Halloween 2013: Decorations!

Love that pumpkin! And I'm making more jars like the one pictured!
Bought at Marshall's.

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Perhaps it's the spookiness, perhaps it is the dressing up, maybe the candy... I'm not sure, but there's just something about Halloween that makes it my favorite holiday! Decorating for Halloween is always an event in my house: we make a playlist, dig around for the boxes in the shed, and then go a little crazy with the decorations. 

Since this is my first year in my new place, I do not have the amount of decorations that I'm used to, but I am doing all that I am able to give my house a little bit of spooky flair!

For example, what seems like your ordinary (although purple) Magic 8 Ball is actually...

A monster Magic 8 Ball! Muahahaha!

It's the little things in life. 

More Halloween to come! 

What is your favorite part of Halloween?

xoxo

Quote of the Week 10/7/2013

"Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle."

 -Jon Acuff

Life gets rough sometimes, but you have to teach yourself to keep your head up and to tough it out. You cannot compare yourselves to others; we are often our own worst enemy and comparing an idea you have of someone else's life is not going to make your life any better. 

Do not look at the lives of others to figure out how to make yours better.

Look only to yourself.

Then you will find what it is you are searching for, and it is your job to find a way to make it happen.

xoxo

Recipe: Basic French Toast

Basic French Toast Recipe
Ingredients:

5 or 6 thick slices bread

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

dash of salt

syrup

Directions:

1. Mix together eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt.

2. Lightly grease a skillet and put over medium heat.

3. Dunk each side of bread in the mixture, making sure to soak both sides. Place in the pan and cook on both sides. Serve warm with (maple) syrup.

Adapted from allrecipes.com.

Enjoy! Happy Saturday!

xoxo

Friday Five: Autumn Movies I Love

Friday Five: Autumn Movies

ONE | PRACTICAL MAGIC

A good movie for Halloween. Or Autumn in general. It has a wonderful cast and an interesting storyline, about sibling witches (and there's even some feminism dashed in for good measure) who are very bonded to each other. It's not just a story about witches, but also about family and love. 

TWO | DEAD POETS SOCIETY

This movie is excellent. It takes place in a prep school in the middle of Autumn of 1959... And I just have to say: it has poetry and Autumn? No wonder I love it.

THREE | PRIDE & PREJUDICE

Not exactly an "Autumn" movie, but I just love love love this movie, especially when it's rainy outside and I want to curl up in a large knit blanket and drink hot cocoa. 

FOUR | 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU

It takes place in a school... so that makes it Autumnal, yeah? Another one of my absolute favorites. And the darling Heath Ledger (RIP) is in it, so...

FIVE | HOCUS POCUS

The quintessential Halloween movie, in my opinion. It has pretty much all you need!

What are your favorite Fall movies?

xoxo

Book Review: The Carrie Diaries

Goodreads

Synopsis: Most people (in the U.S., at least) have heard of Sex and the City... And so, Carrie Bradshaw. This book tells Carrie's story before she moved to New York City to become THE Carrie Bradshaw. The book starts in Carrie's senior year in a small Connecticut town: Carrie and her friends are inseparable, at least, until Sebastian Kydd moves to town. He's older, a bad-boy, and intrigues Carrie right from the start. Their relationship is great, the one she has always wanted - but then a friend's betrayal has her questioning everything. Amid all of this, high school is coming to a close and it is time for Carrie to go after everything that she has always dreamt of.

My review: I was really young when Sex and the City first came out, so I haven't seen more than a few episodes, but when I knew that The Carrie Diaries was coming to the CW, I bought this book. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. It wasn't my favorite, but it was certainly a cute and even realistic coming-of-age story. I can see this matching the story of many young girls (as far as what happens to her in her high school). The internship in New York was a bit far-fetched to me, but perhaps that is because I live in California and nobody I knew received an internship in San Francisco until college. But as far as her friends, school, boyfriend issues, etc. goes, the book felt very real. It was a light read and it was open-ended; I want to read the sequel soon because I want to learn how Carrie develops into a young woman in NYC.

My rating: 3/5

xoxo 



Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf

Not the best picture, but it was delicious! New photo coming soon! (:

We had turkey meatloaf and green bean casserole for dinner the other night. It was like a mini-Thanksgiving in here! Delicious!

Ingredients: 

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup dry bread crumbs

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 1/2 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 5x9" loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together beaten eggs, bread crumbs, milk, salt, pepper, and ground turkey. Feel free to add an extra dash of bread crumbs if the mix is too runny. 
3. Place in loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. While that is cooking, mix together 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 tbsp brown sugar. 
5. Remove meat loaf, remove white fat that has been baked out, cover in ketchup & brown sugar mix. 
6. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. 
7. Enjoy!

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

xoxo

First Day(s) of Classes

Last week, my classes began! We only have ten short weeks to learn all that we need to, so I have been reading like mad and trying my best to stay focused. There is a lot of coffee in me at almost all hours of the day.

I have found that success in my classes also has to do with something else: how I present myself. I am a firm believer in dressing for success. When I wear yoga pants and a sweatshirt, all I want to do in class is snooze. And with professors who call on me (supposedly at random) often, I cannot afford to snooze in class. So I will dress for class, even jeans will do, and down some coffee.

And study until I can keep my eyes open no longer.

 

What do you do for success in class?

 

xoxo