daffodils have the ability to completely brighten my mood. 

One of my spring cleaning objectives was to donate all of the clothes that I haven't worn within the past year. I got rid of three bags!

I made some corn tortillas earlier this week. I really dislike the ones that are sold in the grocery stores. They are pretty cardboard-y in their texture. I realized that you can make them without a tortilla press- you just need a really thick, heavy book and plastic wrap.

This is a really weird statement, but there's something about fresh fish that makes me happy...

Ever since the weather improved, Luis and I have been walking everywhere we can. I got really sunburned the other day!

This here is one of my favorite meals to date. It's Pecan Crusted Chicken over a salad with homemade honey dijon dressing. I found the recipe in a magazine but if it sounds good, someone copied it to this message board. Trust me, it's incredible.

Another amazing dish are these Thai Style Green Beans. I always struggle with cooking beans because they are naturally bland, but these changed my mind about green beans.

 

Walking in downtown Kenosha. Signs like these make me happy... and also hungry.

Sorry for the blurriness of this picture. I had to whip out my telephoto lens and that can be shaky if you aren't using a tripod. Male cardinals are gorgeous; this little guy was making my cats freak out. It was pretty amusing.

 

Where the sidewalk ends. 

The prairie swamps and wetlands of Northeastern Illinois. 

During one of our walks, I encountered two snakes on the path. I hate hate hate snakes. They terrify me and I just can't be near them. Lucky for me, he offered to remove them from the path. I didn't realize he was going to just pick them up. I was cringing the whole time...

Have a lovely weekend!

Have Shoes Will Travel?

Day 18 - Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.

We all have moments in our childhood where our instincts take over and any sense of reason we have at the age of six completely abandons us. At least I did. This is one of those stories. 

I was in first grade and had become a bit of a tomboy.  My close friend, at the time, was a girl named Jackie. She was so cool. She always had the coolest clothes and newest school supplies (haha). I, on the other hand, was sometimes lacking in the cool department and I realized it when she showed up to school in with the newest set of Air Jordan's on her feet. I was shoe-struck. She walked in and sat down at her desk with pride because everyone was staring at her shoes. 

My eyes glazed over as I stared, my heart pounding louder in my chest. “How awesome were those Jordan's?” I couldn’t get over it. The sleek black material was arranged to make the perfect shoe. The style looked so official, like the wearer was part of something infamous; like they were one with the phenomenon that was Michael Jordan, the hero of the 90's. I had to get myself a pair! 

In a moment of envy, I looked down at my own shoes- they were cheap white tennis shoes with Nala and Simba from the Lion King emblazoned on the sides. Oh, they were also from Payless. I slowly slid my feet farther under my chair in hopes that no one would see them.

As the day wore on, I was able to convince Jackie to switch shoes with me. I must have been able to turn a phrase or two, because she eventually gave up her precious Jordan's for my Lion King sneakers. The day ended and as I rode home on the bus, kids turned around in their seats to take a look at my "new" shoes. I felt so cool and so proud. 

When I got home, it was another story. My mom was on the phone, red faced and anxious. The minute she saw me walk through the door, she shot over to me and told the person on the other end, "she's here and yes, she's wearing the shoes." Apparently, Jackie's mother called the Superintendent of our elementary school district because she thought I was trying to steal her daughter's shoes. Jackie must have failed to mention that we were planning on getting our rightful shoes back to each other the next day.

My mom explained the "brevity" of the situation and that under no circumstances should I ever switch clothes with another kid at school. I nodded my head, embarrassment started to creep in. After calling Jackie's mom, we agreed to wear the shoes back to school so that we could switch them back during morning recess. 

The next morning, I donned the Jordan's and hopped on the bus. This time, my fellow student's stares seemed accusatory and I was no longer proud of my actions. I felt like everyone knew, so I hung my head. When I got to school, I immediately found Jackie, who explained her mother's anger about the switched shoes too. Her Jordan's were clearly more expensive than my Payless Shoe Source sneakers, and her mother had gotten worried and called the school. We were both embarrassed that we had betrayed out mother's trust and given away something special that they had bought for us. I apologized for having caused her any trouble, and we made the switch. 

Jackie handed me back my white Lion King sneakers and I gave up her glistening, black Air Jordan's. Even though my shoes didn't seem as cool to me, my feet slipped right back into the grooves inside the soles, and I knew I was right where I belonged. All was back the way it should be...