kid vs. city.

MOVED

2011-02-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

I have moved my blog to:

KITTEN ROAR

please check it out and follow me there :)

Back to the grind.

2011-01-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, have I been busy. Kind of. I guess. I've worked a couple of days and have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. It's nice to be back to work and making money and all that, but at the same time, I sometimes wish I could just sit around and watch TV and nap and read.

One of the good things about this break has been that I was able to get back into the habit of reading. I finished two books and started a third. Currently I'm reading This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. I'm already half way through and I've really been enjoying it, but then again, I'm a big fan of dysfunctional family stories.

I actually don't have much of anything to share at the moment. Chicago is hurting after their loss to the Packers, and today is my first day of the new semester! It's really been a very long vacation and it is bittersweet to return to the daily grind of classes. I'm excited for my classes, but not excited to have to go out in the cold and have homework again. Ha!

Hope you all have a not-so-manic Monday!

You know you're a Harry Potter nerd when..

2011-01-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

I still laugh every time I see the Snape one walking around my little Mii Plaza. Hilarious. He's pretty spot on, don't you think?

This morning I had an ultrasound on my neck after some suspicious little lumps popped up. I was up half of the night worrying about them. I do have a history with thyroid cancer, so when things like this happen it makes me nervous. Luckily, though, everything came back looking pretty normal and there was nothing that the radiologists were concerned about. In celebration, I bought a new cookie sheet at Crate & Barrel (even though I could really buy the whole store..) and came home to eat some Milk & Cookies Ben and Jerry's. It's delicious.

Just water is fine.

2011-01-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

The above device has become my new best friend. Chris bought us a water filter about a month ago to keep a large stock of cold, clean water at all time. In spirit of my list of things to do/learn/try this year, and with some inspiration from Chris Gutierrez, I have decided to go a month with drinking nothing other than water. No juice, no soda, no milk. Just straight up H20. This has already been challenging and I just started yesterday. Chris and I are big soda drinkers, and almost every meal is accompanied with a glass of soda. I'm determined though, as I said in my list that I was going to try and set monthly/weekly challenges for myself.

Also, I have been using Wii Fit a bunch since we got our new TV. I cannot wait until the weather warms up and I can start riding my bike again. I know the snow and cold doesn't deter a lot of the city's bikers from racing through the streets, but I'm a wuss, so I will wait until it's warm.

Tomorrow is a busy day for me. After a doctor's appointment, I will be buying my text books (which always makes me freakishly excited), going pants shopping, and getting my ears pierced! I haven't had my ears pierced in about three or four years and lately I've been missing them.

How do you guys challenge yourself?

Sick Day.

2011-01-15T09:04:00.001-08:00

I did a rare thing today by calling off sick. I really try not to call in sick very often because I hate the awkward "I feel sick" chat with my managers, and I just don't like feeling like I am leaving my co-workers hanging. This morning I woke up though and my stomach hurt so bad that I really couldn't fathom it.

I also have what I believe to be an infected tattoo. As far as I'm concerned there are two options: it's infected due to me wearing pants so close to my tattoo and not letting it breathe, or I'm overreacting. I have never had a tattoo of this size before I don't know how they are supposed to be healing or anything. Either way, I went in and got an antibiotic to be safe.

Chris and I have been really excited about life lately. We have been doing really well as far as money goes, and last night we were able to buy a brand new television from Best Buy. It is amazing.

Soon, I am going to be getting back into my letter writing. I got a letter from my friend Janny yesterday and it reignited the excitement I get to get letters in the mail and send pretty things to other people. If you want to be a penpal of mine, e-mail me your address at courtkaz{at}gmail.com !

Time to go rest up and work on feeling better

Fixed.

2011-01-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up early to take my little buddy Oliver in to get neutered.

I'm going to be honest. I'm the first person to complain about Oli when he's being annoying. Like when he plops down on my lap when I'm trying to do something. Or when he uses extra stealthy claw maneuvers to snatch food off my plate. Or when he jumps up on the table and knocks things over. Or when he walks around meowing for no reason and there seems to be no way to satisfy him. OR when he pees in the closet dangerously close to my clothes.

But when I saw that sweet little face poking out of the cat carrier, I couldn't help but feel sad and nervous for him. He's only been outside of our apartment one time in the last seven months, and that was when he was living at his birth place. Then I had to put him in a crate that's almost too small for him, take him outside in the cold with a bunch of loud noises that are strange to him, and then leave him with more strangers. My poor little buddy. It also didn't help that the front desk help at the place was incredibly rude, but I'm not going to waste time writing about that.

In other news, our TV is dead. Dead, done, kaput, however you want to put it. In the midst of a rigorous {ha} exercise on Wii Fit the other night, our TV emitted a POP! and the screen went black. We have tried and tried to revive it with no such luck. Things never stay nice for very long as far as our apartment is concerned.

Also, thanks to Groupon, Chris is now a zipcar member. This will be extremely helpful when we get money and need to go pick up a television soon. If you live in a city that is on Groupon, take advantage, seriously. The bakery I work at put out an awesome $16 for $32 worth of stuff deal, and I recently purchased tickets for the Brew & View here. Two tickets for the triple feature + 2 medium popcorns for only FOUR bucks. Now that is how you live frugal, my friends.

Time to go pick up my little buddy. Adios!

Gotta go to work, gotta go to work, gotta get a job.

2011-01-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

What a busy weekend I have had. Saturday was my first day back to work at the bakery. It was good to be back. I love working there and I really enjoy being able to interact with so many people and so many talented people in an industry that I used to be not so familiar with. Right after work, Chris and I went to a concert at our favorite venue, Lincoln Hall.

We saw The Graduate...

And the main reason we went to the show was for Empires. This was my third time seeing them and they never disappoint. They are local to Chicago, and it's always great to go and see them.

Needless to say, after working for 8 hours and then standing for another three hours at a concert, I was incredibly exhausted at work on Sunday. Originally, I had told Chris that once I got home I was going to stay home and do nothing but eat food and watch 30 Rock on Netflix. Instead, we went to Target and bought Wii Fit.

It's so fun! When I first heard about it a while ago, I was one of the one's who was like "that's so lame! Why not go out and go for a run? Why not just buy a hula hoop?" I understand the hype now because I ended up playing for two and a half hours. Hula hooping, yoga, kung fu, balancing in a bubble. Everything. At least now I can exercise inside instead of braving the treacherous cold of winter.

Today is my day off and so far I have been enjoying it. We had a staff meeting, and then I met up with my roommate Gabby for a little bit and now we are back at home and I am watching Netflix and trying to get warm. I'm glad I have the opportunity for Lazy Mondays.

How was your weekend?

Inked.

2011-01-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

Well, remember when I made this post about wanting the black cat tattoo?

I went ahead and got it!

I love it very much! It's my third tattoo, and it took the longest to do (2 hours!). It's a Tim Burton illustration of the cat in the short film Vincent. I enjoy the short film, but honestly, I just like cats and Tim Burton. It also is fitting, I suppose, because black cats are a symbol of bad luck and I seem to have the worst of it. I was really scared that it would turn into a giant black blob, but the artist was really careful to leave some space where the line work was and to add a lot of gray highlights and stuff. I'm very happy with it. I was thinking of getting it a lot smaller, but I'm glad I went with the bigger one.

What tattoos do you have?

This is where you belong.

2011-01-05T12:14:00.001-08:00

Wii like having fun.

2011-01-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

It arrived! Our shiny new Nintendo Wii. Chris' dad and step-mom were awesome and sent us one after we enjoyed playing it so much at their house in Tennessee. Within minutes we had it set up, and the only impatient part of it was going through updating the system so we could use the internet on it, and charging the controllers. We played all of the sports games that came with it, and we are most excited that there is a little Netflix "app" so now we can watch Netflix on a full sized television screen rather than my little 13" macbook screen. A huge thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Bell!!

As I was doing my morning routine of blog rounds, I noticed a few things, a lot of you plan your posts ahead of time. Like, write them all up, and then save the draft and post them when the time is right. Am I the only one that doesn't do this? I actually had plans to start pre-writing posts, as I thought it would make me more organized and my posts more interesting. But I never got into it...hmm...

I have tattoo fever again, which is never a good thing, especially when i still have left over Christmas money and a cat that needs to get neutered ASAP. I've always wanted a Tim Burton illustration on my body, since I love his sketchy and somewhat macabre illustrations of creepy beings that you can't help but love. So far in the running for a future tattoo design is:

This awesome cat! I know this totally puts me into "crazy cat lady" territory, but it looks divine. I love the smooth gray interior of it with the liney black outline. And that skinny tail! I would love it. I also found a tattoo artist who could do it for $45 (and trust me, he's good). I might just have to dream about it for now though. And save my tips from work!! My only concern is that the gray wouldn't turn out properly (I know it won't look exact, but at least somewhat like it...) but it might be worth a shot.

Speaking of Tim Burton, I'm in the midst of watching Alice in Wonderland, finally. It's one of my favorite Disney movies and Tim Burton's interpretation of it is fantastic. It drives me nuts when remakes like this are always complained about because it's not "exactly like the original." Of course it's not, it's creative freedom ;)

What is your favorite Tim Burton film?

Slacking off.

2011-01-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a slacker, please forgive me. It's four days into the New Year, and so far, I am feeling pretty great about it. Every day we have tried something new, learned something new, and gone somewhere new. It's been fun. Chris and I actually laughed the other day when I said, "wow, it is possible to go outside and have fun when it's colder than 30 degrees!" Usually, we tend to hibernate.

On New Years Day, we watched the documentary No Impact Man with our neighbors, Justin and Jdick. It follows a man who decides, with his family, to live a year without making any negative impact on the environment. They create no trash, use no electricity, eat food that comes from a maximum of 250 miles away, take the stairs and ride bikes and walk everywhere, etc. It's all about not creating waste, and seeing what you can live without to change the state of the environment. I've seen it before, but it's always a motivation to start doing some things better for the environment and our own selves. Now, in the works, we have started planning No Impact nights, where we will get together, and only use candle light as way of seeing, turn off electricity, and have a night of games and other things that do not require electricity. Sounds fun, right?

We visited Food Life on our way through downtown for lunch. I had never been there before, and it was fun, but I can see how people can spend a crap ton of money there. Basically, you enter and get a little Food Life card. They have tons of different little restaurants that you can get take out from and pay with the card. You can mix and match, and at the end, you pay for the food. Luckily, Chris nor I went too crazy, and the chinese I got was good. But blind spending can be quite dangerous.

A lot of you commented on my New Years posts, and a lot of you said something along the lines of "what a huge list, good luck!" With a list like mine, I can't sit around and do nothing for the next 365 days, and I've already begun to tackle some of it. To maintain a solid level of healthiness, Chris and I have begun taking vitamins. So far, it's just a multivitamin, and vitamin D. On top of that, I take my calcium and thyroid supplements. This also falls under the goal of remember to take pills daily. I'm still in the a limbo about the soap making thing. I want to do it, and currently have $30 worth of melt & pour soap base, pigments, scented oils, and molds in a shopping cart at Bramble Berry (which is great for those who want to make soap, mineral make ups, perfumes, and lotions), I just have to prioritize my money right now. And after mastering two hand knit scarves (hard, I know), I decided to tackle some fingerless gloves. I learned two new stitches, as well as the art of stitching something together. My first shot ended up way too huge:

But that's what learning is all about, right?

And as for going to a gym, the perfect Groupon landed in my inbox this morning, and it is practically begging to be bought.

I haven't decided yet...I'm trying to find a friend to buy one with me. Why do we always need gym partners? It's frustrating.

Chris' vacation is officially over, so I am stuck here at the apartment by myself while I wait for the beautiful, brown UPS truck to roll up and deliver our shining, new Nintendo Wii - which is a lovely gift from his dad and step-mom. I am so excited to throw down on some tennis.

How is your new year kicking off?

Auld Lang Syne

2011-01-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

Last night was a magical end to the year. It started out at my friend Brian's where we hung out, enjoyed some wine, and prepared for the evening. Then we hopped on a train, and joined the masses in downtown Chicago for fireworks at Navy Pier. There wasn't an epic countdown or anything (or at least not that I was aware of) but once the fireworks and music started, the cheering was immense, and I saw many many people getting along very well. It was special to me because usually my New Years are spent in my living room with my parents or something, and this year I got to be in my favorite city with some of my favorite people, and I got to enjoy my first ever New Years kiss.

Today I plan on relaxing and not doing that much. I will probably finish knitting my friend's scarf, and then who knows what. Hope you all had a wonderful New Years!

Part Two of Things I Want to Do/Learn/Try
26. Eat at Nuevo Leon, Kuma's, Girl and the Goat, and Rosebud.
27. Have a desk space.
30. Acquire more typewriters.
31. Learn to walk in and casually wear heels.
32. Find perfect pair of fake/real glasses.
33. Go to a hot yoga class.
34. Keep an active list of the books I read.
35. Learn how to sew.
36. Go on a road trip out west.
37. Eat southern barbecue .
38. Devise a daily/weekly challenge and keep it up.
39. Get over my jealousies.
40. Pay every single bill on time!
41. Pay for a piece of furniture.
42. Take a bubble bath with candles, wine, and chocolate.
43. Train cats to stay out of the garbage and toilet.
44. Stay on top of laundry.
45. Make near-daily to-do lists and complete them.
46. Pay off security deposit to our landlord.
47. Remember to take pills daily.
48. Make time for breakfast.
49. Eat take-out food less.
50. Learn to knit something other than a scarf.

xo!

You can do anything that you want, world is an oyster

2010-12-31T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well everyone, this is it! The last few hours of 2010. What a year this has been. I'm not going to give an in depth year in review, because, well, the past is the past isn't it? I had the best birthday of my life so far this year, I saw a lot of concerts, got my first and last facial piercing, and started an addiction by getting two tattoos. I started smoking, I quit smoking, I moved in with my boyfriend, I acquired pets, I've worked three different jobs, changed my major in college, and gained a greater appreciation for many things, including myself.

About a month ago, I made a list of the things I want to do, learn, and try. I have decided to turn this list into somewhat of a resolution list. There is 50 things on the list, so here is the first 25, and I will post the second half tomorrow.

Part One of Things I Want to Do/Learn/Try
1. Write a successful blog {lame, I know}
2. Dance burlesque.
3. Direct/shoot a photo shoot.
4. Stock and run an Etsy shop that people enjoy.
5. Take photos of my day - every day.
6. Paint the walls of the apartment - fight the beige!
7. Dye my hair some kind of unnatural color. {Lavendar!}
8. Minimize time on Internet to less than three hours a day.
9. Write in journal every single day - even if it's about nothing.
10. Get my half sleeve started.
11. Stretch my ears.
12. Acquire a gym membership and regularly go.
13. How to make soap.
14. Sing in front of a crowd.
15. Be in charge of planning someone's party.
16. Continue being a good girlfriend to Christopher.
17. Move out of PIlsen.
18. Bake more from scratch.
19. Save more money.
20. Lose weight {stereotypical, yeah, yeah.}
21. Get published somehow someway.
22. How to do ceramics - pottery wheel style.
23. Grow my hair past my shoulders.
24. Get coffee from places other than Starbucks.
25. Maintain a solid level of healthiness.

What are your resolutions for the New Year?

And before I part ways to go to my friend Brian's place, check out how adorable my boy looks with glasses on. So intelligent!

See you all next year, stay safe tonight!

Cough cough I'm sick.

2010-12-29T16:45:00.001-08:00

Chris and I rolled into Chicago this morning via Amtrak train and it was bittersweet. As always, my visit home had some highs and lows, but overall it was a great trip spent with my family, friends, and boyfriend. It's especially weird because each time I have gone home up to this point, I have an idea of when I'll be heading home again, but this time I really have no idea. Probably not Spring Break...maybe sometime in the summer? I miss my family.

So, first day back in Chicago, and I am sick with some sort of cold or sinus infection or something. Sneezes turned to sniffles which turned to coughing which turned to full blown congestion and body aches. I took some Nyquil shortly after we got home, since it's the only thing we've got, and I slept for three whole hours and I still don't have the energy to get my butt off the couch because I'm so groggy. Ugh.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be back to feeling better. But for now, Chris has been doing an awesome job at taking care of me, and I see some Netflix and delicious empanadas in our future..

Snacking fiend.

2010-12-27T10:10:00.001-08:00

Here's a good recipe (not my own) for those "it's only two days after Christmas and the leftovers are already gone" moments.

Artichoke dip!

What you need:
• A can of artichoke hearts (drain these really good and then chop them up)
• 1 cup of mayonnaise.
• 1 cup of parmesan cheese (usually I'm a fan of generic brands, but for this, a good cheese is necessary or it gets greasy :()

Throw all this in an oven safe dish and bake it at 350 F for about 20 or 25 minutes. The top will get golden brown and delicious. Take it out, stir it up, and snack your life away on it. It's addicting. I've eaten it with crostini, tortilla chips, and wheat thins. I personally think it's best on Wheat Thins.

This recipe right here should show you guys why I am not a food blogger (as much as I enjoy consuming the stuff that is made for me, I do not cook well on my own without getting overwhelmed.) But, the holidays are prime snacking time and I can't stop eating this stuff.

What is your favorite thing to snack on?

There's no place like home for the holidays.

2010-12-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

The Annual Dawgie Holiday Party was a good time as it always is. We each brought a snack and the first hour was spent eating. Conversation and eating is always such a dangerous thing because you don't even realize how much you're eating, and I love snacking. I could eat veggies and dip until it was coming out of my ears, and Kaytlin's mom made an oddly addicting cheese ball.

Our gift exchange was also fun. We decided to get gifts for everyone, rather than just a Secret Santa, and it's a strain buying for five people, but we all managed in a way that didn't hurt us economically. It was fun.

Chris and I did some more visiting at my grandmother's house after the holiday party. I then caught wind of a yarn sale at Joann Fabrics and rushed over before they closed so I could buy four more skeins of yarn. I smell an addiction coming on. I just really love that feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing something that I was able to make myself.

My friends and I then got together to watch Antichrist. I love Charlotte Gainsbourg, but the movie did not make much sense to me. It was also super grotesque and filled with imagery that made me scream and clutch my boy. I can't say I'd recommend it, but it's good for a decent gross out and mind bender.

Tomorrow is my last full day at home with my family and friends. I'm spending the afternoon with my mom, and then we are having a welcoming party for my friend Jacquelyn's new long haired weiner puppy!! We are so excited to meet her.

I'm watching When Vacations Attack. I can't believe some of the crazy things that happen to this people while they are supposed to be having a nice relaxing time with their families. I also can't believe some of the sheer luck that people are graced with that help them to survive these crazy ordeals.

What's the craziest thing to ever happen to you on vacation?

Joyeaux Noel

2010-12-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

(via)

What a wonderful Christmas it was. I know the whole point of Christmas isn't to receive gifts or anything, but I am still grateful for everything that I got. My mom never fails to impress with setting the presents under the tree, just as if Santa himself came through our non-existent chimney and set them up himself.

Everyone really outdid themselves. I got cute clothes, some new literature, a calendar, some head phones, and my sister got me some knitting needles and yarn.

I have been learning so much the past few days. First, I taught myself how to make my blog into a 3-column. Then, I taught myself how to make a navigation bar for Christopher's blog. Chris helped me learn how to upload fonts and make a nice banner for this here blog. Then, this morning, my sister taught me how to knit. I knitted all day long and I taught myself how to cast off and finish it. Now I have a big scarf to give to a friend when I get back to Chicago. It feels much more fulfilling than going to a store and spending $15 on a pre-made scarf for someone.

Dinner at my Grandma's house was delicious (AND I got promoted to the adult table!), and present opening was as chaotic as ever. Chris and I got some things for our apartment (including a toaster, some blankets, and new frying pans!) and my little cousins even got our kitties gifts. They will be so excited to eat their new treats and play with their new fishy toy.

It was a great holiday and it's days like today that are going to make me miss my family even more when we head back to Chicago on Wednesday morning.

Tomorrow is the annual Dawgie Holiday Party. My friends and I here call each other "dawgies" and our group of friends has been dubbed "the Dawgie Pack." Every year, we get together, eat food, dance, and exchange gifts. I'm so excited to cram in some more time with them since I will be heading back to the city with my boy in three short days.

Hope you all had an equally amazing Christmas! We are wrapping up the holiday watching It's A Wonderful Life on VHS and relaxing.

Feel free to brag, what did you get for Christmas?

Merry Christmas to all!

2010-12-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

It's not even technically Christmas yet for all of you west coasters, but I figured I'd say Merry Christmas to everyone right now anyways. I'm just so excited! My alarm clock has been set for 5 am, and I'm ready to open presents at 7 with my family. This year has been a crazy one, and already I am compiling a list, not of resolutions, but of things I want to learn in 2011. I'm so grateful for my family, boyfriend, and friends, and being home in the house I grew up in and being able to see my family and friends here has been fantastic.

The older I get, the more Christmas evolves for me. Each year I'm growing and learning and figuring stuff out. I need to try and cherish times like these more often, because I know I'm probably the first person to take a lot of this stuff for granted.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Merry Christmas, darling.

2010-12-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

My family got a bit of a late start on our Christmas baking, but this morning we finally kicked it into gear. We made delicious puppy chow, sugar cookies (which are still the best I have ever had), and little thumbprint cookies. It was a busy morning and afternoon of kneading dough, frosting, and sprinkling.

Our whole day has been revolving around food. Baked goods, shrimp, veggies & dip, cocktail weenies, cheese & crackers, and my dad made an awesome prime rib. Even though I am filled to the throat with food, I cannot stop eating. It's all so good!

After we ate, we loaded into the car and drove around town to look at Christmas lights.

The house in the last picture was insanity. They had a radio station being controlled from inside of their house. They played Christmas music and the lights flashed in sync with the music. I had never seen anything like it, but it was so awesome. How does someone even begin to do something like that?!

When we got home, my brother and I each got to open a present since my sister is off to her boyfriend's for a little bit. I opened one from Chris, and I love it!

I look forward to utilizing both of these books. It's a goal of mine in the future to write and self publish a book, so the Indie Publishing book is right up my alley. I have also been looking into buying it for a while so I was super excited that Chris ordered it for me. It's also another goal of mine to not buy any Christmas gifts next year, and just make something for everyone. The Rebound book teaches how to make your own books, which I am also curious to do more of.

This Christmas is off to a wonderful start. I gave my blog the gift of a new banner, made with the help of Chris, and we are just waiting for Carly to get home from her boyfriend's so we can watch our yearly round of The Santa Clause.

I hope all of you are having an equally awesome Christmas so far!

My friends, we go out, and we drink and we're loud.

2010-12-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when my friends and I play a round of telephone pictionary.

We're mature.

It was a fun night.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

2010-12-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

Our tree already has a load of presents under it, and it's making me feel like I'm five all over again. The magic of Christmas somewhat dies as an adult, but seeing all of those presents and the tree lit up sends me into a regression. My brother, sister, Chris and I have put all of our presents for each other under there, and now we just have to wait one more day to open them.

Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year. We have had a solid tradition for years now that goes a little something like:

• wake up.
• watch a movie or something.
• bake and eat cookies.
• once it gets dark, we go look at all of the Christmas lights around town.
• come home and eat food (shrimps, cheese and crackers, a roast.)
• while we eat, we watch The Santa Clause with Tim Allen (cheesy, I know, but I still love it.)
• go to bed.

My brother and I still wake up early to look at the tree and empty our stockings. Then we watch a round of A Christmas Story before waking my parents up to open presents Christmas morning (approximately 7 am.)

I swear I'm 19 going on 20.

What are your holiday traditions?

Have a holly jolly...

2010-12-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

First off, I would like to say happy one year and one month anniversary to Chris. It's been great being able to have him here with me for Christmas. It makes things much more exciting, being able to share it with him. This vacation of ours has been much needed, so it feels good to be able to bum around my house and hometown.

For our anniversary, we went to lunch at the Owle. I've been eating at all of my local favorites, and probably gaining twenty pounds along the way. The italian panini I had was so good with loads of cheese. Which makes everything better.

After we ate, we did more Christmas shopping and ran into some more friends along the way. I encountered the largest selection of boxed wine I think that I've ever seen.

One of the best parts about being home is all of the super good meals my mom has been making. Last night she made a huge plate of lasagna. Today, an extra huge pan of chicken and rice.

Chris has also been working on his paintings for a show that he has coming up in January. He bought some skate decks in town and so far they are coming out really cool.

Now, I am gathered around with my family, minus my sister, and watching Old School...it's actually kind of awkward watching it with my younger brother and parents, just like any movie containing nudity, curse words, and hints of hardcore pornography often are.

What is your favorite thing about visiting your family?

Deck the halls

2010-12-21T18:01:00.000-08:00

Everywhere I go, I am surrounded by Christmas.

My grandma has a gorgeous tree. Usually, she covers it in boxes and boxes of tinsel, though this year it looks like she is going without. It is still super pretty though.

Today, my siblings, Chris, and I decorated our Christmas tree {finally!}. We played Christmas music, and hung the ornaments just the way my mom likes them. Little ornaments on the top, big ones on the bottom. I miss having tinsel in our tree, but due to having a cat, it's not such a good idea. I think this is the biggest tree we have had yet. My dad and brother plucked it right out of nature and stuffed it into our living room.

My dad also did a champion job at getting all of the Christmas lights up on the outside of the house.

We were a little bit late on getting the decorations up, but it finally got done and I'm that much more in the Christmas spirit! My grandparents told me earlier that I am just like a little kid when it comes to Christmas, I will agree with that.

I also got to do a load of visiting today. I ate lunch with a couple of my friends. I visited my grandma. And then, before dinner, I went to visit my little cousins Jordan and Jenna. It's weird how much they are growing, I still feel like talking to them like they are babies.

It feels so good being able to relax for once and get to see everyone. I'm not my hometowns biggest fan, but for once I wish I could push the pause button here and stay in the comfort of home for a longer amount of town. Working two jobs and going to school full time is stressful.

How have you all been decorating?

Home.

2010-12-20T20:34:00.001-08:00

Last night my mom, boy, and I made the eight hour drive from Chicago to my hometown of Alpena, MI. It's always a bittersweet feeling. Each year, the differences between my family and I are made more apparent, but I still get excited to see them.

Today we ate at my favorite "local diner." Big Boy. Best ranch dressing ever. If I had zero self control and zero levels of self consciousness, I could probably drink it. Straight.

A spark of inspiration lit under me, and I taught myself how to make my blog into three columns, as well as did a few other make over changes. I like it a lot more. I'm definitely going to try to be more consistent with posting, and I promise I'm going to try to not delete all of my content all over again. I always have the habit of doing that! It just seems that I get bored of my own talking. I also always restart with intentions of doing something different and sometimes that doesn't always come through. This time, I'm going to try to keep up with my plans - though I think I need to make myself an outline as to what exactly that plan is.

I am getting my hair cut tomorrow. I am also seeing my friends for the first time since July (with the exception of a hilarious skype chat).

What are you lovelies up to in the final days before Christmas?