Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Oh How Pinteresting

As you read this, I will be standing in front of over 160 students introducing myself as full fledged teacher.

The Problem: I am only 22, teaching high schoolers, who are 17 years old. Which is what? a five year age difference. That is less of an age gap than my closest peer, who is 29.

The Solution: Dressy really really sharp and professional.
As much a relaxed look, I tend to look like a high school student, and that is just not going to fly.

Check out these pins, which are fashion forward, and yet professional. 

Hello casual friday.
I would not have pegged mint and beige as going together
but this just works
http://refinedstyle.tumblr.com/


www.corrico.com

This lady just looks like a fabulous teacher
http://www.sacramentostreet.com/

White lace with a serious color pop
http://www.lorenhope.com/look-book/


Blue, black and white are such a sharp color combo
http://refinedstyle.tumblr.com/


I don't know what I like most!
The belt? the skirt? the blouse? the hair? the cardi?
http://sidebysideblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/springsummer-shopping-list.html

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Songza

Sorry for the lack of creativity as of late. School begins this wednesday, and my life is a whirlwind. Today is my last day of prep, half of which is taken up by silly meetings. Then I head straight to sign the lease on my new apartment!

The only think keeping my head above water is Jesus and some seriously good music. In the many hours I have spent building curriculum, I ran out of good bands to listen to on spotify, so I began the search for a ne music player.



Pandora - Too many ads and too much effort to create a quality playlist. It just did not fit my many different moods. Sometimes I am all indie legit, other times I like some Brittany Spears.

Spotify - Normally my go to, but I am running out of new band to listen to, and I don't have the time to find more.... :(


Grooveshark - a bad version of spotify, it includes more songs, which are most likely going against many copyright laws.


Songza

My new favorite music player. It searches a huge database of quality playlists, which are engineered by ... get this! .... A music concierge.


Basically, you choose what you are doing, or your mood, and it creates great playlists based on yoru specifications.



By far my new favorite online music player. It customizes music to your activity and mood. Housework will never be the same. 

Check it out a www.songza.com

I am always looking for new music though. How do you listen to music? Any apps your lovin? 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Blogthings

I really love blogthings! I could spend hours, slash I do spend hours on the site. Many a nights, me and ym college roomate Kate from Classy Living, stayed up much too late taking quizzes for each other. I still remember I am a cramberry scone, and she is a cheese scone.
If I ever go on the site, I end up there for hours...
not my best time managment ever, but you have got to check it out, if you havn't already.
They even have quizzes about blogging.
You Are a Social Blogger!
Your blog is more of a semi-private affair for your friends.
You don't consider yourself a journalist. Your blog is more of a diary.
Your blog is how you keep in touch... sharing stories, jokes, and pics.
No one outside your social circle probably gets your blog, but they're not supposed to!
Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

KG and Katie, how much you wanna bet that you will get "life blogger" as your answer. Slash, I took the quiz for you, and that is what you both got. 

Happy Blogthinging, betcha can't do just one!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Friday Highs

1. A Job!
This week I began officially working as a high school teacher. While I am a little nervous and overwhelemed, I am mostly greatful. I am by far the youngest teacher. There were only five new teachers hired, and all of them have prior experience. So far my peers, or more like my mentors, have been super generous, fun, and helpful. Oh, did I mention this public high school has the best scores in the whole state of Washington. I am truly blessed and honored for such an oppurtunity.

2. Free Food
Now that I am about to move out on my own, my budget is legit a big goose egg. On the bright side, literally every training day has included breakfast and lunch, plus a goodie bag of 10 different gift certificates to local stores. I love PTA, really I do.

3. Boy Shirts
Need I say more? They are so comfy to wander around the house in, with a hot steamy mug of coffee.

4. Gushers
On sale for $1. Yum. My mom always told me they were too expensive.. false! Maybe too much sugar.

5. My Brother
My brother left for college this wednesday. As much as I will miss him, I am so proud of him, and he is going to love college so much.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

The Best Coffee Brews Explained

We all drink coffee, let's be honest. We either just thrown in some coffee at a 30 dollar drip pot or we pony up some serious cash for a 4 dollar latte.
Even if you buy a coffee drink just two times a week, that adds up to $416 a year.

If your like me, and love your coffee and the cheapo pot of joe just doesn't cut it, but 416 bucks is just way way too much, here are your alternatives.

First
Invest in a coffee grinder. No matter what device you use, it cannot undo the failure of pre ground coffee. It is like using dried herbs instead of fresh ones. Yes, it will work, but it just doesn't give you near the same flavor. Image if fresh herbs cost the same as dried. No one in their right mind would buy the dried version. Luckily for us cost-cutters, whole beans and ground beans cost the exact same.
Now technically, the experts will tell you to buy a hundred dolla burr grinder, but honestly, it doesn't change the flavor that much, some but not a 100 dollars better. A true coffee snob will have the burr (confession, I do), but a blade grinder for 20 will be almost the same.



Coffee
Don't go buying anything in a can. bad! please, just dont. The mid level coffee is pretty much everything you find at the grocery store. It is all about the same quality of bean, just different companies, in fact, many use the exact same farms. The top level bean comes direct from independant sourcers and roasters, who are actually hard to find. Even most artisian coffee shops use the same bean quality that the big companies do. So unless your the burr grinder buyer, just stick with any whole bean on sale. It is literally the same bean that is in a 2 dollar starbucks coffee.


Peet's is $8, and Starbucks is $12, same beans....
In fact, Starbucks owns Peet's as well as Seattle's Best
Ok, now that you have your coffee and grinder, here are the different methods of brewing, and their pros and cons.

Pour Over


$2.99
 Pros: Single serving, cheapest, easiest.
Cons: Single serving, masks many of the lighter notes, and does not pick up the depth, basically a drip coffee with higher quality, as you control more aspects of the brewing process.

Aeropress

$25
 Pros: Versatile (you can make the coffee to your liking), single serving, relatively quick.
Cons: Versatile (it takes experimenting to get the brew to your liking), single serving, another medium brew, high potentially to spill boiling water.

Chemex

$35
Just a pour over on steroids.
Pros: Makes enough for 2-4 people, looks cool.
Cons: Much more expensive compared to a pour over, which does the exact same thing.

French Press

$20
Pros: Best full bodied robust flavor, 1-4 servings, easy
Cons: Gets murky at the bottom, hard to clean up afterwards.

Vacuum Pot

$100
Pros: by far the best brew method, allows the flavor of the coffee to come through (you can actually taste all those descriptions on the front of your coffee bag).
Cons: price, finiky and time consuming.

Now you have to choose from all these great alternative brewing methods, I chose multiple, don't worry if you can't decide.

How can you resist this!
  

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Oh How Pinteresting

After a crazy busy day, in which I didn't even have time to drink my coffee, much less eat. All my mind is really on at the moment is a delicious meal.



Garlic Parmesan Edamame
http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/10/garlic-parmesan-edamame-so-other-night.html

Mini Lasagna
http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2010/11/04/petite-lasagnas/

Sundried Tomato Butter Burger
http://goboldwithbutter.com/?p=1164

Honey Sesame Chicken
http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2008/10/honey-sesame-chicken.html


New York Strip Steak with a Red Wine Sauce
http://www.marthastewart.com/326865/new-york-strip-steaks-with-red-wine-sauc


Snickerdoodle Muffins
http://www.eatmedelicious.com/2007/12/snickerdoodle-muffins.html

Brownie and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwitches
http://www.marthastewart.com/332675/brownie-and-peanut-butter-ice-cream-sand

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups
http://laurensmenu.blogspot.com/2011/12/crispy-peanut-butter-cups.html

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread
http://annies-eats.com/2011/09/09/salted-caramel-chocolate-shortbread-bars/


All these recipies actually came from my mom's pinterest. Here is to hoping this is what is for dinner tonight!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

This Is Colossal

While I am waist deep in curriculum and learning the ropes of my high school, I am giving you some great art to look at from my very favorite blog
www.thisiscolossal.com
Began by a chi-towner, this blog always has the most innovative art posted, without fail. Everything from renouned artists to street art.  Here are just some of my favorites from the last week.



Wood injected with a resin and LEDs
by Marco Stefanelli


Annamorphic Typography by Thomas Quinn
From the right angle it looks as if one just typed overtop of the image
but on closer inspection, the words were placed just perfectly to create the affect.


Closer view


Interactive street art in Malaysia
 by Ernest Zacharevski




Whimsical Street Art
by Filthy Luker



Project done on the streets of Chicago
by Candy Chang and the Chicago Urban Arts Society


Alternative Batteries by Caleb Charland


Monday, August 20, 2012

Whatifs

If you are reading this, more than likely I am off to my very first day of work as a high school teacher. Fine, it is just orientation, but still, a first day is a first day. After bulking up on courage in the form of a shopping spree, chocolate ice cream, and some advice from a good friend. I think I am ready to go take on the world. Or at least scary HR.

My whole life right now is up in the air, and I find it rather exciting actually. In a couple weeks I will go from just another recent college grad living at home with the folks. I am steppin into my big girl panties, and going where the wind blows me. Hopefully I take root somewhere good.
If not, then away the wind blows.

My mind right now reminds me of this Shel Silverstein poem, about the Whatifs
Whatif by Shel Silverstein
Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow talle?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems well, and then
the nighttime Whatifs strike again!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Friday Favs


Shoot, friday is a sneaky little sucker. One minute you think you have the week off and the next moment, your week of bliss is OVER.
Shame.

1. I officially found my first apartment, and am spreading my wings. Starting Sept 1 that is.

 














2.  I had the week off of work, and got my tan on during this heat wave in Seattle.

This might be great, except that no one has AC in Seattle, as it genrally is 60 and raining

3.  My teaching schedule was finalized, and I finally know I am teaching global studies and american studies. Which is rather important, as I begin on Monday

4. Sweet thrift store finds to pimp out my new pad

~ I found a Natuzzi brand (high end itallian) couch in almost perfect condition (like sat in one time condition) at St. Vincent's, it only cost me 80, and normally it would retail for 1200. SCORE!

     
~ Also found a cute solid wood stand, possibly for a tv, but I am thinking of turning it into a coffee bar. It only set me back 25.  

Thrift Store Find

Inspiration
5. King Felix threw a perfect game.
~ ok, I know to some of you this is no big deal. But really it is huge! Only the 23rd in baseball's entire history, the first in Mariner history, and it put the Mariner's on the map. It has been so long since espn even talked about my team.