Why Matt is the best fiance ever:

Matt knows that when I say, "Will you help me hang a curtain rod?", he knows that I mean "Will you put up this curtain rod for me?" and he does it while being super nice to me and using a ridiculously awful drill that I bought. Isn't he the best?

Freshly hung curtains on a new curtain rod.

Redesign coming this weekend!

My little blog has had the same color scheme for almost 6 months now, and while the oranges and blues were just what I needed to help me get through a dreary winter, I think it's time to mix it up! Summer is upon us, and that means sun, bright colors, and the end of spring cleaning (hopefully!). This weekend I'll be updating the blog to reflect the season, so if things look a little wonky at times, that should be the reason.

In addition, I'll be updating my "blog roll" (the links on the side) to reflect my personal faves and what I read every day... so leave me a comment if you have a blog you want me to check out!

Thanks for understanding, and hope you all like the results!

Summer Reading

While on my brief hiatus, I developed a pretty large literature appetite. I quickly devoured four popular books, and thought I'd share with you all how I enjoyed each one. A lot of people are looking for "summer reads" right now, so here you all go!

Everyone's heard of Wicked (the musical), right? Well, this is the book that started it all. I've never seen the musical, so I can't attest to how true it is to the book, but the story in this book is pretty interesting. Think of it as Harry Potter, but set in Oz. If you're looking for a read on the beach, I'd recommend this one, but with the caveat that the ending kind of drags on. And on.

The Secret Life of Bees is a movie starring Alicia Keys and Dakota Fanning. It's also a quick read with a lot of summer imagery of the rural South. Just because it's a quick read, don't pick it up thinking it's going to be light-hearted though... there are definitely some heavy issues discussed in these pages, from child abuse to segregation and civil rights. Additionally, the author really did her research on bee-keeping, though, making this fictional book a pretty informative read!

While this book is the only non-fiction one of the bunch, I think it is definitely my favorite. The Glass Castle is a memoir of Jeannette Walls' childhood with her crazy parents, and how they helped her grow into the woman she has become. It's heart-breaking, but almost uplifting at the same time. Again, a quick read, but not a light-hearted read. Apparently I like depressing books. Ha!

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao has gotten so much critical acclaim that it'd be ridkculous NOT to put it on your summer reading list, right? So I read it. Oscar's character reminded me so much of bits and pieces of people that I know, right down to the Star Trek references, that I was captivated the entire time. Alternating between the Dominican Republic and the United States, the author discusses Oscar's inability to fit in with his peers and his isolation and lonliness that results, while throwing in a few history lessons on the Domincan Republic. This one definitely lived up to the hype for me.

Also, if you're looking for an economical way to acquire some summer reading and don't feel like going the library route, I highly recommend PaperBackSwap.com. You can read more about my experiences with the service here and here. You'll notice that I got most of these books from PaperBackSwap; I'll be posting them for trading again soon!

Project 17: The Office/Guestroom

So, anyone who's been in either of the apartments that I've had since college knows that the second bedroom is ALWAYS a disaster. Unfortunately, it also functions as the guest room, so my poor friends (that continue to love me anyway!) have had to suffer through my clutter while trying to get a good night's sleep. It's been a constant point of anxiety for me, because my family always had this thing about making the house look good before guests arrived, and my house certainly hasn't! That's why Project 17 is focusing on this room, getting it in tip-top shape, and making it a more home-away-from home for guests. So check it out, here's what I'm working with:

The left corner and closet, clutter and piles beyond belief!

The guest bed, window, and far side of the room.

This space is also supposed to be the "home office"... not a lot of work happening in here with this mess!

Seriously, I'm so embarrassed just posting these photos. My friends are such troopers, aren't they? This space features a huge closet (that is pretty poorly organized at the moment), and will hopefully house an "office" area and a "guest" area. Come back this weekend for the transformation - you won't believe your eyes!

You know you're a domestic goddess when...

... people get to your blog by googling "you know you are a domestic goddess when".

I am a golden [domestic] god[dess]!

It's been a while...

So I really suck at this whole "letting readers know when [I'm] not going to be here" thing.... but in case you missed it, I took a random 2 week (if you count that book review as a week's worth of posting) hiatus from blogging without filling you guys in! But I have a good reason, I swear! Two major things have happened since I last wrote, and they are the following:

1. I finished my last masters class ever! I don't have my masters degree yet - still need to write that pesky thesis/research paper and do my comprehensive exam - but I never have to go to another class for this degree again! Hooray!
2. My baby brother graduated from high-school! Okay, we're less than 6 years apart... but he still feels like my baby brother even though he's 18 and officially graduated! So weird! Of course, this prompted an extended trip home to celebrate the occasion appropriately, which also partially explains my absence!

But don't worry... even though I haven't been writing, I've been busy! I've been experimenting with my food processor, which has been very enlightening and exposed how clueless I am about some things in the kitchen. My exploits have included an almond butter experiment with Rachel that turned out quite nicely, and my first ever pesto experiment!

I made a spinach-walnut pesto with some parmesan, salt, and olive oil that was absolutely delicious! In the mix was about 2 1/2 cups spinach, 1/3 cup parmesan, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Added to 1 cup lightly toasted walnuts (chopped and toasted in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes) in the food processor, it made the excellent topping for some whole wheat pasta! Yum yum.

I've also been busy doing other sorts of kitchen experiments and cooking... the most profitable of which has been my homemade granola bars - made using this recipe. Take a look - they're totally delicious, and I highly recommend them!

I've also been busy keeping my flowers alive - and I must say, I'm so happy that they finally bloomed! 3 months of tender love and care has paid off in some beautiful (and big!) pink and white flowers that really brighten up the balcony. Don't let the pictures fool you - they happen to be taken in the middle of a thunder storm at 10 pm!

And perhaps the biggest news... I finally have my own computer again! I'd been (not so) secretly using my work laptop for school and personal business, but all that has come to an end. Please meet my new Mac - I've never owned a Mac before, but so far I'm loving it! It's only been a few days though, so it's possible I could fall out of love with it... ha! Just kidding. I love love love it, and it's so sleek and pretty.

So anyway, I will be posting a lot more now that my new laptop is up and running and I've got no homework or classes! Thanks for hanging in there in my absence!

Book Review: Naturally Thin

I've written before about my love for the Real Housewives franchise, and that is by no means limited to the TV shows themselves. So when I heard about Bethenny Frankel's book Naturally Thin and saw how all over the blog world it was, I knew I had to pick up a copy and and read it for myself. I have to preface this by saying that I am not now, nor have I ever been, over-weight or actively trying to change my lifestyle to lose weight - which is not to say that I'm not constantly looking for ways to improve my health and eating habits, but just that I'm probably in a different place than the audience this book is intended for. Anyway, here's what I thought:

The Good

• Bethenny definitely has some awesome recipes and food ideas in the book. I enjoy my cereal and the occassional bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, but I had NEVER thought of using leftover brown rice as a morning food! The combination of ingredients she suggested for morning brown rice was also delicious - raisins, nuts, cinnamon, and a natural sweetener. Yum! I'm still on the fence about brown rice, but I've taken to using this combo in my morning oats.
• It is made very clear from the outset that the reader should NOT do what Bethenny does verbatim, but find what works for them. This point is so often overlooked in diet and healthy living books that I'm glad finally someone decided to emphasize it a ton! It's so true, too! Life is so much better if you enjoy what you're doing.
• Nothing is off limits! (except for super obvious things, like diet soda). I've never read a diet/healthy eating book before that didn't massively restrict things before, and it's refreshing to see someone in that field that acknowledges that people are still going to eat chips and cheesecake. Her bank account metaphor really makes sense and will help a lot of people learn how to make good choices while still eating what they want.
  

The Bad

• Bethenny's message, while a good one, often comes off as your skinny (bitchy) friend telling you "If you just quit eating so much you'll be fine". And let's be honest, that's just really annoying after awhile.
  
• While the book explicitly states several times that Bethenny's personal diet should not be followed and is only being printed for reference, the implication is still there, and she frankly does not eat enough for anyone who even lightly exercises daily. Many other bloggers have written about this point in their reviews as well, and now that I've read it myself, I can tell you again that it's true.

Overall, this book was a quick, interesting read with a lot of good, sensical ideas in it. And some delicious-sounding recipes, too! I don't think it's going to solve the problems of anyone with a ton of weight to lose, but it's some good food for thought (haha, puns) and a decent reference material to have on hand.