Free to Dance

"Can I ask you a question please? Promise you won't laugh at me."

2011-01-14T20:55:00.003-05:00

Black Roses Red - Alana Grace

This is a fantastic song. I totally recommend that you check it out. I forgot about it, but I used to listen to it all the time after I saw the first Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

So. I was thinking.

When I first made this blog, I had no idea what to name it, so I just adopted the name of my email address from jr. high school. I was thinking about it today, and I'm considering changing it to "The Labor of Thinking" or "Underage Thinking", but I don't know. It's been a weird evening and I'm pretty sure that I'm PMSing like a bitch. What do you guys think? Hmm...

Also, a public service announcement:

COME ON, DENMARK!!! YOU'RE LETTING CANADA CATCH UP WITH YOU! HOW WORTHLESS WOULD YOU FEEL THEN?!

May the force be with y'all.

"Oh, a kiss can last all night!"

2011-01-12T23:33:00.001-05:00

Sexy Silk - Jessie J

More about this song later. Love love love.

So my friend Jay and I spent almost an hour last night creating a sexy playlist.

[What else do you expect from two nerdy, church going teenagers? This really should have been expected.]

These songs are ones that are either sensual or just ones that make you want to get up and dance. I don't know about you guys, but I never feel hotter than when I'm up dancing at a party. There's just something about music.

I've decided to share this with you because it so made my night last night.

[Get your minds out of the gutter!]

Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye Okay, really? You can't do a sexy playlist and not have this one! It's freaking Marvin Gaye, dude. Moving on.
Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Baby - Barry White No need to listen to the words. Listen to the voice.
Dirrty - Christina Aguilera It's all upbeat. Just listen to it and dance to it. It's just one of those songs that makes you feel like you're the hottest girl in the room.
Sugar (Gimme Some) - Trick Daddy I completely forgot this song existed until Jay reminded me. I dig it.
Naughty Girl - Beyonce This is another one of those songs that just makes you want to get up and dance. Anyone? Anyone? Just me? Oh. Okay.
Toxic - Britney Spears Classic. Straight up classic.
Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leopard Alright, have you ever seen a movie that has this song it in which the scene didn't involve some chick that the characters thought was really hot? Didn't think so. Try dancing to this song in a way that isn't somewhat provocative. ...You can't!

The rest of the playlist includes:

Also, Smack That by Akon, Play by David Banner [Holy crap, this song is dirty. So so dirty. If you have sensitive ears, don't listen to it. My mom is a sex ed teacher and it kind of scandalized me...!], Lady Marmalade - a bunch of artists, I'm a Slave 4 U - Britney Spears, She Wolf by Shakira, and Blah Blah Blah by Ke$ha.

By, my personal favorite, Sexy Silk by Jessie J, has been stuck in my head ALL DAY. I love it and all, but when I have music stuck in my head, I walk to the rhythm [It's a band thing.]. Because it's this one, I've started walking around like a stripper [Which is something that my friend Caleb tells me I do all the time. Psh!] [Jay apparently agrees. He's decided it's my new theme song.]

But all this music [plus my 4 day long snow break....!] has got me thinking. These days, sexy is often seen as a negative thing. People think that sexy is synonymous with slutty. I disagree. There is a big difference in my eyes.

Sexy is someone is confidant and comfortable with themselves. Slutty is someone who uses sex to fill some emotional void.

Edit: I just realized what I put, thanks to a comment by Stephanie. I always slip up and use words like slutty and whore, but I'm working on stopping. I agree with her. I know as a Catholic, I'm supposed to be all hardcore "Wait until marriage or you're going to hell!" and whatnot, but honestly, I think that it's your body and your decision. Hell, I'm no great picture of purity, and if I expect people not to judge me, I can't judge them. Thanks for helping me catch that, Stephanie!

Just a thought. What do you guys think on the matter?

May the force be with y'all.

"But I want it and I need it; I'm addicted to you."

2011-01-10T17:12:00.000-05:00

Addicted - Simple Plan

Alright. Strange addictions.

I am chock full of ~~weird ass ticks~~ things that make me unique.

I've got a few fairly common ones like ~~creeping~~ playing around on facebook and using hand sanitizer [Mom jacked me some hospital antiseptic. It's my drug.]

My weird ones, however? They are definitely food ones.

Reduced Fat Cheezits and Gherkins pickles Those are the little sweet pickles. Oh my goodness, I love them together. It completely weirds my family out. They can't stand to watch me. I slice my little pickles up and put them on my cheezits and yum! So good. And the Cheezits have to be reduced fat. They are crunchier than the regular.
I chew on and bite things things. Everything. I don't know what it is. Mom says that it is a sign that I'm anemic, but they didn't say that when they took my blood, so who knows? But I definitely have an oral fixation. Even just sitting here thinking about it makes me want to find something to gnaw on. I bite my fingernails until they bleed. I chew on ice all the time. [When we were out frolicking in the ~~snow~~ thick layers of ice pretending to be snow, I was standing there chewing on a hunk of ice and complaining about how cold I was.] When I'm nervous, I sit there and look for split ends and then bite them off. Ooh, I've gotta stop talking about it. I just caught myself chewing on my lower lip. It's horrid!

I have some other things, like eating ketchup on everything and being able to eat things like bread and uncooked potatoes and pasta plain. I'm just bizarre like that. Who knows.

Do you guys have any strange addictions?

Post your top 2, and link up to The Undomestic Momma's Top 2 Tuesday!

May the force be with y'all!

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful."

2011-01-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

Let It Snow

Snow day tomorrow!!

Ballin.

And no, there aren't feet of snow. There will probably be about an inch.

What can I say? We southerners gotta take what we can get!

Also, Diana from exPress-o posted this fantastical moon necklace that [if I were rich and had stacks of money to kill] I must have.

Have I ever mentioned that I have a bizarre moon obsession? Like to the point where I plan on naming a kid Luna or something. It's bad...and weird. I know.

In fact, I'm designing a logo for my knitted stuff that I'm selling, and I fully plan on a moon of some kind. I'm still thinking on it though.

Now on to the real purpose of this post: my ski bands.

I'm making up a bunch of them so that I can sell them, but here are a couple that I made for Christmas presents.

Also, I got a haircut recently! It's honestly not that different, but I'll never get it to look the way that it did when the stylist did it. I had to take a picture of it while it lasted. This is what it looks like now.:

Exactly. Don't I just look like a ball of sunshine?

Well, that's all for tonight. Be prepared for snow pictures tomorrow.

May the force be with y'all.

"The sun is shining. It's a brand new day."

2011-01-06T18:12:00.001-05:00

Brand New Day -- Joshua Radin

Okay, so today was better. A hell of a lot better.

My Chem test, along with the due date for all of our homework, was moved to Monday.

Also, I'm out of Spanish. I had a heart-to-heart with my teacher this morning, and I'm now in Art II.

Which I'm totally cool with. I love art. It'll give me a class period to mellow out.

Also! I'm writing this on my new computer!

Check it. Ignore the bags under my eyes.

Alright. Homework needs to be done.

[Or I can go watch How I Met Your Mother...Hm. Decisions...]

Later homes.

May the force be with y'all.

"The little things, they always get you down."

2011-01-05T18:47:00.000-05:00

The Little Things - Good Charlotte

Today was a bad day.

No. That sounds too...generic. This was no generic "Yeah, this was kind of an irritating day, but I'm just going to blow off some steam by joking with friends and eating shit tons of pasta." bad day.

Hmm. Catastrophic maybe? No...Too meteor killing all the poor dino souls for me.

Today was horrible.

[I gave up on vocab. My brain melted in third block. Bare with me.]

[Bear with me? I never know which one it is...Hm.]

It all started last night when my AP Chem teacher called me to tell me that I epic failed the quiz she gave on the first day [My words, not hers. Although that would have been cool.], and if I wanted to take it again, I needed to come to her room at 7:30.

[Not that that is different for me. Jessie makes me get there at 7:30 every day anyways. Whole other rant. I digress.]

Quizzes are not the best way to start off a sunshiney day.

And it turns out that I don't like a single one of my classes. They are all really really crowded.

So my level of stress just kept building until Breakdown Number 1 at the beginning of sociology.

Which would be my favorite class if the people around me would shut the hell up long enough for us to learn anything.

I moved on to AP Chem and discovered that the same people who talked in Soc? Yeah. They're in this class too.

I learned nothing.

After school, I have academic bowl, which I used to love. Until I realized today, the people who talked through Soc and AP Chem? You guessed it. They're on there too.

I'm also the only female on the varsity team, so when I'm left in charge, no one listens to me except my friend Matty. Q doesn't even listen because he's good friends with all of the others.

When Q and I were walking to his car, I had Breakdown Number 2, thanks to the academic "coach".

[Emphasis on the quotation marks.]

He just takes roll and then leaves. He fussed at me because I finally gave in to everyone and said that flannel shirts could be our uniform for our next meet. "All decisions have to go through me!"

I think that if you want to be in charge of the decisions, take the responsibilities as well.

I've been on academic bowl since I was seven. It has always been my favorite thing ever.

I cannot stand it now.

It just breaks my heart.

On the way to his car, as I was sobbing, Q proceeding to apologize for everything, but it doesn't mean that it's not going to keep going on. He just wanted to calm me down.

And tomorrow, I'm dropping out of AP Spanish. I can't keep up with all of my work and it is only the second day. There is no way that I'll survive.

That's all for today. I have to go write a two page paper, do a take home test, and do five worksheets.

Oh, I forgot. A little bit of amusement.:

Thesaurus.com is a homophobe.

May the force be with y'all.

"Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti."

2011-01-04T17:28:00.001-05:00

Las Mananitas - Mexican Folk Song

It's my 18th birthday! :) That's all I really have to say because I'm exhausted. AP Chem is a bitch, and all I've been through is the first day. Holy shit. I just called the teacher because someone told everyone to, and I epic failed a quiz we had to take today. I got a 29 out of 48. Dude, yeah. Bad.

Oh, and my closest male friend and his sister got me a pillow pet! How legit is that?!

[The answer to that is "Really really legit".]

It's a yellow jacket.

[Cause I'm going to Tech. Get it? Get it?]

Oh, and a pretty legit purse from my mother. I'll post pictures tomorrow. It has a tree on it.

Um, yes.

Later! I've gotta go have dinner with my mom, sister, grandparents, Q, and all my cousins.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot..."

2011-01-01T23:00:00.001-05:00

Auld Lang Syne

New Years was decently rockin'.

We had a few friends over, and we watched Easy A [again].

Just a break in the New Years stuff to talk about this movie. Easy A is pretty awesome. No, really. It is. I'm not your typical chick flick kind of girl. Don't get me wrong. I can watch them with the best of them. But I don't necessarily like them. I definitely don't love them. Except this one. This is the most intelligently funny movie that I have seen in a long time. Even Q liked it. If you haven't seen it, do. Now.

Back to New Years.

Q pulled out all the stops with the NYE kiss.

I'm talking the war-is-over-sailor-and-nurse photograph kiss.

Well...No one ever said that we didn't have a flair for the dramatic. :)

And as for my family's annual tradition:

Things in 2010 I'm most proud of:

I got accepted to Georgia Tech and Mercer University; both of which are great engineering schools.
I figured out who my real friends are, and we've all become closer than ever.
I worked really hard in my classes, and I got everything done. [I may or may not have a nasty habit of not doing my work. Cough. Cough.]

My New Year's resolutions:

To keep up with all of my work this semester. I'm in AP Statistics, AP Chemistry, AP Spanish, and sociology. It is a heavy semester, and if I get behind, I'll never catch back up.
To stay in a stable emotional state. I tend to get really depressed, and when I do, I pick fights with people. I need to work on realizing that's what's going on and just backing off.
To start out my freshman year of college on a high note! I'm beyond excited, but really scared.

Also, my 18th birthday is in 3 days.

I'm officially old enough to ~~go clubbing, get tattoos, and buy tobacco products~~ buy things off of infomercials, buy spray paint, and get an account on eBay. Woot!

As for my birthday presents:

I got a laptop! Okay, so I paid for the majority of it....But I got $150 to put toward a lap top!

Also, a straightener! My old one is kind of janky, and all of the ceramic had worn off the plates, and my hair was completely dying.

Ain't she cute?

Overall, I'm really excited for this year, but in complete honesty, I'm scared to death as well. Scared of leaving my family, scared of losing my friends, scared of Q joining the military... It's a changing point in my life, and I just have to push through it. I will survive.

I hope so, at least.

May the force be with y'all!

"Feeling so fly like a G-6."

2010-12-29T00:15:00.000-05:00

Like a G-6 - Far East Movement

Why is this song so addicting?

Wow, these have been long [but wonderful] few days, but step by step I shall catch you guys up...

Starting later.

It's kind of late right now.

But basically, I've been sitting at home knitting and playing Sims 2: Open for Business.

[My Sims are far more successful than I am.]

Also, I'm getting my hair done tomorrow.

Is there any better feeling than getting your hair done? Really?

[The answer is no. There isn't.]

My mother really likes it when I'm really blonde, so I'm getting it dyed and highlighted...again. Anything to keep her happy. I am not going to be Playboy bunny blonde though.

[Not again. Never again. Long story. Long, traumatizing story. *shudder*]

We'll see how this goes.

[Tune this next part out if you hate crafty stuff.]

[Who am I kidding? Leave if you hate crafty stuff. We don't take your kind here.]

I've been knitting up a storm. Mom bought me a headband type deal with a flower on it that I have already successfully recreated. I am ~~such a nerd~~ so awesome. I'm now working on another one to give to a friend for Christmas.

Wait, Christmas has already passed? Shit. I'm behind.

In other news, I'm serious about this Denmark fanbase. I looked at my stats today and more Demark...people [Denmarkish? Denmarkian? Denmarkese?] than Americans have looked at my blog this week. What? If you're from Denmark, comment! It's entirely exciting.

Alright. I'm off to watch some more How I Met Your Mother...I mean, do something productive.

May the force be with y'all.

"Life is a mystery."

2010-12-22T22:58:00.002-05:00

Like a Prayer -- Glee Cast Version

Sooooo I'm bored, so I'm doing one of those lame myspace-esque surveys.

[Also, I've been noticing lately that I tend to add esque onto the end of nouns to make them adjectives...Is that allowed?]

[Do I care, really?]

DB's 2010:

JANUARY:

Who kissed you on New Year's?

My most recent ex. It was really quick though because my mom, sister, his brother, his best friend, and Caleb were in the room. We didn't have the balls or the indecency to have a full make out session or anything.

Did you have a New Year's Resolution this year?

To do all of my homework, get all As, and get into college.

Um, yeah. ~~All~~ Most of my homework got done, I've only gotten two Bs [AP classes. Get off my butt.], and I've gotten into not one, but TWO colleges. I think it counts as a success.

Does it snow where you live?

No, thank god. I'm such a snow party pooper.

FEBRUARY:

Who was your Valentine?

Said ex that I was dating on NYE. But we broke up on the 15th, so does that even count? I think not.

When you were little did you buy Valentine's for the whole class?

Um, yes, and they were ballin' outrageous. I also got Christmas presents for half the class because everyone did.

What did you receive for valentine's day?

Nothing. I haven't gotten anything since elementary school.

MARCH:

Are you Irish?

Yeah, man. My name means "pure Irish girl".

APRIL:

Do you like the rain?

I LOVE rain. Like, I have a reputation for going out and playing in it like an 8 year old. Thankfully, Caroline is the same way, and we feel free to act however we want to. :)

MAY:

What is your favorite flower?

I don't have one. Does that make me a terrible girl? I have a nasty feeling that it does.

What about a favorite tree? Does that count?

I love willow trees. They are my absolute favorite. I feel like all of them are like the wise one in Pocahontas.

Does that make me seem weird? No...Of course it doesn't....:)

Is May anything special to you?

I'm graduating from high school in May! That is very much special to me!

Oh, and Q's birthday.

JUNE:

Did you do anything fun during this Month?

I was a VBS councilor! :) I know that sounds extremely nerdy, but I love it so so so much!

The kids are adorable, and I just love getting to know them.

JULY:

What did you do on the 4th of July?

I adore 4th of July. Every year, a couple of my closest friends and I go to our local symphony orchestra's outdoor concert and the fire works. I bring a quilt, and we all sit in the back talking to each other and seeing everyone who we know there. It is always a blast, and I love it.

AUGUST:

Did you go to the pool a lot?

Well, my sister was dating a guy with a pool at the time.

[I got so mad when she dumped him. What was she thinking? Where was I going to go swimming then? How could she be so selfish...? Hahaha.]

SEPTEMBER:

Do you like fall better than summer?

As much as I complain about band, I really do love band and football season. I spend a lot of time with my closest friends, and there is nothing like the smell of fall. I can always smell it before I can feel it, and it is such an exciting experience!

OCTOBER:

What's your favorite candy?

I don't like candy, really.

What were you for Halloween?

Nothing, this year! :( It was so sad. Halloween is definitely my favorite holiday! I've always gone all out for it.

I just had nothing to do this year. Nowhere to go. Man, my life is lame.

NOVEMBER:

Whose house do you go to for Thanksgiving?

My cousins'.

They live ten minutes away, so it was no big exodus, really.

DECEMBER:

Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes. Oh man.

You should see our tree right now. My mom went all out. Because she feels bad about money being tight, she has wrapped each thing separately, so there are presents everywhere.

Not only that, but they all look professionally wrapped. Huge bows, flowers, ornaments....Like she really went all out.

I'll post pictures eventually.

Have you ever been kissed under the mistletoe?

Nope!

What do you love most about December?

Everyone is always in such a loving and giving mood!

Oh, and the sweaters. I love sweaters.

I really want a sweater vest.

[You hear that, Santa?]

RANDOMS:

Did you learn Anything New?

I did, actually. After a nasty breakup, I had a pretty low period in which I felt like I had no one. But slowly, I came out of that, and I've become so much closer to all of my friends that I've had all along.

I was like, I had a year to stray from them, but then when I came back, our friendships have all become so much stronger. I love all of them so much. I have trust issues by nature, but I can easily say that I trust and love them with all my might.

It'll be so hard to leave all of them next year, but I know that out relationships are strong enough to last.

Near Death Experience?

Does Q's driving count?

I think it counts.

Lost Some Friends?

Yeah, but that's part of growing up, I think. As we change, relationships change. Sometimes, shit happens. It's better to remember the good times and move on than to keep creating bad ones. Sometimes, you have to man up and move on.

Oh looky there! Another lesson!

That was my year.

It wasn't as boring as that survey, that's for sure. ;)

Btw, I've been knitting for so long today, that I'm pretty sure that I'm going to have claws in the morning.

Totally worth it...I'm making socks.

Damn straight.

May the force be with y'all.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere we go."

2010-12-20T22:27:00.001-05:00

Jessie: Mom, you're just jealous because you can't speak Spanish like Katie and me!

Mom: You wouldn't be able to either if you had my high school teacher! Evil Cuban lady....She used to throw erasers at me!

Jessie: Did you just say razors? She threw razors at you?

Mom: E-RASE-ORS.

Jessie: Well, then why are you complaining? I mean, if she had thrown razors at you like I thought you said, she would have really been evil!

Mom: ...Where did I go wrong with you?

Haha. Ha. Ha.

My family is weird.

Also, victory of the day:

Q likes to embarrass me with PDA as much as possible.

I really dig it when it backfires on him.

Faces and names were blacked out to protect the innocent and the not so innocent.

BOOYAH!

Also, apparently I have a decent fan base in Denmark! Who knew!

Hello over there!

Got my final Christmas shopping done today. I did all my shopping with my cursed $50 Bath and Body Works giftcard.

Which, btw, still ticks me off!

Was it a gift? No. It was my pay check.

Every year, I do spotlight for my high school's drama production. Our drama department is a huge deal. In fact, they built a huge state-of-the-art auditorium for it last year.

Usually, plays have two spotlights. But in order to avoid training someone new, I'm the only one. I do all the parts.

[I consider it my yearly workout.]

They have a spotlight salary of $50 every year, so I always get paid $50.

When it came to the last night of the production last year, the assistant director came up to my booth with my pay....in the form of a $50 Bath and Body Works gift card.

I was ticked.

To begin with, I don't wear scented stuff, and besides, what am I going to do with fifty bucks worth of lotion, soap, and candles?

So, guess what my cousins are getting for Christmas!

:)

May the force be with y'all!

"I don't want a lot for Christmas; there is just one thing I need."

2010-12-19T10:57:00.002-05:00

All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey

Definitely one of my preferred Christmas songs. Don't look at me like that. You know you love it too!

When it came on the radio before school the other day:

Jessie: Stop!

[I freeze and stare at her like she's crazy.]

Jessie: No one leaves this car until this song is over!

[Proceeds to reach forward and turn it all the way up.]

We just sat in the parking lot dancing and singing along to it like lunatics. Gotta love sisterly bonding.

One of my friends walked by, stood and stared at us for a second, and then started dancing along in front of our car. Haha. That's when you know that a friendship is meant to be.

But yes. Q is gone back home to the islands for Christmas break and Caroline is leaving for Florida in a couple of days. I'm going to be so lonely!

But anyway. I deal. I've been working on putting a dent in my AP Chem homework, but instead, I've gotten distracted and am putting a dent in our yarn collection instead.

[Not that I ever will. You don't understand. It takes up half the living room. It is everywhere.]

So far, I've gotten two squares done for the quilt-esque afghan that I've been working on for mom, a scarf for Q, and on and a half gloves for my friend Patty. And I still have to do gloves for Caroline.

[I'm beginning to see defined muscles in my fingers.]

Caroline and I have a Christmas present system every year. In order to avoid the awkwardness of buying something that the other doesn't like, we prearrange what we're giving. Since we are both ~~nerdy old ladies~~ decently adept at both knitting and sewing, we pick something that we are both going to make and then have at it.

This year it's gloves. Last year, we made hats.

You can kind of see the hat that she gave me. It has kind of a snowflake-y lace pattern on the back.
The one I gave her is light blue, and it has vertical ribbing up it with flower off centered on the front. It looks like a 1920s hat, kind of, which is totally her vibe.

We don't know what color or pattern or type of yarn that the other one is using, though, so there is still that element of surprise when we open them. It makes life sooooo much easier.

Do any of y'all have holiday traditions with your friends?

May the force be with y'all.

"Yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got love in my tummy."

2010-12-14T21:52:00.000-05:00

So. I made the most amazing appetizer today for my Spanish final.

[Thank you, Sandra Lee. You are my hero.]

Now all I need is a cocktail and a table scape.

[Anyone? Anyone? Food Network, people.]

I made empanadas tonight.

Keep in mind that I'm not a cook. Like, at all. In fact, mom has decided that I watch the Food Network so often because I like to live vicariously through them while I lounge on the couch eating Cheetos.

[Yum.]

Now, when I tell you what is in them, don't jump to conclusions. It really doesn't sound like too great of a combination. But I'm a green bean casserole addict, so, naturally, I had to try it at least once.

[Well, you know. Only cause I had to.]

We're on a food unit in Spanish, so our final is to present a recipe that we like, en espanol, and then pass around the food and let everyone try it.

[It's tomorrow morning...Wish me luck.]

Everyone in there has exempted it but me and six other people, so we're having ourselves a regular little fiesta.

These are really good to make after Christmas or Thanksgiving when you have leftover green bean casserole [I make mine without the soy sauce and pepper, but whatever floats your boat.] and mashed potatoes. Or, you can just go ahead and make them first, like I did tonight. Super super easy. It took me about 20 mins to do both of them beforehand.

Yum yum yum. My favorite thing ever. And NO. That was not all me. My sister ate some too. :)

The added bonus is that you can be a fatty like me and stand at the kitchen counter eating the casserole straight out of the pan.

This is the way to do things. Don't be a square.

But anyway, Here's my Sandra Lee's empanada recipe. (And I'll even put it in English, unlike my copy.):

Equal parts excitement and frustration.

I used mild, but you can go as spicy as you'd like.

Makes 20 [ish] empenadas [turnovers]

1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
1/2 cup of green bean casserole
1 teaspoon of taco seasoning
1 cup of Mexican shredded cheese
1 box of refrigerated pie crust (Pillsbury recommended)
1 huevo

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (Yeah. I definitely just used Pam and only one baking sheet. But hey. Depends on the person.)
3. Combine the potatoes and the casserole in a bowl. Mix in the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of cheese.

4. Unroll the pie crust and use a 3 inch biscuit cutter [or a juice glass, like I did.] to cut as many circles out as possible. Do this with both crusts.
5. Put a teaspoon of the potato mixture on each circle. I found that you really don't need all that much. If you overfill it, they won't close properly.

6. Use a fork or knife to fold the dough in half and pinch the edges with your fingers.
7. Use a fork to seal the edges and make them look pretty.

8. Beat an egg, and brush the egg over the pastries [only do a few at a time].
9. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the pastries.

10. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

That's it!

Believe me. If I can do it, you can.

Yummy AND healthy. [If my sister was willing to eat it, you know it's healthy. She's a veggiesaurus health nut.]

Hope this food break perked y'all up from your finals drag.

May the force be with y'all!

"Feliz navidad. Prospero ano felizidad."

2010-12-13T21:18:00.001-05:00

Feliz Navidad

I am the best sister ever. Have I ever told you that? I am.

I just got my sister's Christmas present, and it cost me...dun dun dun....$70.

Gasp.

It kind of pains me to say it.

[Keep in mind that I have no income....At all. This is babysitting money from like June.]

But she'll really like it. And I'd rather spend that much on something that she'll use instead of something that she'll just say "Uh huh, thanks." and then toss them aside, you know?

Anyway, my sister ~~has a serious mental deficiency~~ is really into running. Like really into running.

She runs at least 5 miles a day.

[No, it's okay. I don't understand it either.]

So I got her this:

You can get them here.

They aren't really my style at all, but she really likes running tights with bright color blocked patterns. And they really aren't all that easy to find, as you might imagine.

She saw some similar ones in her magazine that she loved, so....hopefully.

Fingers crossed!

May the force be with y'all.

"I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind."

2010-12-10T18:59:00.003-05:00

I'm So Tired -- The Beatles

Have you ever had days in which you start thinking about old friends and missing them unbearably?

This is especially bad when there is bad blood between you and you don't even speak anymore.

I just...I don't know. It sucks to lose a best friend. In less than a year, we've gone from inseparable to fighting whenever there is any contact at all.

But that's life, I guess. I can't sit here and whine because it is just as much my fault as it is theirs. It would be so much easier just to pin all of the blame on them, but I can't, in good conscience, do that.

Sorry for the emo post. I don't know what's up with me.

I think I'm just exhausted.

Anyways. Football game tomorrow. State championships, to be exact! I'm excited for our boys, two of them being my cousins. Band practice in the morning beforehand, but after that, I should have a good time. :)

And now, in exchange for you reading the whiny bit, here are some things that I found amusing.

This was in my study guide for the standardized test that I had to read. It amused me, which was step up from the snoring that the rest of it caused me to do.

This says it all.

Nothing like the misfortune of others to make one feel good about their own lives.

...I'm just kidding. I'm really not a terrible person.

Well, maybe a little bit.

May the force be with y'all.

"Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade? I'll march my band out; I'll beat my drum."

2010-12-04T21:11:00.001-05:00

Don't Rain on My Parade - Lea Michelle

This was originally sung by Barbra Streisand, but I really really love this cover. It is the perfect feel good, belt it out song.

Well, today was the last Christmas parade that I have to march in ~~this season~~ EVER!

[Insert a break for me to dance around the room cheering like a maniac.]

[I hate parades.]

Well, no. They are okay when you're watching them or are riding on a float. Hell, you could be walking behind a float, and they are still kind of fun. But when you are marching in a band uniform? Hells to the no.

Um, yeah, so my bestie Matty and I? We're super cool. Same iPod, synchronized song? Ballin'.

Also, my high school is up for the state championship in football!

[There would be another squealing fit here, but I took an energy shot on a dare at 7:30 this morning, so the crash? It's visiting DB town. ZZZzzzzzzz.......]

Believe me; it is a great end to my high school band career. I don't think that I'll cry at my last game next week, but I also don't think that it'll it me then.

Except maybe when everyone else starts crying. That may set me off. That always sets me off.

Sigh.

Anywho. I'm sure you'd all be glad to know that I have gotten more complements on my knitted Santa hat than I have on all of my carefully planned outfits put together. You never know what people will be into.

Speaking of outfits, I was cute this week.:

Admittedly, it was cuter in person than it really is in these pictures. It had a sort of cute but boho feel. You can't tell from the pictures, but the skirt is lace.

The skirt? My sister's. The vest? Mom's from the 80s. Oh yeah.

I dig how big the vest is. I don't know why. I just do.

It was lovely. Don't you love days like that?

May the force be with y'all!

"Pasa la noche conmigo, bonita."

2010-12-01T19:22:00.003-05:00

Bonita -- Andres Cabas

Even if you don't speak Spanish, check this song out. It is pretty fantastico, if I do say so myself.

So excited!

Great news you guys! Yesterday, I bought.... [wait for it...wait for it...].....the best sweatshirt ever!

I mean, it's nothing special to look at because it is just a plain dusty pink color, but it is amazingly soft. And warm. The outside is a really soft sweatshirt material and the inside has the faux sheep skin stuff that keeps you toasty and is fun to sit there and pet all day.

[No, like seriously. I get weird looks in the hallways, but it's all worth it.]

Soooo fuzzyyyyy.....

[Q is excited. He has a very similar one from his college visit, and I steal it at least once a week. He won't have to freeze anymore!]

[But seriously. What else are boyfriends for? :) Duh.]

[So I'm a klepto. Stop judging.]

It set me back $20, but so so worth it.

Merry Christmas to me!

Note the hand knitted Santa hat. You wish you were this cool.

May the force be with y'all.

"But you don't really care for music, do ya?"

2010-11-28T22:06:00.001-05:00

Hallelujah -- Celtic Thunder

Serious love for Celtic Thunder Christmas right now. Oh how I love the holiday season, and these lovely Irish men make it all that much better.

Alright, boring life update.

The bronchitis is just about gone. I keep feeling better and then forgetting to take my meds. Who needs breathing anyway?

Thanksgiving didn't have any crying or yelling! No broken glass, only one person bled... I consider it a success. It didn't hurt that the adults were all tipsy within a half hour. Hey, Irish Catholic families. What can you do?

Friday night, we had yet another football game...Whoo! We're in the playoffs, and this one was supposed to be a tough one. We won 17 - 0. Yeah. One more game before the state championships. That is insane. It would be the perfect end to my marching band career, don't you think?

Saturday, my family, my boyfriend, and I all smushed ourself into Excalibur and headed to Athens, GA.

[Perfect road trip car. Did I mention that there is a drink cooler built into the glove compartment. Yes.]

While there, mom happily hung out with her super fly homies [aka my godmothers], leaving the other three of us to fend for ourselves.

"Um, yeah. You're gross."

After running a 5K, Q and my bickering was not as amusing to her.

Overall, I deem it a successful trip.

Also, breaking news. I think I'm going to put myself on a diet.

Not a hardcore one or anything, but I have no energy at all. I don't have time to exercise, but I might as well take control of what I eat.

We'll see how long this lasts.

May the force be with y'all.

"Take me down to the paradise city, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty."

2010-11-23T16:37:00.003-05:00

Paradise City - Guns n Roses

So, as some of you know, I receive writing prompts in the ...email [That doesn't work as well as "in the mail". Hm...] sometimes. Well, this one, I'm stealing from Amy at Happily Ever After.

Top 5 Reasons why my Hometown is Better than Everyone Else's:

1. You know everyone, so if someone kidnaps you, you're always able to tell the police who it was.

...And who their momma is, where they live, and which church they attend.

2. You get a chance to wear every season's clothes every day because it is freezing in the morning, burning up in the afternoon, and has a nice autumn breeze in the evening.

And in the summer, no clothes are necessary because they would melt right off of you anyways. Shoes? They are optional all year round.

3. I never need to call home and check in because my neighbors do that for me.

The same rule applies to grades on tests and whether or not I turn in my homework.

4. None of that meddlesome travelling for Thanksgiving and Christmas; my family all lives in town.

It makes it so much easier to bond with your cousins when you all go to the same high school.

5. No hard decisions when it comes to where to shop or eat.

With only five or six stores in town, and just as many ~~good~~ decent restaurants, it is never hard to choose where to go. [The exception to that statement is Mexican restaurants. We have tons of those, and they are all good.]

In other news, I'm sick. The docs told me that I have bronchitis. Aka "turn around and drop your pants so we can pump you full of antibiotics and steroids."

Aside from the two shots, I'm on seven different meds.

Just in time for the annual family ~~smackdown~~ Thanksgiving meal.

May the force be with y'all.

“Ooooh, we’re halfway there. Ooooh, living on a prayer.”

2010-11-20T19:04:00.001-05:00

Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi

First off, preview tiny photo of my 80s costume!

It looks kind of off because my arms are up, but yeah. Check out the hair.

Second, I GOT IN TO GA TECH! Hells yeah. That’s my number one school, and I’m so super pumped. One of my closest guy friends got in, and we’ve been planning on going there together for as long as I can remember. I still can barely believe it.

I just got home from an all day academic bowl tournament, and I’m exhausted, so….I’m considering going to bed. And yes. It is 7:03. Does that make me ~~lame~~ super cool?

Quote of the day:

Mom – You have a handful with Q.

Me – He wishes.

Mom – So do you.

May the force be with y’all.

"To days of inspiration, playing hooky, making something out of nothing..."

2010-11-12T14:54:00.001-05:00

La Vie Boheme - Rent

Tonight, our halftime show for the football game is 80s themed, and we have to dress up. The only problem is that I still don't know what I'm going to wear!

I was going to do the whole Risky Business thing, but they told us last night that it has to be dress code appropriate, and my shorts are too short....Sigh.

This would have been the best costume ever! With boxers instead of tighty whiteys, of course.

I'm considering doing the whole hairband thing...But I don't know. I only have a few hours to come up with something. ~~Plus I'm supposed to be working on my AP Lit online classwork right now.~~ Ooopsy daisy.

Ballin', right? Right.

I mean, as much as I love Flashdance, everyone does that, you know? And a couple of girls are rocking windsuits.

Hmmm. We'll see.

You guys have any ideas?

“Honey, I know this act. It’s called the Tango: Maureen.”

2010-11-07T20:07:00.001-05:00

Tango: Maureen – RENT

I am so exhausted that it’s not even funny. Like, it is really sad.

Friday:

I had to work really hard to get everything done for my online class because we had a pep rally during 4th block. That is when I finish up all of the work that I need to for my class. But no. I had to play with the band instead. ~~Really fun!~~ Biggest waste of time ever.

Then there was the ~~football game~~ battle of the marching bands against our rivals. Like, seriously. The score ended up being sixty-something us and zero them. It was really sad. Our band was cheering for their school. But their band is a state recognized program, much like ours, so we had fun battling. We also did a combined halftime show. But it was miserable. We got there at four to practice, and it was raining…and freezing. And then we sat out there and ate pizza in the cold rain until the game started at 7:30. We didn’t leave until about 10. It was so icky.

Saturday and Sunday:

This weekend has been really hard. Like I said in my last post, my close friends’ father is dying of cancer. A group of friends and I spent this weekend at the hospital with them taking shifts sitting with him and holding his hands. The cancer has taken his digestive tract and they’ve taken him off of liquid nutrition. He has been unresponsive because they have him on pain meds so that he will remain comfortable. We know that he can hear us though, so we all sit in there and talk with him.

We’ve had waves of emotion all weekend. Some moments, we are all laughing and joking around and remembering funny stories. Other times, we are all crying and holding one another. It has been an extreme emotional journey, and it is taking its toll on all of us.

I have gained so much respect for a couple of my friends though. One of them graduated last year and goes to college in a city about half and hour away, but he drove down and spent all weekend at the hospital with the family. He’s driving back to school tonight, but he is going to come back and spend the night tomorrow night as well. As hard as my body is taking it, I know that he cannot feel very well right now, but he is still holding in there because he loves the family. Same goes for another guy and girl who have been there too. People always talk about how apathetic teenagers are these days, but they don’t know this group. There has been a constant flow of teenagers showing up to support the family all weekend. Besides the six of us who spent almost all weekend there, there were many others who showed up with food and spent time sitting around his bed and talking with us. There was so much love there, and it makes me so much more optimistic about human beings.

This has just been a long weekend. It doesn’t help that I’ve been having dizzy spells all weekend. Mom just medicated me to make sure that I’m not getting an ear infection or the flu. I don’t have time. We are hosting an academic bowl meet two weeks from tomorrow, and as the captain of the team, I have so much shit to do that it’s not even funny.

I’m just…tired.

“Nobody wins.”

2010-11-03T18:28:00.001-04:00

Nobody Wins – The Veronicas

Keep one of my friend’s family in your prayers tonight. His dad was diagnosed with cancer this summer, and this week, it has taken a turn for the worse. I really don’t know how much longer he has.

He has been one of the few father figures that I’ve had. My own father has never really been around, and he has always been around to ask me what I’m up to and to be concerned about me.

My friend is really close to him, and I’m worried about how he is going to react, so please just keep everyone in your thoughts. Thank you.

“Say goodbye to one more day and another chance for you to change.”

2010-10-29T16:33:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow Never Comes – Teddy Geiger

Eh, there is only one thing that I can really say, and that is that shit happens. You know? Sometimes things end that you don’t want to at the time, but as time goes along, you realize that everything is for the best. A lot of time people confuse being comfortable with being happy. Don’t get me wrong; you can be both. But they are not synonymous with one another.

Shit happens. Sometimes you just have to man up and move past it. If you allow yourself to continue playing the victim, it is your fault in the end. You can let…well, shit rule your life. You’ve just got to let things go.

I think that is a tough life lesson for everyone, and sometimes people don’t even realize that they are learning it.

But whatever.

That’s the end of my soap box for today! On to other things.

Yeah, see that bandwagon over there?

I just jumped on it…or was pushed on it by my friend Caleb. Peer pressure…It’s a powerful force.

But yeah. My twitter account is @vivobailar. I can’t promise that it’ll be interesting (Is anything on there interesting?) because I don’t yet entirely know the purpose of it…

Any of you Twitter vets have any pointers?

Next, in two weeks, we're having an 80s themed marching band show, and we all have to dress up. Awesome, right?

Only problem. I don't know what to wear! Any ideas? One of my friends is already doing Madonna-esque stuff, and we're trying to convince a couple of the freshmen girls to be Salt & Peppa. ;)

I need help!

And finally, random picture of the ~~week~~ month, I guess. I found it a while back.

This was on a scholarship finder that I was filling out. Spooky or just really resourceful?

May the force be with y’all.

“My stupid mouth has got me in trouble; I’ve said too much again.”

2010-10-28T19:44:00.001-04:00

My Stupid Mouth – John Mayer

I realize that I’ve used this title before, but it is actually fitting this time.

It has come to my attention that my blog has recently become more public than it has been in the past.

I have since gone through and deleted things that can be easily identifiable with people that I know, and seeing as this blog has been my place to rant and be as sarcastic and mean as I want, I know that I have said some things that I do not totally mean and that can hurt others.

You know who you are, and I won’t mention you by name, but I really do apologize.