Tuesday, November 29, 2011

San Francisco

Recently, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a conference in San Francisco. My friend and co-worker, Susan, and I, flew in the morning of the conference. Forgetting about the ridiculously steep hills that characterize SF, we decided to walk the few blocks to the hotel instead of taking a cable car. Bad idea - it took us forever to climb the hills in our heels, dragging our suitcases behind with the sun beating down on us. But we had quite the laugh! After a quick lunch at the hotel - I will never forget how good that grilled cheese tasted - we made it to the conference just a tiny bit late!

The couple days that followed were awesome. I learned a lot of new things that are applicable to higher education marketing and the office that we work in. (I won't bore you with the details.) On top of the learning experience, I was able to meet new people, spend a few nights in a very luxurious hotel, and explore Nob Hill.

After the conference on Friday, Susan and I took a crazy roller-coaster-of- a-cab-ride  to our other hotel. We spent the second part of the trip in Fisherman's Wharf (thanks to her Dad, who got us two free room nights!) We visited the famous Boudin Sourdough factory, had some delicious hot chocolate at Ghiradelli Square, toured Alcatraz, ate at a couple of seafood restaurants, had a night out on the town, and I even got to see my uncle Todd :)

If you ever make it to San Fran, I recommend eating at Alioto's in Fisherman's Wharf. Oh, and a salted caramel hot chocolate from Ghiradelli is a must!

 



Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

In a Fisherman's Language

Sorry for the lack of posts...I've been in San Francisco! (Post to come.)

Last night I watched the news for a few minutes while working out. Among all of the depressing stories about crime, terrorists, and lack of heat in Michigan homes, a very inspirational story grabbed my attention.  A 98 year old man published a book! But that's not the exciting part... he became literate only two years before, at the ripe age of 96. What an amazing story...sure shows how dedication and courage to try something new can make a difference in your life! Imagine the sense of pride he must have felt when people asked him for book signatures :)


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Recipes!


This weekend I made two meals that I found while browsing Pinterest. I am not much of a cook...I find cooking very tedious and time consuming. However, Pinterest has given me a lot of ideas, and I need to learn to cook eventually, so I started building a collection of recipes to try. 

Brad stayed at my parent's house with me this weekend while my parent's are in Africa (yes, Africa!) It was the perfect time to experiment with my new recipe collection. Cooking for someone else always makes it more enjoyable.


Clearly, I'm not a very talented food photographer, but I started with this... 


And ended up with this... 


I was pretty proud of myself :)

You can find the recipe here. Don't let my bland, non-garnished photo fool you... it tasted amazing. I ended up mixing a little bit of jarred tomato sauce in with mine because the garlic really overpowered the tomatoes. I suspect this would be a better recipe to make in the summer, when tomatoes are more flavorful. Also, I would recommend using only one garlic bulb (I used two.)


When I saw the title of these pancakes, I immediately knew I had to make these for Brad, even though he doesn't like pancakes very much. Just as I suspected... he liked them! I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and the flavor was delicious. Not only did these pancakes taste amazing, but they smelled like a fresh loaf of beer batter bread straight out of the oven.  To.  Die.  For. 

P.S. I'm proud to say that this was my first time making pancakes from scratch instead of from a box :) Success! I highly recommend trying these! Click here for the recipe.


Friday, November 11, 2011

Southern Charm

Those of you who know me well know that I love the south. Why? Hospitality. Charm. Scenery. Weather. Southern Accents. Whether it's a beach town on the east coast, or New Orleans during Mardi Gras, I love it all. Although I will probably never acquire a southern accent or learn to like clams, I hope to call myself a southerner someday....particularly a resident of North Carolina. Although it's a very random hobby, I love traveling to the south, reading about the south, and looking at photography from the south. So, I wanted to share some of my pictures with you. Maybe you can relate - or maybe this will inspire you to travel south someday!

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Before I went to NC, I was already in love with the lowcountry, (I read a lot of beach books :) and when I got there it far exceeded my expectations. Yes, it was a humid 90 degrees every day, and yes it stormed every day, and yes we found a cockroach in our condo...but I loved every minute of it. It was just like the books...beautiful, charming, laid-back and peaceful. It's full of charming towns, welcoming people, and gorgeous beaches. This is Atlantic Beach, NC...







Although Myrtle Beach was a little commercial, it was a lot of fun. I have to admit that my favorite part was sitting on the balcony every morning with a cup of coffee, a book, and a beautiful sunrise! We also made it to Charleston, which is an awesome town because, as one of the oldest cities in the nation, it is full of fascinating history. 



New Orleans is a city with it's own unique style and culture. Of course we Mardi Gras, but it was also amazing to see the reconstruction and the friendliness of the city despite the disaster. The architecture in the city is amazing, the creole food is delicious, and New Orleans history is something I never want to stop learning about.

Try to look past the giant party going on and observe the distinct New Orleans architecture...


 Ok, this one might work better :)



Hope you enjoyed my blabbering about my weird obsession with the south :) Have a good weekend!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Relax

Everyone could use a little relaxation...which is why I suggest getting a massage. I had my second professional massage today and I can't even begin to describe how great it felt. It really took my mind off of EVERYTHING, which is exactly what I needed. Afterwards, I could tell that I was loosened up, calmed down, and care-free.

There are really good massage deals on Living Social and Groupon. I suggest checking them out if you want to save a little money. The deals are typically around $30 for an hour-long massage. I think I may have to buy myself another massage as a Christmas present to myself :)



Sunday, November 6, 2011

Fall Colors

This weekend I went to visit Brad in Ann Arbor. I always have fun when I go there, but this time was extra fun! I got there Friday night and Brad cooked me steak quesadillas. We watched X Files while eating them :) Saturday morning we got up and worked out at the gym, went to Beircamp House (a beef jerky place,) made lunch, and watched the (disappointing) U of M game. For dinner we went to Cottage Inn Pizza (DELICIOUS,) but not before doing a little shopping downtown.

After dinner we met up with friends for drinks and more football. Today was gorgeous, so we went downtown and got FroYo (frozen yogurt) and attempted to walk around the arboretum (unfortunately I was unprepared...I wore heeled boots, so we didn't make it very far.) The leaves are still colorful in Ann Arbor (unlike GR,) so I was able to enjoy one last beautiful fall weekend before winter comes. I love AA, and I love my boyfriend! 

Hope everyone else had a good weekend too! 



Friday, November 4, 2011

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas cups at Starbucks always put me in the spirit! The holidays are coming...are you ready?


As most of you know, I have a bias towards Biggby, but after many years of trying Starbucks' lattes, I finally found one that I enjoy. I highly recommended the Salted Mocha Caramel! Visit 52 Kitchen Adventures for a homemade recipe that I found while browsing Pinterest.

Happy Friday!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Focus on the Postives

Worry Wart...that's what people call me. I freak out over everything. I can't help it...it's just how I am. I don't even have anything major to stress out about, but the smallest of issues can make me crazy.
If anyone saw the episode of Modern Family last night, you might compare me to Haley Dunphy. She wast trying to write a college essay about an obstacle that she overcame, yet she couldn't think of any. So, naturally her mom creates an obstacle for her by dropping her off in the middle of nowhere, leaving her to find her way back home by herself. Gotta love Claire's parenting techniques :)


I realized that I haven't really had any major obstacles to overcome either. So, why do I worry so much about stupid little problems that don't have any effect on my future or my life? I need to stop stressing about insignificant things and focus on the positives!
 
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. 

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy."  ~Leo Buscaglia

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Going the Extra Mile

I absolutely hate speaking in front of people...all throughout school, I would worry myself sick over giving presentations or being on stage. It's gotten better over the years but I still would rather not do it. So, you can imagine that I was a little freaked out when I was asked, on Friday, to give a motivational speech the following Monday. Granted, it was for 7th and 8th graders, but it was still scary!
The motivational speech was for a pep rally at Harrison Elementary, a Grand Rapids Public School. Grand Valley has partnered with Harrison Park to help with raising kids' awareness of college and getting them motivated to work hard. My speech was about success and how to achieve it. I also talked about what college is like (dorms, food, classes, etc.) Afterwords, the kids asked a lot of good questions.
The speech was a big success. The kids were very interested in what I had to say, and were extremely excited to meet someone fresh out of college. They are truly interested in college and just need the tools and the help to get there. They have even been begging for mentors to help them stay focused in class. It really inspired me to do what I can to help kids reach their goals. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can truly pay off!