Tis the season!

I am nearing the end of another crazy week!

The good news:
I am done interviewing :-)

I have 2 job offers to decide between, both with start dates in January :-) :-)


I bought my Halloween costume!
- For those of you who live in the city, it is near impossible to find an inexpensive costume store. DO NOT FRET. iParty graciously rented space on Boylston Street for the season! I bought black suspenders, artsy/dork glasses with clear lenses a black frame and jewels on the winged out ends of the frame, and a black bowtie! I am channeling Laney Boggs from She's All That- The Freddie Prince Jr. and Paul Walker old school movie :-) I am going to be an artsy-nerd by wearing my fab. glasses, my hair in a messy up do with pencils sticking out (paint brushes cost too much sry), a white t-shirt with paint stains tucked into a pair of my black shorts with the suspenders attached, the black bowtie around my neck, and a pair of black sparkly knee highs with some pair of shoes (undetermined because I want to be cute and have heels on but thats not very dorky... maybe my red heels because they are fun?)... To get my accessories all I spent was $15! In downtown Boston! Wonderful.

The bad news:
I consumed a billion calories in peanut butter, crasins, and chocolate chips last night. Once I started, I could not stop. I also consumed 1/3 of an Apple Tart my roommate made, along with a regular day of eating (which is alot for me anyway) AND I am totally skipping working out today. Too sluggish from all my eating last night :-P

I have two exams in my classes and I have been so distracted by real life I have not prepared properly (or at all).

Going out tonight: No excuses

So I am sure some of you think the oven ate me since I have not posted after my cooking attempt. Luckily, I am still some form of alive, but thank you for the concern :-)

I have been working and taking classes and getting interviews for potential new jobs in January.... Busy times call for wild weekends.

So as I sit at my desk, I muster the strength to think about... which heels will go best with my outfit tonight? Makes me sound like a ditz. Fact. However, I am just so mentally exhausted, that the extent of my thoughts can only be... about tonight. Any intelligent conversation will have to be postponed for another day. Maybe that's what a "dumb blonde" is... an overwork underappriciated 20 something student/employee who has nothing left to give.

Since tonight is my guy friend's birthday celebration (a group of them celebrated on his actual birthday, Tuesday night, but unfortunately some of us are not available to bar hop in the middle of the week) I want to make sure I have the energy to stay out late enough that people are not passing me on the street heading TO parties while I walk home FROM one.

Being fabulous when you feel unfabulous:

#1 Three coffees. Sounds crazy, but is true. So far I had one at 7:00 AM, one at 11:00 AM, and I will grab my third around 4:00 PM. By the time the coffee is wearing off, the party juice is kicking in and you cruise right through the night. NOTE: These coffees must all be different flavors for added variety and minor excitement (yes I love coffee that much that I get excited about trying a new flavor or rediscovering an oldie but goodie)

#2 Get dressed up. Even if you aren't going anywhere special, being primped and dressed up will help you fight the... I am going home and curling up in bed... vibe. I plan to wear a grey high waisted, thick black banded, mini with black non opaque tights and black ankle boots. The top being tucked into this skirt is debatable... probably black with some flashy necklace :-)

#3 Get ready with the girls. Music and all! and TAKE YOUR TIME. Getting to the party early before everyone has gotten started will kill all prior efforts to feel like being out.

Now you know where I will be... Ending this loong day (3.5 hours left until work is over)...finding my girls, turning on music, attempting beauty and staying caffinated.

Wow. A lot of effort, but totally worth it. I refuse to whimp out tonight. Have a good weekend everyone :-D

Fall Cooking Attempt #1

Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup

I am typing as I attempt this. So far I have peeled and de-seeded and cup the squash. It actually smells like pumpkin and is seeded the same too. I do not know if I used "4 cups" of it, but I only bought one butternut squash so I hope that is enough. Side note: butternut sqush is HARD. Cutting is difficult.

After I got the squash ready, I put it on a pan, drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled (way too much) powdered ginger, pepper, and salt. Then I cut up half an onion(shallots were expensive) and placed the pieces on the pan too. With the oven preheated at 375 degrees, it was finally time to put the pan in the oven to heat up and soften the squash.

Now my eyes are burning from the onion and my clothes are orange with squash juice, so I need to change before my meting at 3:15. I will be sturring the mix on the pan occasionally, and taking it off in 50 min. Just in time for me to leave for my meeting. So far my only mistake was putting the ginger and pepper on the pan... apparently that was supposed to happen later, but oh well I am not afraid on flavor!

(Two Hours Later...)

Ok so I got back from my meeting. During my meeting the squash was cooling down (only needs 10 minutes) but it was easier for me to just let it sit while I was out. When I got back I took one can of chicken broth and blended it with half the squash mixture... poured it into a pot, and then repeat. Onece everything was blended and in the pot all thats left to do is heat it up on the stove!! So exciting!

My very first oven meal just might be a success! Cooking makes me hungry so I have been eating chicken salad, almonds, and craisins all day. I will have to wait and try it after cycling so I'm not stuffed :-)

(Update) I tried it! It is delicous!! Maybe a little too much onion (actually definetly) At least I didn't burn down the apartment!

Fall Flavors

In an attempt to avoid work, I am planning out some recipes I want to try out. Because I am one of the worst cooks in the whole world... I will post about my experience making each of these so you can al get a good laugh out of my failure :-P

Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup
5 stars

Brown Sugar-Glazed Sweet Potato Wedges
4 stars

Caramelized Black Bean "Butter"
3 stars

Cranberry Walnut Tabouleh
5 stars

Spiced Apple-Pecan Oatmeal
Not Rated

YUMMY! Right? Oh... I love Fall. Just writing this post made me so hungry! I got up to go look around my apartment for a snack and had my coffee in my hand. I sat back down at my computer and ate my snack before I realized my coffee was missing. I searched all over my apartment... the tables, the floor, the microwave. Where did I find it? Sitting on the shelf inside my food pantry. Poor cup of Pumpkin Spice Coffee was lost for so long I had to reheat it! I am too young to be acting so old and spacey :-/

BIG NEWS

Thank you Kelly for reminding me to tell everyone!

My interview went great. I GOT THE JOB! The only problem is... the job is taking forever to finalize paperwork so I can get to work!(Update: I filled out the paperwork and start in 2 weeks! Woot woot!)

Until then, I have tons of school work so I will be plenty busy. I have been at the library forever and am bored to death. I am supposed to be updating my resume with my new job and reading about investment strategies.. but I can't focus any longer!

Grey's Anatomy has officially began... but for a season finale that ALMOST brought me to tears (and I never cry)... the premiere didn't make me quite so emotional. I guess it's been gone for too long, but all I could think when Izzie was crying over George was that the actress was crying because stupid ABC wont let her out of her contract! Awful. I know. Sorry.

Fall is officially here.... the best part? Pumpkin Spice Coffee! Yay!

Upcoming events in my life:
Hair Appointment (My hairdresser has been gone foreverrr so miserable!)
Minor oral surgery :-(
Many of my friends' birthdays!
Use my spa gift certificate one of my favorite people ever gave me for my birthday!
6 year anniversary of me and Mr. A
Start working?
Spend first paycheck!
Interviews for future jobs
Must get good grades in courses
Decide Christmas getaway location
Potential friend from home and Mr. A relocating to Boston!(still very up in the air)

FeuF! So glad I just vented. OK Back to work!

Birthday Bash

White Trash was an awesome theme for a great night! I wore a ripped up wife beater and styled it with the extra fabric and pins. I wore an animal print bra with straps showing, jean shorts and red heels too! My roommate drew a fake tramp stamp on me and everyone else got fake heart tattoos with my name in them and an arrow going through the heart :-) To top it off I wore a shell choker and I didn't own any long belly button rings (because I find them trashy) so in honor of the theme I put a long earring in my piercing instead (sounds gross... looked normal, well trashy normal).

Mr. A made me Shepard's Pie which was VERY good and not too hard to make. He was the Exective Chef and I was his assistant (AKA all I did was open the cans of peas and corn and STILL managed to do that wrong because I cut myself). This was actualy my first Shepard's Pie so for all those who were in the dark like I was all you need is:
Beef, Peas, Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Corn topped with spices (Paparika is ideal but all we had was pepper). Pop in the oven at 325 degrees for 20 min and DONE! For the kitchen handicapped like myself use instant mashed potatoes 5 minutes in the microwave and they look and taste like the real deal!

Between my lovely roommates who suprised me downtown with a table at a very adorable restaurant by the Boston Common, my parents who came into the city to take me to The Hard Rock Cafe, and Mr. A's Pie I am now obese. This is not an issue since it loks like New England has officially said goodbye to warmth after today. Hurray for hibernation!

For all Bostonians: Boston Commons is the hotspot for the Adam Sandler flick "ZooKeeper" and the Ben Affleck/Blake Lively film "The Town". Casualy walk/jog by and celeb stalk :-)

Another addiction

Dear Oats & Chocolate Fiber One Bars,

Please leave me alone.

Your chocolatey goodness is delicious and nutrious... but only when used sparingly. Everytime I buy a box, you are gone in a couple days. I can't stop myself.

Your new ads along the T are tourture. After seeing them everywhere, I have to go home and have one! Please stop stalking me!

Your label should say...
Beware: Too delicious to try.

Sincerely,

Your Biggest (figuratively and soon to be literally) Fan