October 2011
1 post
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My recent obsession
I never used to get manicures. I used to find it a complete waste of money— with very little playtime. I would get a manicure and was lucky if I didn’t smudge it on the way out the door, or chip it within the hour. Then a couple months ago a salon near me asked me a simple question, “gel or shellac?” I was confused— gel was the only option to get nails that lasted...
September 2011
6 posts
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Sad puppy times
As the last bag of puppy chow dwindles down and October sets in I’m constantly reminded that my sweet pup will no longer be a “pup” come Oct. 16. He will officially be an “adult.” But to look at him and think “adult” is virtually impossible. I mean, look at that sweet face:
That photo was taken a few days after I brought him home last December....
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Story of a girl with no landline
You probably know by now that 1 in 5 American households no longer have landlines (or is that never had them?). Well, I’m one of them. I rely on my cell phone for anything for Internet browsing, weather-checking, bill paying, texting, work calls sometimes during the week, and regular calls. And, despite one unfortunate incident last year when I left it in a friend’s car (and had to go...
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We're famous!
As we kick off the Fall WAKA Kickball season tonight, I’m happy to say that “Those Guys” are famous! Ok, maybe not “famous,” but we did get a call out in the North Raleigh News this week! With a Polar League Championship, an invitation to Las Vegas to play in the Founders Cup and a Regular Season Summer Championship under our belts, I’m super excited to kick off...
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Total geek humor
Quote of the day:
“I’m Catholic and we have a lot of guilt. I feel that same amount of guilt every time I apply for a patent.”
— Software Developer
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Smiles, tears and happiness all around
The past few weeks of my life have been absolutely crammed and busy. I’ve spent most of my early Fall’s the past two years dedicating time to volunteer as an advisor for NC State’s Epsilon Eta chapter to aid with recruitment and membership. This involves anything from being a mentor, a confidant, a friend, and a trusted “adult.” I put adult in quotations for several...
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August 2011
2 posts
2 tags
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Back after a long draught!!
I guess I should be embarrassed for how long I left my blog sitting idle in the blogosphere of blogs that found early deaths, but I really was just that busy.
And, I believe in resurrected blogs. So, for starters let me give you a quick update on what has been awesome these past couple months! (P.S. So sorry for the poor formatting.)
Shereen came to visit in April and it was truly awesome. Five...
June 2011
1 post
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Dear Forbes.com...don't forget NC State
UPDATE: Forbes has now corrected the article.
Dear Forbes.com, I recently read the Forbes.com list regarding the Top Cities for Business and Careers, and was happy to see that Raleigh-Durham topped the list. However, I was somewhat shocked to see that the writers considered Wake Forest University (located 1 1/2 hours away) to be an “elite university in the area.” As a...
May 2011
1 post
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A haircut gone wrong.
No- not my haircut. Poor Carter’s. As you all probably know, Carter usually sports his moppy ‘do around town. Depending on how much time he’s given me to brush and trim him, he may or may not be able to see. And running in the woods with my parent’s golden, well- it was always messy. So, in light of my upcoming trip and his upcoming vacation at my parent’s house, I...
April 2011
3 posts
5 tags
Ain't no party like an S Club party...
Be proud if you know where that’s from. If you’re a 90s child, then you definitely should. You might be wondering why I’m bringing up such a pop-tastic topic. WELL, this 90s kid found her S Club 7 cd in the back of her car this week. Yep, I’ve been jamming out to hits like this (skip to 1:08 if you want to bypass the acting):
It then occurred to me that the...
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My attempt at craftyness..
A few of you have asked me to do a post on some of the things I’ve done to decorate my new apartment. Truth be told, I haven’t done much. The ceilings in my apartment are huge! Like 20 feet, so it pretty much leaves out painting (since that would be a pain to undo), and anything I really put on the walls tends to get drowned out. As a result, I’ve concentrated on defining spaces-...
1 tag
Best. Day. Ever.
Has anyone noticed the awesome deals for online shopping today? Thank goodness my tax refund is already here because there are some pretty awesome one-day deals out there! Just thought I’d share of few of my favorites!
Carter is seriously going to love this. I especially love the bone tracker feature. I also got him this. Hopefully, it solves the problem of him tipping his water bowl.
I...
March 2011
7 posts
3 tags
75% Ready to Go!
They say looking forward to a trip is half the fun, but I honestly think planning for the trip is at least 25% of the fun! While I’ve been super busy with work, getting situated in my new digs, I’ve also been working to plan our 12 day trip across Italy and France in May. And, this weekend, we FINALLY booked the hostels where we will be staying. Now, don’t freak out. These...
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Tribute to a Great Educator.
Many hope that when they die, they will be remembered for something good. Some hope for a legacy. I found out today that long-time educator, and former principal at Leesville High School (my alma mater), died earlier this week from cancer. Mr. Murphy was a fantastic, caring person. He opened my high school in 1993 and continued in that role until 2004. While he achieved many things in his...
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Those Guys are the Winter 2011 WAKA Champs!
Undefeated season. Tournament champs. This picture: priceless.
Great job, Coach Cliff!
— Here’s a shot of our new coffee mug SWAG ;)
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Happy St. Patrick's Day!
May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life’s passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!
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This pretty much just made my month...
I got a Facebook message yesterday morning from my dear friend, Shereen. “I want to come visit! April??” Heck to the freaking YES! Can I tell you how much I love this girl? She was my best friend while living in Boston— and the best roommate a girl could ask for! I’m so glad that we have this friendship to this day! I cannot wait for April :)
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Packing, packing, packing
Somewhere between work, the Spring weather, and getting the most out of my time out of work I forgot to start packing for my move- in just 10 days! It’s crazy to think the day is finally here, as I have been anxiously awaiting a bigger space, closer to work for what seems like forever!
Nonetheless, I finally started packing this past weekend. And by packing, I mean cleaning out my closets,...
February 2011
11 posts
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Lesson in patience
May you clothe yourself each day in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and diligence to make things right.
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Puppy Love on Valentine's Day
Normally I’m not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day, but every once in awhile something special just “makes my day.” Today, it was getting a special treat from my dear cousins in Minnesota! Take a look!
That’s my sweet puppy, Carter, and my family dog, Molly. Loving on each other. They are best buds :)
Hope your day is amazing!!
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Happy Dance Time!
I know it’s only February, but can I tell you I am SUPER excited for the next three months of my life. Why?
March: I move into my new apartment & my Big sister from college is getting married!!
April: Jimmy Buffett!!!
May:…. GRAND FINALE! I’m going to to visit my cousin in Rome, Florence, and Paris!!! For nine whole days, my aunt, cousin and I will travel across these...
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Can we please just book Carrie Underwood for every...
If it’s not a horribly long, drawn out rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, then the lack of correct lyrics will get you every time (cough, Christina, cough). Can we please stop pretending that every singer can perform our beloved Anthem and accept the fact that only true talent can pull off this roller coaster of a melody?
Exhibit A:...
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Punxsutawney, what?
I dare you to say THAT groundhog’s name fast three times. :) However you say it, Phil (we’ll call him that for short), predicted Spring today! I know that is a far cry for a majority of the country today— like I said, it’s 70 degrees in Raleigh today— this bit of news should cheer you up! Here’s the pride and joy of Pennsylvania, himself.
Way to go, Phil....
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January 2011
15 posts
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Happy Birthday!!
My little brother (not so little anymore) turned 20 yesterday! Here he is circa 1994, and can I tell you not much has changed- he’s still a little devil ;)!
AND, today is my Mom’s birthday (and her twin sister’s)!
Susan and Sally, the birthday girls, are on the left (in order)! The third sister is my Aunt NC.
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We're behind you, keep fighting for State....
BIG GAME tomorrow! The Wolfpack take on the Tarheels at Carolina. While both teams are not what they’ve been in the past, it’s always a fun game with lots of school jabbing all around! Here’s to hoping UNC liked their joke newspapers this morning, which the NC State newspaper staff delivers in the wee hours of the morning— swapping out “The Daily Tar Heel” for...
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Help Those Guys stop kids' cancer!
In college I had an amazing opportunity to intern with an agency that worked with St. Baldrick’s, a non-profit cancer foundation that encourages adults and children alike to raise money to stop kids’ cancer by shaving their heads in solidarity with those children who have lost their hair from cancer treatments. Working to help grow this foundation was an amazing experience, and since...
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Welcome, baby Claire!
One of my best college friends gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last night in Hawaii. Coming in at 7 lbs 2 oz, baby Claire is the perfect addition to the family!
Still can’t believe that J is a mommy! I still remember our college days :)
Take a peek!
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Rainy Day Pickmeup
Driving to work today, in the rain, at least 10 people on the highway felt the need to slam their brakes for no reason. Yes, I was frustrated. And by about the fifth time I was yelling at my windshield. Not really the way I wanted to start my day….but, like my friend said, “It’s true, I’d rather drive to work on a snow day than a rainy day.” Why do crazy drivers...
6 tags
IBM's Watson to take on Jeopardy!
If you haven’t heard already, IBM recently built an analytical computing system that specializes in analyzing natural human language and provides specific answers to complex questions at rapid speeds- and it’s taking on two of Jeopardy!’s top contestants. Named Watson, after IBM’s founder, this computing system is NOT connected to the Internet and is capable of...
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Only 84 more days until....
JIMMY BUFFETT! I am SOO excited! A bunch of us have lawn tickets to Jimmy Buffet’s concert in Raleigh on April 19th! I’ve been a huge Buffett fan for years (thanks, Dad!), but this will be my first concert— well, other than the one I went to at age 2, that is. Does that make me an official Parrothead yet? I hope so! I still remember driving to Florida growing up, and as SOON as...
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Colbert makes a point, misses the mark
At the risk of being overly judged and labeled, I feel that SOMEONE needs to shed a student’s point of view on the Wake County School Board fiasco that was highlighted on last night’s Colbert Report.
Fun Facts:
- I am a product of the Wake County School System
- I went to two (almost three) middle schools in three years
- I was threatened with redistricting three times in high...
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Tailgate Chili Recipe
This past weekend I had a few friends over for a Chili dinner. I had two recipes, one turkey chili and my favorite— Tailgate Chili! It was absolutely delicious and a great time with friends. For those of you that want to make this chili at home- have no fear, here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
1 large onion (yellow)
2 lbs ground beef chuck
1 lb bulk italian sausage
1 package of...
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The dying art of the RSVP, thanks Facebook.
R.S.V.P. Four letters, but they mean so much. An abbreviation for the french term, “Respondez s’il vous plait,” these four letters have been around for decades- prompting party goers to politely let the host know if you will be in attendance. Weddings. Anniversaries. Fundraisers. Birthdays. Dinner Parties. Whatever the occasion, it’s clear that these letters not only...
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The BEST Pad Thai recipe
For those of you that know me- I only cook on occasion, and when I do- it’s usually something I’ve done before. But, not this time! Last night, one of my oldest friends came over and we made a DELICIOUS rendition of Pad Thai. Literally, it was to die for.
SO, I’ve decided to share. Bon appetit! (or should I say: kŏr hâi jà-rern aa-hăan, in Thai).
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp. ground...
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Flashback Fun
From time-to-time, whenever I visit my parent’s house I dig into old scrapbooks and photo albums. I find it fun to look back on old photos of friends, embarrassing middle school photos and just cute pictures of growing up. Recently, Raleigh has received lots of snow and ice, which means I go camp out at my parent’s. It’s cozy.
Again, I found myself browsing my scrapbook from my...
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December 2010
1 post
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A season of new beginnings
As some of you may know, the past three months of my life have been accompanied by a lot of change. Only fitting, I guess, since the seasons have changed from fall to winter. Most of the time when winter rolls around, I’m sad. Everything dies, and after the Christmas lights are taken down….well, it’s just cold. BUT, this season of change has actually brought new...
November 2010
2 posts
Happy Thanksgiving!
“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”- George F. Burns
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Catch and Hold.
As crazy as it may seem, I’ve taken a break from kickball this fall and moved onto bigger and better things, er- flag football. Our team is Those Guys, literally. Anyways, this team is built up with some amazing people who I’m lucky enough to call my friends. Friends who don’t judge, but rather laugh with you, which came in handy last night.
Scene: Fifteen seconds left on the...