Horrible Date Story

I usually don't have any link ups on Tuesday but when I saw the theme for the Link Up that Amber is hosting, I couldn't resist sharing my horrible date story (and I'm looking forward to reading all of the other ones that get posted too).



So, I was 22 and in grad school, and had met this guy once online before. We had met up in Dupont Circle in DC for a couple of drinks. His name was Art. Everything went well--I wasn't smitten but I had had a good time, so when he invited me to a kickball party for our second date, I agreed.
Signs along the way that should have concerned me:(Maybe the first sign should have been that his name was Art)
One, when I met up with him he told me that he was not on a kickball team, so in order to get into this party we had to say that we were two other people and that we worked for the Department of Justice (hello, I was in grad school for speech therapy...SO not even close enough to my profession to fake it). I thought it was weird, but I went along with it. We ended up having a good time while we were there so, no biggie...right?

Two, nowhere in the date was eating food involved. It was simply a date based around drinking which I did not realize when I agreed to go--but I kept sane and only had a few drinks throughout the night (I was after all, on a second date with a guy I didn't know that well, and had to commute via metro back home). 
After a while at the kickball party, we somehow found out that there was a mansion party elsewhere, so we cabbed that way and there was a HUGE party going on at one of the mansions in DC. How many people did we know? Um, as I recall it was zero (I can't even tell you how he found out about this party). But, here, there was more drinking. 
Three, we eventually make our way outside for one reason or another, and we are sitting on the front steps of this place and Art reaches over and tries to make out with me. I politely kissed him quickly and turned away. Apparently that was the sign to him that gave him permission to put his hand up my skirt. Um, NO SIR! So I slapped his hand away and told him no and that not only did I NOT want to do that, I certainly did not want to do that on the front steps of a house where I didn't know the owner, out in public with people walking by!
Well (and this whole next part is four)...Art got angry. Like Dr. Jekkyl and Mister Hyde angry. He started flipping out and telling me that I could just go home then and that he was going to leave me. What???? So he starts to walk off, I'm standing there with my jaw on the floor, thinking "Did this guy really just leave me in the middle of DC????" So I go to the corner and ask a police officer which direction is the fastest way to the metro. All of a sudden Art is back by my side (I guess the sight of me talking to the cop scared him?) so I ignore him and walk away in the direction the cop tells me.  Art follows. And repeatedly during the 5 block walk to the metro grabs my hand, stops me in my tracks and pulls me back towards him to kiss him.
I declined over and over. He was a drunk mess and I wanted to get home. We finally get to the metro and lucky for me his train was on the opposite side of my train so I sent him on his way and counted my lucky stars that that was over and nothing terribly horrible had happened (as I write this I can imagine worse outcomes). 
You think it's over? Oh, it's not. Who do I get a phone call from the next day? Art. Who leaves me a message, acting as if nothing had ever happened (didn't even mention it) and asks me when I would want to go out again!!!! Art! How about never, cowboy. NE-VER!
I think I actually wrote him on the dating website and said that his behavior was out of control and I did not trust him to act appropriately in the future so I did not want to go out with him again. He responded with something like "I'm really sorry. I never get like that. It's never happened before and I promise it won't happen again. I really like you. Please give me another chance." My butt it's the first time that's happened. And it probably wouldn't be the last. And I wasn't sticking around to find out.
Heinous date that one was....*shudders*  I took a break from online dating for a while after that. Luckily not EVERY dude on those sites is a creepball. Thank goodness for people like MG who are happy, caring, sane and sound individuals. Phew!!
So, what's YOUR bad date story??

Things to Look Forward To...

Happy Monday, peeps! Hope you had nice, restful weekends. And, if they weren't rest-filled, I hope you at least had exciting stuff going on!

This weekend was a ton of fun--I went home for a bit to see my dad on Saturday for his birthday (during which I felt as though I got the 3rd degree about my relationship with MG, and how I am giving him--MG--no reason to need or want to marry me since we "basically live together", according to my dad. 'Gee, thanks, Dad...good to see you, too...') After the 3rd degree the rest of the visit was nice. That afternoon MG's friend was celebrating his 30th birthday with some day drinking at a local bar. We started around 3:30, hung out and played various games, ate some delish food (they had some killer mac and cheese) and ended up getting home around 11 that night. Surprisingly, I did not feel like utter and complete hell the next day (which may or may not have had to do with the late night pizza stop we made as a group....can you tell that I was the picture of healthy eating this weekend??? haha).

And, yesterday, MG and I finally settled on plans for Spring Break.
We are going to......*drumroll*....

JAMAICA, mon!

5 nights in mid 80 degree weather, with soft sandy beaches and endless food and adult beverages? Um....yes please!

Luckily we were able to find a great deal on this vacation (flight, hotel, food and drink for 5 nights for $1,000) and are now looking into doing an excursion or two while we are there. Top on the list is zip-lining and maybe doing a boat/catamaran trip! Suuuuper excited that we finally have it all nailed down and BOOKED!

So, even though this week is the first full week with kids that we've had for a while at work, I am keeping my eye on what's to come on the horizon. Some things to look forward to:

-p!nky gets back from Cancun today! (Wooohooo for my gchat buddy returning!!)

--dinner with my parents (hopefully this weekend, baring any complications)

--Valentine's Day with MG...not sure what we're doing yet, but a trip up to Big Bear is being tossed around

--President's Day in February for a little 3 day weekend action where I think we will be going to PA to visit MG's family

--My birthday on March 11th (mark it in your calendars!) :)

--Spring Break trip followed by another week off afterwards

And then....it's April! When it's laid out like this, everything seems a lot closer and "real"...and whenever I'm stressing out about something, I'm gonna pull up this post and read through that list.

So, I'm off to start my work day--I hope you guys have fabulous starts to the week!!

Book and Movie review

It's FINALLY Friday!!! Can I get a big woot woot?!?!

I'm exhausted and I'm not sure why--maybe it was the insanely long feeling week, the nasty rainy/dark/stormy weather outside, or some other factor I can't put my finger on, but I am brain dead this morning.

So, I'm coming at you today with two reviews: one for a book, and one for a movie. Are you ready?

Earlier this week, I finished another book on my lovely Kindle (man, I love that thing!): The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

I had seen a movie poster featuring Zac Effron on Pinterest earlier in the month (maybe it was December), looked into it, and decided to add the book to my "To Read" list when I got some feedback about the book being really good. Plus, I wanted to read the book before the movie came out.

It's about a guy named Logan who discovers a photograph of a girl while he is fighting in the war. After the picture appears to be some kind of a lucky charm for him, when he returns from the war, he goes in search of the girl in the photo. Upon finding her, he tries to discover his purpose for being in her life, all in the midst of falling in love.

The book itself was an easy read, and a typical romantical book with love-against-odds and a bad guy. It was an easy, light read. Nothing really earth shattering about the book, but I'm looking forward to seeing it in movie form. I'd recommend it for easy reading and if you're looking for a romantic, fate-filled kind of love story.

The movie that I'm reviewing is 50/50:

When I first saw the previews for this movie, I thought "Oh here we go with another dumb guy movie filled with nudity, farting and other bodily functions"....but it's not that. Not at all.

Once I heard the reviews about the movie, I was a little more intrigued and when it came out this past week, MG and I rented it at Redbox. I'm really glad that we did. It was actually a really great movie.

It features a guy who finds out that he has cancer and a 50/50 chance to live. As depressing as it sounds (and, in reality, is), the movie does a really good job of making you laugh and find humorous moments during a pretty scary time. Along the way it touches on how relationships can/are affected during tragic things like this.

I 100% recommend this movie. It's serious, but not so serious that you leave depressed. It keeps things light enough, but you still feel the gravity of the situation. I would definitely watch this movie again, and I give it two thumbs up for taking on such a heavy topic and doing it so well.

Have you read any good books lately or seen any good movies? Have anything on the agenda for the weekend?

It's OK....

It's Thursday (really? ONLY Thursday???) and I am in need of some venting....so what better way to do it than to link up for It's OK, Thursday with Amber?





It's OK....
....that I'm guest posting today for P!nky @ p!nkpers!stance, while she is away with her beau in Cancun (lucky!!!)...Go check out my post on The Five Love Languages!!
...to be a teeeeensy bit bummed that since p!nky is in Cancun, I've lost a gchat buddy during the days until she gets back...
...to want to tell the boyfriend about the Five Love Languages, but  have the irrational fear that he is going to think I'm a weirdo (well, more of a weirdo than he already knows that I am anyway, hehe)...
....to get really excited about the spring break cruise I posted about yesterday with MG, to get approval from his boss for his time off from the new job, find flights, etc, and just before we're about to book everything, he realizes that he has a bachelor party the weekend we would leave. So, the cruise idea is scrapped and I'm feeling like a bit of a brat about it...but, that's ok....right?....
....to have your supervisor all of a sudden decide something that changes how you, and everyone else in your profession all across the country, do things and make decisions based off of, and now have NO idea how you're supposed to make professional decisions. What they say all the time: "You're the expert"....the hidden meaning behind this decision:"We might tell you that you're the expert, buuuuut that doesn't really matter"
....to wish that money really DID grow on trees...or that Pinterest had some kind of a paid profession attached to it...or that I could craft a money tree from an idea I found off of Pinterest. Any of those ideas would work for me...
....to not be able to help yourself but to stare at some people on the metro and wonder how they are functioning individuals in society....
....to have been lent two books from different people to read once I finish my Kindle library rental, but to be a little less than excited to read them only because they're real books and aren't on my Kindle  #firstworldproblems....
....to have called Verizon to find out about the multi-room DVR package for the SOLE purpose of being able to watch my DVR'd shows in my room (if necessary), so as not to have to worry about run-ins with my annoying roommate in the living room (especially when she has her sister or friends come for the whole weekend without telling me, and they take over the entire apartment)...
....to find out that the package costs an extra $6/mth and signed up immediately! :)
.....to feel a nice sense of release after bitching/complaining venting in this post.
....to hope that I didn't scare off people with my vent session!
....to love my followers, and the people I communicate with on a regular basis from here!

WILW and Oh How Pinteresting!

It's Wednesday, and to me,it feels like it should at LEAST be Thursday. For some reason this week is moving at a snail's pace! But, what better time to take part in two of my favorite link-ups of the week?

I'm linking up with Jamie at this kind of love for WILW:

I'm loving that MG and I are making some serious strides towards making plans for spring break. One of which includes a 7 day cruise around the Caribbean, stopping at Turks, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Um....yes please! (Fingers crossed his new boss is ok with it!)

I'm loving that I finally got a book for my Kindle from the library. I had put some books on hold BEFORE I even got my Kindle and just this week the first one became available. I'm reading The Girl Who Played With Fire...hopefully I can finish it within the 3 week period!

I'm loving that I just had a convo with another coworker and hearing that someone else feels the same way at work that I do was nice....misery loves company right? JK, it's just nice to know that Im not the only one who sees the problems going on here.

I'm loving that MG had a good second day of training for his new job and seems really pumped about the new position. The first day he was a little  underwhelmed and rethinking his decision, but yesterday was more of what he anticipated, so I'm happy that he's found a good spot for himself. Even if it meant that he got home later, and we didn't eat dinner til almost 8...(the sacrifices you make for love...lol)

I'm loving that I got a multi-room DVR and upgraded mine and my roommate's boxes to HD boxes with Verizon yesterday, and got a free upgrade to the "extreme" tv channel package. Total cost? $6 more a month. Not having to wait for roommate to stop taking over the living room to watch my shows on DVR? Priceless....

And as always I'm loving me some Pinterest! So I'm linking up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple for Oh How Pinteresting!

This week I've been pinning....

I am in love with that necklace and that bag! I'd totally wear this...

A re-do of an IKEA dresser...love this!

Spinach and feta stuffed chicken....yummy!!

I dunno about you, but I could certainly use a nap too...:)

No such thing as a dumb question? yeah.....

What have YOU been pinning? Link up and show me!!
Have a happy hump day! Go get your hump on!! :)

Mug Shot?

I was stumbling around online today and came across this little gem:

Kasey Kahl, notorious bad singer on Bachelorette, resident creepy dude, and idiot boyfriend of  heinousVienna during Bachelor Pad (I didnt know if they were even still together until I did a little research and found out that these two are fame whoring themselves out some more on VH1's new show "Relationship Rehab" and are not together...as of this second maybe)

Someone got a little too drunky drunk this weekend in Fresno at a club and got himself arrested. And, this is his mug shot. Apparently no charges actually stuck, but this just makes me laugh.

I wonder if he sang his cell mates a tune while he was in the clank! teehee

Random Ramblings

Hey, lovahhhhhs! It's a gloomy/dreary Tuesday here in the Nation's Capitol, and all I keep thinking is "Where is the sunshine??" I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's gonna decide to wake up at some point today and shine down!

In the meantime, I had some random-ness going through my head and I thought I would share:

First up, Kristin Cavalarri is preggo?? Ok, before I even get into that, I saw this picture on Yahoo when I saw the story, and I almost didnt recognizer her:

{via yahoo.com}

So, I dunno about you all, but I thought she was splitsville from Jay Cutler, but apparently they were still doing the late night booty romp. Maybe Kristin will grow out of the "mean girl" thing and parenting could be good for her? Maybe?.....

Secondly, Heidi Klum and Seal broke up? Say WHAT??? I dunno about you all, but I did NOT see this one coming and was kinda shocked when the news broke about it yesterday. I dont know if you all have seen the clip of Seal talking about it on Ellen, but it was actually reeeeally heart felt. He's still wearing the ring because he feels connected to Heidi, and said in the interview that she is still the best woman he knows. I'm upset that they are separating, but I'm at least glad that they are being adults about it, and trying to do it with as much dignity as the media will allow.

Third, as much as I want to be informed about the political situation in the US, I can't freaking stand hearing about it 24/7. I can't believe it's going to be almost another year of this nonsense. 

Fourth, it's looking like MG is no longer going on his business trip out of town. He was reeeeally bummed about it last night since he has put a lot of effort into this project, and he was finally going to see the fruits of his labor pan out. This is the second time a work trip out of the country has been cancelled for him since we've been dating, both of which got cancelled within a week of when he was supposed to be leaving. Even though a part of me is happy that he won't be gone for 2 whole weeks, the other, non-selfish part of me, was really bummed for him. It's hard to work super hard on something, and expect to see it through, and then have that taken away. If the trip does happen, it won't be until after he starts his new position/job and he won't be able to go or be a part of it. I just tried to be supportive...

Dang, there was something else I wanted to write, but my mind totally shut down. Must mean it's time to get coffee....

One of those moments....*cheesy alert*

Have you ever been watching a movie, you hear the soundtrack, and you think "if life had a soundtrack, it would make certain moments THAT much better..."

The other night, after getting back home for the night, MG pulled up his iTunes account and played three songs, all of which have romantic sounds to them (altho the lyrics weren't necessarily lovey dovey)....

...but it felt like magic....


It was one of those moments that makes your tummy do flips.

Then he said "I love you" right when I did....

I'm sitting at work listening to the Bon Iver and Snow Patrol stations on Pandora. It's the perfect music for my day, and totally giving me flashbacks and warm feelings from that night.

Definitely gonna hang onto that when MG is gone for 2 weeks. And, any other time I need that happy feeling.

Cloud Nine.

Sometimes one special moment can get you through anything...


"....sometimes the most ordinary things {can} be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people" -The Lucky One (Nicholas Sparks)

Weekend Review

Happy Monday, pretties (and handsomes, if there are any dudes reading)! I hope you're having a good start to the week.
Today is my professional development day at work which means I have lots of time to get work done (and blog)!
So I thought I'd give you a little recap of my weekend:

 this pic made me laugh (and it's in PINK, p!nky)
hehe

Friday night I went to dinner with Miss p!nky for our second ever BLATE, and it was so awesome! I had been telling her about this delish sushi place near where we both live, so we hit that up and had some yummies for dinner along with a glass of vino! P!nky and I talk daily via gchat, but it was fun to be out, hanging out, and continuing to talk about all of the stuff we talk about online! All in all, great fun and I can't wait til we get our men together for a double-blate haha

After dinner I met up with MG and some friends, one of whom is going away for training for a few months, so it was kind of a "last hoorah" type of thing. We had a good time at the bar, and next thing we knew, we looked outside and it was SNOWING. Like, sticking to the ground snowing. And then we were all like "no wonder the bar cleared out"....(observant ones we are)...
So, after finishing our drinks we headed into a cab, which proceeded to fishtail and do a 180 within about 1 minute of getting in. Luckily, we made it home in one piece!

Saturday we ended up not having dinner with my parents--they didn't want us to drive if everything was supposed to freeze up again that night. The roads near us were ok, but we didn't know what they were like between us and my parents, so we all thought it better to put it off til another, safer, time. Super bummed, but MG said he would try and see if he could do it before he leaves for work out of the country (next week), which was nice. I know he knows this is important to me, so it was nice that he's trying. Stupid weather!

Sunday we watched the football games with a few friends at Hard Times Cafe--MG and I didn't really care who won what game since both of our teams suck aren't in the playoffs. It was fun to hang out with friends, tho, and eat yummy wings! Mmmmm....

And today I'm at work, despite it being nasty weather outside, and having the government open at 11am. Did DC Public Schools, where the government actually IS, shut down? Nope! So, guess who got to come to work on time today? And, boy, could I tell the govt was opening late since there was no one on the metro this morning! No one! Luckily today is relatively easy, and I think I'll be going home to an empty apartment (I think roommate has class tonight)...thank goodness!

And, in closing, I'll leave you with 3 things I learned over the past few days:

1) UGG's are heavy and really hard to walk in when you're trying to walk fast (aka, how I walk every day when I'm commuting). Altho super comfy and toasty, seriously, they are heavy (at least the knit ones I have). I still love them, I can now just claim them as ankle weights and add this to my commute "workout" :)

2) When you try not to spend money, and make a conscious effort not to, you spend more than you would otherwise. At least, that's the way that the law of spending seems to play out for me. And, I still have nothing fun to show for it all. Yay new windshield wipers, and expensive @$$ birth control prescription (went from $21 for 3 months worth to $70....ouch). My credit card was sweating this weekend with its workout on "essentials"

3) It's nice when boys do things like scrape the snow/ice off your car, or fill up your gas tank so you dont have to get out of the car when it's cold out. And when they make you breakfast? Even better! And, it's important to thank them so that they know you appreciate it...it's the little things, right?  (I already knew this one, but reminded myself of the importance this weekend when MG did all of these things)

Ok, after a long post, that hopefully wasn't too boring, I'm back to doing real work! Boo!!
Hope you have a good Monday!

Movies movies movies...

Happy Friday, bloggie buddies!

Do you have fun plans for the weekend? Are you thinking of seeing any movies at the theater, on DVD or on-demand?

I've recently seen two movies, and I thought I'd do a little review for you of three movies I've seen recently....Ready??

#1 (at the theater): A couple of weeks ago, MG said he wanted to see Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (which I loving referred to as 'that movie about Tinker Toys'). I may or may not have bargained that I'd see it with him if he saw The Vow with me in February. He agreed (there may have been a sigh, or rolling of the eyes in there, but I chose to ignore that), so off we went.

So, let me preface this by saying that I never read this book (I didn't even know it was a book, actually), and according to some of the other people in the theater at the end of the movie, it would have been helpful.

I was totally bored throughout the majority of this movie. There were a TON of long pauses, and people sitting and starring at each other with nothing really happening. The last 20-30 minutes started to pick up, but other than that, I was having a hard time not getting wiggly and antsy in my seat. MG, who wanted to see the movie, leaned over and told me he thought he had fallen asleep for a few minutes. Once it was over, he turned to me and said "Yeah, you earned The Vow on this one"...

It was just too slow. If you wanna watch this, I suggest renting it at home--don't spent $12 to see it in the theater. At least at home you can take a nap in a comfy chair :)

#2 (at the theater): Warhorse: MG and I both had wanted to see this and I think we went the week it came out (or maybe the week after). I love a good heartfelt story, especially about animals (also note, during the preview they showed a documentary coming out called Chimpanzee....I die. So cute looking). So, overall the movie was good. A little slow, and spent more time in the beginning building up to the actual story (by the end I understood why, but this definitely contributed to the slow feeling at the beginning). The whole movie was about 2 1/2 hours. All in all, it was pretty good, a heart-warming feeling. MG and I both agreed, it would have been a better movie to wait and watch at home. But, we didn't feel like it was a waste (like we did with Tinker Tailor)

#3 (redbox rental): Ides of March. I honestly didn't know what this was about (and frankly didn't care, since Mr Gosling was in it, that's all I needed to know). The movie was pretty good, had a good pace, and some twists and turns that kept me intrigued. And....some nice eye candy (*wink wink*). It's about political stuff, which isn't typically my thing, but I found this one interesting. I'd recommend it!

So there you have it. My take on a few movies, that you may or may not have already seen. If you've seen these movies, what did you think? Do you agree with my thoughts on them?

I hope you guys have awesome weekends filled with fun and relaxation! I'll be out with my girl p!nky tonight and having dinner with my parents and MG Saturday. Recaps to come next week!

It's OK Thursday....

It's Thursday, which is one day closer to Friday and the weeeeeeekend!!! I also like Thursday cuz I can link up with Amber at Brunch with Amber for It's OK Thursday!




It's OK....
....that I wanted to claim the yummy Pretzel Chicken (with mustard cheese sauce) as my own when I made it at MG's place last night. But, I didn't. It was REALLY yummy, and pretty darn easy to make! I really liked the pretzels as the "breading"...it added something different than the traditional breaded chicken does. This was our end result:

The breading was great, and the sauce was really yummy! Would totally make this again!

Here is the recipe, in case you want to make it, too. RECIPE!

....that it has taken this long for MG and I to have dinner with my parents. If you recall, or have followed for a bit, the last time we had this dinner scheduled, back in October, my dad had his heart attack the week before, and has been on the recovery road since. But, since he is feeling better and more strong, we are attempting a dinner out, so that they can finally meet for more than a few minutes! I'm looking forward to it :)
....that I'm excited that today is the last day this week with kids. We have parent conferences tomorrow, so this week has only been kid-packed for 3 days, and I LIKE IT! :)
....that it's taken us a bit to make a plan that sticks for our second BLATE, but Miss P!nky and I have a sushi/wine date planned for tomorrow night and I can't wait! Wooohoo!
....that I think brain freeze is entirely possible from the OUTSIDE....it was SO freaking cold on my walk to work from the metro this morning that my head started to hurt, almost like a brain freeze. Call me crazy (and you might be right), but I think it's possible. Future Nobel Prize winner for this revelation??? :)
...that I skipped working out yesterday to do laundry and catch up on DVR. BAD, Jenn, BAD! I know. But, in all fairness, roommate wasn't home, I desperately needed to get laundry done, and it was calling to me. But, I will do it tonight if it kills me, I promise! 
....that MG doesn't like to watch The Bachelor, but the other day when we turned it over to that before he went to hop in the shower, it happened to be Ben's date where they went skiing in San Francisco...in bikinis. All of a sudden, MG didn't have a problem watching the show and wasn't in a rush to shower anymore! I wonder WHY! lol Totally made me laugh, silly boys...
....that I feel like I'm breaking out like a high schooler....I'm on new BC pills this month, and maybe thats why, but this week, particularly today, I felt like I fit the bill for "pizza face" quite strongly this morning. Ugh! Zits, zits, go away....I'm closer to thirty than I am twenty for cripe's sake!
....that I really enjoy blogging, and all of the cool people I've met and talked to by doing this. You guys are awesome, and I 100% mean that :)
What are YOU finding "ok" today? Go link up!!

WILW and Oh How Pinteresting

It's Wednesday, and it doesn't feel like it's already the middle of the week which is a TOTALLY awesome thing! :)

So, as per usual, I'm linking up with some of my fav link ups of the week: WILW with Jamie and Krystina and Oh How Pinteresting with Michelle!

 

I'm loving that it is already super close to the weekend, and that Friday here is parent conferences (read: no kids), and that Monday is professional development day (read: no kids), so all in all, not too shabby!

I'm loving the sweater I am wearing today, that I got shopping this weekend at Macys with MG. 

Guess how much??

It was only $9.99...and it is SOOOO super soft and comfy. I feel like I'm all wrapped up in a blanket, which is a nice feeling when I would love to be in bed wrapped in a blanket instead of at work! WIN!

I'm loving that this is my roommate's idea of "fashion":

Can we say, "cruella devil"??

I came home to this 'beauty' one evening after work, laying on the sofa, among all of the wrappings from roommate's birthday gifts (this was not one of the gifts, I don't think....) I believe the best response from my friends thus far was "What the what?!?!?!? Did a cat die in your house?"--P!nky!

Teehee

I'm loving  that I am finally trying out this recipe tonight that I posted on one of my Pinterest posts, that my blog buddy Meg over at Deviled Megs tried out and said was fab:

{here's where to find the recipe}

And, as always I'm LOVING me some Pinterest, so I'm linking up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple for Oh How Pinteresting!

This week I've been pinning:

love love love this outfit, and have worn something similar quite often this winter

Roasted Mediterranean Chicken With Lemon Parmesan Pasta
I dunno about you, but my mouth is watering as we speak...

I want to do a headboard like this for my place!

And, some simple cuteness

teehee

Seriously...it is always a battle!

What have YOU been pinning lately?

Recipe, Review, and Award!

Happy Tuesday, peeps!! It's my first day of the week (thank you, MLK for being awesome), and I've already started the day in a parent meeting...and the day will be ending the same way. Boo! Oh well, nothing like jumping back into the week, full force, right?

Anyway, I'm bringing to you today a Book Review, a recipe and talking about a blog award I recently received! First up, the book review!

This weekend I finished the book Blood Red Road by Moira Young:

It took me a while to get into the book and I think my main two issues with it were that it is written how the girl speaks, which is not in correct grammar (ex: She will say things like "ezzacly" for exactly, and "an" for 'and') which threw me off a bit when I first started reading. The other thing that made it hard for me to get into the book was that there were no quotation marks for when someone was talking, so many times I would be reading and not realize that someone was talking, or WHO was talking and would have to re-read.

These things aside, once the story picked up, it was pretty good and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. Her twin brother gets taken by strangers and she vows to go and find him and get him back. Along the journey she encounters some crazy things and has to fight through in order to reach her twin. That's putting it lightly. But, it's a good book filled with some interesting characters, about a land much different than our own. I would recommend reading it! (Thanks Trish for the recommendation!)

Now, for the recipe piece of this post. I made the Penne a la Betsy that I posted from my Pinterest loves last week from the Pioneer Woman:

{link to website with recipe here}

It was QUITE tasty, just as promised on the site! Mine did not have the basil because MG thought that he had basil at home, which he ended up not having, so maybe this would have been even more flavorful. My recommendation? Let it sit for a few minutes (maybe 10) after you are done cooking to let the sauce thicken up and the flavors come together a bit more. We ate ours right away, but when MG had seconds (after it had sat for a little bit) he said that it was even better.

I highly recommend this recipe! And, I think throwing in something like some really soft broccoli would be really good too, and add a bit of healthy stuff to the recipe as well!

And, finally, my award that the lovely Miss P!nky @ p!nkpers!stance gave to me yesterday! The Kreativ Blogger Award!

Woot! How awesome??

Here are the rules for the award:

1} Link back to the person who gave you this award.

2}Complete the form.

3}Award 5 blogs and let them know in a comment or email.

4} Share 7 random thoughts about yourself.

The form:

1} Name your Favorite Song: I dunno if I can choose just one, but I do enjoy me some "Say Hey" by Michael Franti...it always makes me happy and bouncy

2} Name your favorite dessert: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. YUMMMM!

3} What ticks you off? People who are rude, self-centered, dont care or think about anyone else

4} When I'm upset: I need someone to talk to. Sometimes I need my alone time but I always need someone to talk to whether it be my mom or my friends, or the boyfriend.

5} What's your favorite pet? Obvi, it's Coop-monster, my little fluff ball of a pup

6} Black or White? Depends what it's for....

7 }Biggest Fear: drowning or ending up alone (or ending up alone while drowning haha)

Seven random thoughts/things about me:

1} I can't swim but I am obsessed with dolphins. OB-sessed!!!

2} My longest relationship ever was 6 years (acckkk!!)

3} My favorite number is 3 (I thought it appropriate to write that in the 3rd slot, hehe, I am a nerd)

4} I am a reality tv JUNKIE....like, I seriously might have a problem!

5} I had 5 wisdom teeth...yes you read that right, 5. That must be why I'm SUPER smart, right?:)

6} I used to insist on being called Jenny when I was little, and now I can't stand it when people call me that--it makes me feel like a little kid. The only people allowed to call me that are my grandma and my parent's 90+ year old neighbor.

7} Part of me wishes that I had joined a sorority in college--it's so hard to find good female friends, especially after college, and I think it would be a nice connection to have in the post-college world. I don't have a ton of really close friends, but the ones who I do are awesome and I love them to pieces. It would just be nice to have that bond, I think, so that's one thing I regret not doing.

The blogs I would like to pass the Kreativ Blogger award to are:

                                              1} Casey @ Poodleism

2} Trish @ Tales From Trish

3} Amber @ Brunch with Amber

4} Shari @ The Daily Dish

5} Jenn @ Perfectly Imperfect

After that marathon post, I'm out! Hope you guys have an awesome day!