cookie time!

 

kitchy photo booth pic from the theater

i spent the day with a very special little lady. i picked her up after church and we got mcdonald's, then went to see justin bieber's movie, never say never, in 3D. [oh boy.] after that we went back to my house and made valentine's cookies. we split the batch and she's going to give her's to her teachers. i'm bringing mine to my guy friends between classes tomorrow.

chai time

i'm so in love with chai tea right now. warm and spicy and sweet. <3 a fall favorite.

source

tomorrow will be a busy day, but hopefully most of the things on my to-do list will be fun things and not obligations. 

gooda wake up at 6 for school. goodnight. <3 luv you.

Chopstick Practice

Today was the first time I used chopsticks in public.

A few days ago, I mentioned that I had learned how to use chopsticks. Since that day, I've been using them to eat scrambled eggs every morning, and at night I practice by repeatedly picking up and dropping a piece of gum. (Hey, it works!) But today was the first time I really put it to the test. I went out to a Viet Namese restaurant with a friend of mine, and I ate the ENTIRE MEAL without a fork! Chopsticks only! GO ME! :D hehehe

Broccoli, peas, carrots, onions, tofu, calliflower, with spices and lemongrass. Mmmm.. <3

I'm so proud of myself.. ^ ^ And it's totally cool how I would several mention people I know, and it turns out my friend knew them too! Small world, for real. And I'm totally excited to find out that my friend listens to Korean pop music too. We were talking about different groups and music videos and all that- finally, I have someone to share my dorky obsession with!  XD

Peace Day

I'll be honest. My Peace Day wasn't very peaceful. It was busy busy busy.

In drawing class, my instructor noticed the extra effort that I put into my drawing. He was walking by and did a double-take. It was awesome. ;) lol

Then when I got home from school, I went jogging, picked up some pine cones for my room and took a shower. Then I had a late lunch and took a quick nap.

Then it was off to Kohl's. My dad gave me a giftcard and I wanted to use it. I ended up cheating a little on my "no spending money" vow. I had tried to not buy any clothes or frivolous things for a whole month, but I saw these Elle Must Have Camis, and went nuts. See, a year or so ago, I found one of these camis randomly on a rack. I looked to see where it came from but I could only find the one. It was so perfect and so comfy. Great for wearing under everything. I even looked online a few months later to see if I could find more, but I couldn't find them. I told myself that if I ever found these for sale anywhere, I would get one in every color. Well.. I found them. And I wasn't about to pass them up.
I got a grey one, black one, and teal. My giftcard only covered one, so I broke my vow to myself by buying the other two. But honestly, these camis are like heaven. Worth it.

I made some pumpkin muffins for my mom, since Cupcake Wars is her favorite show. She always likes to have cupcakes or muffins on Tuesdays. Apperently, the show wasn't on this week though. Hmm.

My day was pretty non-stop. I had been planning on meditating, taking a hot bath, and writing in my diary. Since it was Peace Day, I wanted to do peaceful things. And I went to the grocery store to buy Annie's Peace Pasta. But they don't sell it anymore!!!! *bursts into tears* T_T

Ooooh well. I got chopsticks and noodles instead. ;) One thing I did manage to do for Peace Day was to clean and vacuum my room. I wanted to make a peaceful space, since my room was a disaster before. I wish I could have done more, but a clean room is good. Can't complain. <3

A Goal Reached

My whole life, I've wanted to learn how to use chopsticks. This wonder has only grown in the recent months since I've discovered my inner love for all things Korean.

I went to the store yesterday and bought some chopsticks.
I also bought Ramen noodles.
And today I Googled, "How to use chopsticks."

In less than five minutes, I was "choppin' it up" like a pro.
Ok, no, not really like a pro.. *whines* It's haaaard!

 source

But mark my words, I will master these little utensils. *motivated* BAM! hahaha. ;)

It also makes me wonder; how many things are like this in life? How many things do we want to do, but just don't? Even thought a lot of times, it's not even hard to do? How many experiences do we miss out on, just because we never "get around to it?" Let's make a real effort to do these things. It feels so good to finally just do it and get that curiosity off my mind. Kind of peaceful sense of accomplishment. <3

September Ramblings

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have an hour and a half long break between my classes. I've been spending that time sitting alone in the grass, either knitting, studying Korean, or doodling in my sketchbook. Probably my favorite time of the day. I'm a total introvert, like that.

 I have to admit, I cheated today. I bought something I didn't need. Candles. Up until just a few days ago, I was still clinging to summertime. But now I've accepted that it's fall and my beloved 90some degree heat is gone. It's cold. I love the beauties of fall, but I hate the cold. So I bought some candles to help get me into the autumn spirit. But in my defence, I really wanted to $14 pumpkin clove candle from Target. But I got the $2.47 votive 6-pack from Hob Lob. Godda save up my money for Korea! <3

 Just randomly, I wanted to share my favorite snack. Annie's Bunnie Graham Friends. They're cute, delicious, and they make a positive statement about racial equality. Kind of like Kashi's Good Friends Cereal.. *ahem* .. :]

A little thanks again to Jaymie, one of my Dear Darlings Penpals, for this awesome little owl necklace. Seriously. Love it. Mmm! Check out her blog! She has some really beautiful illustrations. (I'll be writing back to all of you soon.)

And just in case you need a reminder:

via We Heart It

I was planning on making a really awesome little fall decoration for my room today, but I ran out of time.. :-/ Maybe tomorrow?! Look forward to that. ;)

first day of school - fall 2010

Today I treated myself to a Frappe from McDonald's. I don't usually drink coffee because I'm afraid of getting hooked, but today I thought it was necessary. And delicious. I haven't gotten much sleep the past few days, and my only class today was an 8:30-12 drawing class. On the way to school I listened to some of the music that I loved in high school, and fell in love with these songs and groups all over again. Alkaline Trio, The Weakerthans, The Shins, The Decemberists. Love them. Takes me way back.

this picture is from last night. i spent my last day of summer working 9-5 (yes, on labor day) then i saw my oldest friend. (in years known, not age) we got subway and picniced in the park. he knows me better than anyone in the world. love this guy. and after the sun went down, i went to see my newest friend. we watched a movie called "the good, the bad, the weird" about korean cowboys. lol of course, i loved it. :-P

This is why today was great:

1. I found a great parking spot without having to hunt for it 
2. got to school early enough to drink my Frappe and eat my egg n' cheese biscuit
3. drawing teacher seems like he's a pretty cool guy
4. he has a Russian accent. I think that's neat.
5. this class in on the 2nd floor, rather than the 4th like my past drawing classes. Less stairs!
6. got out of class at 10 instead of 12. Didn't have to draw on the first day.
7. great old-school tunes in the car
8. saw a butterfly
9. knees are healed and I can jog again (I hurt my knees a couple weeks ago from not prepping before jogging)
10. saw my new friend today and watched a funny movie
11. Got a letter in the mail from my Dear Darling Penpan, Jaymie. She gave me a CUTE little owl necklace! I can't wait to wear it tomorrow! :)

And now I need to get some rest. These allergies are driving me nuts! XD How was your day today?

cupcake time!

wednesday, i decided to make cupcakes. not for any.. special occasion.. or anything.. :-P

i had never made anything from scratch before- i've always used boxed mixes. but i felt like trying something new. i used a recipe from martha stewart for her yellow butter cupcakes. 

they turned out a little dry, but not too terrible. not bad for my first attempt i think. :)

somewhere, over the weekend

so over the weekend i babysat my neice and nephew and took them to target. my niece got a peasant top and jean shorts, and my nephew got an iron man toy. and i got this adorable stuffed owl. i think it resembles my cat.

we also got ice cream.

and i started working on this painting. i have an appointment with mutual of omaha today to do an interview for their "aha moments" campaign. they asked me to bring a prop of some kind that represented my aha moment, and i couldnt think of anything, so i decided to make one. it's not done yet. in fact, i better go finish it right now! time is' a wastin'!

i'll post more on this later! ;)

good news and bad news

ok ill start with the bad news:

• having my wisdom teeth taken out was just as aweful as i was expecting.
• my cheeks are swolen up super huge, so i cant talk
• the lady at the dentist office made me take off my lucky bracelet that my buddhist monk friend gave me 5 months ago (havent taken it off since i got it)
• i cant eat anything
• my macbook (aka my-precious-baby-that-means-more-to-me-than-anything)  is broken and i have to wait a week to get it back *screams*
• the house that my parents and i are looking to move into has a huge mold problem in the basement

but you  know what, im an optimist. bad news doesnt get me down. for real. here's the good news:

• the worst of my wisdom teeth pain in over
• my cheek swelling will go down in the next couple days, and its a good excuse to take some time off work
• my lucky bracelet wasnt too tight, so i could slip it off instead of cut it off (its the embroidery floss kind) and the first thing i did when i regained conciousness was put it back on
• in a couple days, ill be able to eat whatever i want
• my dad took my mac in and he agreed to pay $50 to have them save everything on the hard drive (which was nice because my dad's a bit of a penny pincher) 
• other than the mold, the house we are looking at is awesome and i really hope we get it!!

cant wait to eat food again! mmm..

i love my computer too much to ever rest a mug on it..

here's hoping for a bigger backyard and a walk in closet!

(all found via weheartit.com)

let's talk more about this house. right now i live in a tiny house with my parents. tiny tiny. they let me have the biggest bedroom, since they know i have tons of craft supplies and need room to store it and work on it. its still not enough space, though. this house that we are looking at is just about perfect. theres some damage, like holes in walls and broken doors, and or course the mold, but its nothing my family hasnt takled before. my dad buys rundown homes and fixes them up to rent, kind of as a side job. so this should be a piece of cake. its much much bigger, and it has a huge yard. its in a quiet neighborhood, across from a park, and only 5 minutes farther away from my work. lets cross out fingers that the bank accepts our offer!

i havent done anything crafty in a while.. i hate that. i think theres some drawing and sewing in my near future.

not eating meat, and loving it

my whole life, ive had a real soft spot for animals. like really. understatement.
so it was always hard for me to understand why in our culture, eating cute fuzzy cats, or dogs, or cockatoos is unacceptable, but eating cute fuzzy cows, or piggies, or chickens is acceptable? and expected? never got that. i remember being in 1st or 2nd grade, in the cafeteria at school, and saying, "you know, i reeeally love animals, but i just dont think i could live without pepperoni or salami."

in 7th grade, i decided to live without pepperoni and salami. and without hot dogs, or burgers, or steak. (ive actually never had steak) for a few years, i kept eating chicken and turkey, only because, well, living in the country in the state of ohio, theres not much else to eat besides salad and grilled cheese. but two years ago, i cut that out too. animals are my friends, and i didnt want to be responsible for any pain or suffering brought upon them.

heres some good news:

now i dont have to live without it anymore.

enter: morningstar farms

morningstar farms sells meat. except its not meat, its veggies. but it looks, and smells, and tastes like meat. my cat even liked it. ive tried most of the products morning star farms sells. i litterally eat them every day. i love meat. i love it. i missed it. and now i dont have to. morningstar farms makes everything from bacon, to burgers, to buffalo wings. and they are AMAZING! i cant sing their praises enough. and ill be honest, the texture isnt spot-on; its a tad more crumbly. but the flavor is perfect, for just about everything ive tried. (the hot dogs arent my favorite, but the corn dogs are mind-blowing)

i think my favorite is the buffalo wings. and the grilled chicken. and the sausage links. if you have ever wanted to cut back on meat, for the animals sake, your healths sake, or the planet's sake, try morningstar farms. here are a few recipes from their site:

and just so you know, im not, like, stuck up about this subject. i only  have 1 other veg friend, and 1 veg acquaintance. i dont tell people what to eat, i dont lecture them. (you catch more flies with honey) i dont even get upset when people (who dont know im veg) talk bad about vegetarians. im just sayin, dont hate.

i write this post for the sole purpose of testifying that: MORNINGSTAR FARMS IS GREAT!

...wow..

i had the thought to make cupcakes today, so i went to marthastewart.com for a little inspiration. an i got A LOT of inspiration.. my goodness..

my name is angie. and i like to party.

this is my idea of a good time- putting sprinkles on my french toast.