December 27 2013

Hi again.

Sorry for posting a day late yet again, but it was too close together to post on Thursday when I had just posted on Tuesday. Next week my posts will be back on the correct dates.

So! My Christmas was wonderful. I hope yours was too, or if you don’t celebrate it, I hope you just had a great day! I woke up extremely early as usual, woke my family up, and we had coffee and opened gifts. I was so happy that this year I have somewhat of a steady income and was able to get each member of my family really nice gifts, as well as stuff the stockings. I was just in heaven watching them open them, smiling, and enjoying the real gifts I was able to get for them. Then we hung out for a bit, my boyfriend came over, and I got to spend time with him. Then him and I and my family all went to my grandparents for dinner and some family time. It was the best day. The gifts I recieved were wonderful as well; I got a pretty general supply of the type of things I wanted off my list. I of course didn’t get everything off my list, because that’s unreasonable, but what I did get were things here and there -similar if not exact replicas- from things on my list, which made me very happy. Most of what I asked for this year was just workout supplies and accessories as that’s my favorite thing to do and I want all the gear in the world to fuel that hobby! While I won’t go into detail about all of my gifts, I would like to share a couple things that I got. I am extremely grateful for everything I got and this is of course not to brag, just to share, as one would do with a girlfriend in real life.

From Kasey, I got a new NueMe flat iron, and this is honestly one of the most useful gifts I have ever recieved. Not only is it my first high end flat iron, it’s hot pink, it works very clearly, and it straightens my hair quicker than the salon does! I have been enjoying it very much.

From my boyfriend’s sister and dad, I got a new Nike duffle bag amongst other things. It is another one of the most useful gifts I’ve ever recieved. I love it so much and I use it almost every day! Another thing they got me was a 3-wick candle from Bath & Body Works scented “Buttercream Mint.” I am IN LOVE with this candle. I’ve had a few 3-wick candles from there but I always end up giving them away as I pick out too strong of scents and those candles fill up the room with their scent very fast, resulting in the candles I pick out just constantly giving me headaches. First of all, this candle is the most light and delicious scent I have ever smelled. Also, it does fill up my room as fast as the others, but since it’s somewhat of a light scent, it never bothers me! In fact I burn it several times each day and can’t get enough.

From my parents one thing I got is a pilates DVD set. Pilates is my favorite form of exercise, as I’ve mentioned, and I can never get enough. My favorite Pilates instructor does her videos on Youtube, and since my laptop is currently broken, I have to do her routines from just watching my small phone screen, and it can get very uncomfortable to try to watch it on there while moving around. The set they got me is 3 different DVDs with a wide variety of routines and moves with a new instructor who I already like. And did I mention they’re DVDs??? I can just pop them into the TV and it is so easy! No moving around my phone across my mat with me, straining my neck trying to watch as I do the moves!

My grandparents gave me some money and I very quickly put it to use yesterday! I went and picked up a new planner that I am in love with, and two books. I got 50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need by Sam Davidson & Patience, The Art Of Peaceful Living by Allan Lokos. I have started the first book already and it is such a good read. It is about decluttering your life (Not materialistic things.. emotional and social things.) to find your passion and who you are. I am really into self improvement books and I believe one cannot own or read enough of these books!

Aside from Christmas, I have not re-done my nails since Christmas Eve yet, but plan to do them over again tomorrow evening so I will be sure to take photos of that. And as far as working out goes.. up until today I hadn’t been working out at all because of being sick. Today I still have a headache, cough, and stuffy mucus (sorry for TMI), but for some reason I knew that I was well enough for a workout. I tried out one of the DVDs from my parent’s gift and did a 20 minute total body Pilates routine. It wasn’t very intense, but it felt very good and has put me in a fantastic mood today. My body definitely needed at least a little something.

This weekend I have no plans except working on a secret project for my anniversary with my boyfriend, working, and relaxing. I will update you on Monday on how my tiny little life is going!

Have a wonderfully blessed day.

Friday Post!

First! Weekly Picture:

 Apologies for lack of (mark all that apply):

[x] caring

[x] quality

[x] editing to make the photo upright

(Feeling extremely lazy tonight and that’s okay.)

Second! Recipe:

Pictures and recipe from here.  These look so death-fully delicious, oh my word.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus 1-4 tablespoons
• 2 cups cinnamon baking chips
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process with six 1-second pulses.
3. Remove cover of food processor and sprinkle the butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Cover and process with 12 1-second pulses. Transfer contents to a large bowl.
4. Stir heavy cream into the flour mixture, adding up to 2 additional tablespoons of heavy cream just until moistened. Fold in cinnamon chips and knead the dough by hand 6 to 8 times  (do not overprocess or scones will be tough) then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough in half. With lightly floured hands press each half of dough into a 7-inch round. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 6 wedges. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Place wedges on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and sprinkle lightly with turbinado sugar.
6. Bake in preheated oven 10 to 13 minutes or until tops of scones are a lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before glazing.
7. While the scones are cooling, make glaze. Combine 1 tablespoon heavy cream, and confectioners’ sugar until you achieve a thick, opaque icing. Drizzle over scones and serve.

Yields: 12 scones Prep Time: 20 minutes Bake Time: 13 minutes

Third! Personal Update:

Today was my last day of homeschool.  I mean, not technically since I’ll still be doing homeschool on top of public school this year, but you get what I mean!  Yesterday my dad and I went around doing some stuff, set up my classes, and today I took a trip down to my school and picked up my official schedule!  I’m so happy, it’s most electives and that’s going to make everything so fun! 😀 Here’s a rough idea of my schedule (I can’t give some classes away because it will reveal my age/grade and that’s not appropriate for the interwebs n’ shtuff.)

A day:

Math

A fun writing class

blank.

blank.

B day:

Photography! (so glad this school provides a photography class!)

blank.

Aerobics

Guitar! 😀 (I have a guitar and don’t know how to play it.  At one time I taught myself a song or two, but I have forgotten and I’m taking a real class now to play/learn the right way!)

So, yeah! I also went shopping today with my brother and we went out to lunch as well.  I had a lot of fun, my brother is a really awesome person!  Oh!  He got me this backpack today from Urban Outfitters (favorite store EVER.) and I am SO in love with it!  I honestly can’t get enough of it.  It’s sitting right next to me right now!  I’m obsessed with it, it’s the cutest backpack I’ve ever owned!  I tried to look for it online, because the pictures I took of it aren’t the best (it’s nighttime, no good lighting, and I’m too lazy to go get my camera from down stairs) but they don’t have it online! Which is stupid because they have alllllll the ones on the shelf/aisle/hanging thing that were beside/below/above the backpack I got.  Ugh, whatever.  So anyways!  Here are some pictures!

It’s much brighter in person. I cannot stop drooling over it!

It has a pocket inside and that pocket you see on the front, which opens with a zipper.

Anyways, that’s pretty much all for now… I don’t have many plans this weekend, except for I need to get my room clean and organized so it can stay that way and not make me feel anxious when I go back to school, since I’ll already be loaded with tons of work to do.

See you Sunday for two movie reviews!

Friday Post!

First! Weekly Picture:

Second! Recipe:

Pictures and recipe from here.  I honestly hope I never make these.  Because I know I would eat each and every one of them the day they were made.

Chocolate Cheesecake Turtle Cupcakes (makes 18 cupcakes)

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup water 1 Tbsp vinegar 1 tsp vanilla

For the cheesecake:

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In large bowl combine dry cake ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda. Mix until well combined.
3. In small bowl combine wet cake ingredients: vegetable oil, water, vinegar and vanilla.
4. Make a well in the bowl of dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir mixture until combined.
5. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with chocolate batter.
6. In a small bowl combine cheesecake ingredients: cream cheese, sugar and egg. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
7. Use a small cookie scoop to evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter.
8. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until cream cheese center is firm.
9. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
10. Once cupcakes are completely cool add the turtle toppings.

For the Turtle Topping:

14 caramels 6 Tbsp half & half, divided 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Unwrap caramels and place in microwave safe bowl with 3 Tbsp half & half. Microwave for 1 1/2 -2 minutes until melted. Stir until smooth and let cool for a few minutes.
2. Place chocolate chips and 3 Tbsp half & half in microwave safe. Microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes until melted. Stir until smooth.
3. Use a spoon and drizzle caramel and chocolate on top of each cupcake.
4. Sprinkle cupcakes with pecans.

Third! Personal Update:

Since I didn’t post last Monday, I’ll tell you about last weekend.  Last weekend I did go to that jewelry party, but I was the only guest… and then the host ignored me a bit, which wasn’t too fun, but it was still something to do!  Everyone flunked out on the party at the last minute so I ended up just sitting and talking with the host’s family the whole time since she was busy sitting on the couch reading the jewelry magazine.  I didn’t do the photoshoot because my friend’s grandmother ended up in the hospital somehow so she had to go visit her.  I still haven’t heard what happened there, but I hope she’s okay. ♥

I made plans for this weekend to go stay with my own grandmother and do a photoshoot for my aunt, but then I failed a class final and I canceled so I could stay home and study to take it again.  It turns out the teacher messed up and had me take the final for the next quarter of the class, though… *grrrrr* 😡 So, I’m pretty sure the failing wasn’t my fault at all and I ended up canceling on this weekend for nothing.  Hmph!  Oh well though, I am perfectly happy staying home all weekend and having a Gossip Girl marathon!  Next weekend, the 21st and 22nd, will be my last weekend before I go back to public school!  I am SO VERY EXCITED!

I actually went to the school I’m going to be attending today.  I’m going to go to a high school that is near me for the rest of this year, I’m not going back to my regular performing school this year.  It’s such a huge school, oh my gosh… Even the councilor was saying that the school was incredibly big!  However, the faculty (from who I met today at least) seems pretty good and the school looks like a normal high school!  I’m so excited to be back in a building with people my age and teachers to help me.  It’s such a relief!  I cannot even express how much I’ve despised home school.  It has been nice being able to spend more time with my family and see my baby sister grow up, but I’m ready to get my butt OUTTA HERE!  I also get to drop the horrid math class I’ve been doing online because we figured out an alternative today with the councilor.  That’s probably just as much a relief as going back to public school is!

I’m hoping I can take a photography class at school.  I have 2, maybe 3 real classes that I need to take… but the rest are probably going to be electives just to fill up my schedule.  Ah, I’m so happy.

So, on that note, I decided that since I’m in quite the cheerful mood today, (Don’t we all love Friday the 13th?  It’s a good luck day for me.  It’s all about perception, people.) I thought I’d do a little fact thing for you guys!  It seems like wordpress is quite a friendly place unlike blogspot, many other bloggers have already commented on a few of my posts and the people on wordpress are very nice.  So, to get to know me a bit better, here are a few facts about me!

5 Obsessions

1. Lip balms/chapsticks- I sort of hord them.
2. Netflix.  I don’t watch regular TV.  I just watch my dramas and comedies on Netflix every moment that I can.
3. Victoria’s Secret.  Not the lingerie.  The sweats, bags, and accessories, mostly the PINK collection.  So cute.  I want all of it.
4. Snapple.  I recently remembered how much I love Snapples.  Each and every flavor.  Snapple is the best thing in the world.
5. Books.  I love to read, and I don’t own enough books.  I want collections by all of my favorite authors.  Number one priority right now… Nicholas Sparks.

5 Odd Facts

1. I have a problem with collecting things.  I try to collect everything… it’s very odd.
2. I love change.  Most people are the opposite, but I almost can’t live without it.  I need new friends often, I rearrange my room often, I’ve never had a set routine last more than a month.  I guess this might be a weird version of commitment issues?
3. I have a girl crush on Mila Kunis.  She’s just ridiculously beautiful!
4. I’m extremely paranoid.  I’m not scared of the dark, but I’m always certain that there’s somebody hiding in the dark, getting ready to attack.
5. I can knit and crochet, I don’t do it often because I’m too impatient to finish projects, but I have the skills.

5 Pet Peeves

1. When people ask me to explain things.  I know it’s completely normal and it’s really weird for this to be a pet peeve, but I hate explaining things.
2. When people laugh at their own jokes too much.
3. When people chew loudly.
4. Little girls (like toddler to preteen ages) who act like they’re 18 and better than adults. (Sounds odd… I know.)
5. When people have masks (meaning they didn’t blend their foundation into their neck and so their face is a different shade than the rest of them…)

That’s all for today!  I will see you on Sunday with a movie review on Never Been Kissed!  Have a nice weekend.