One Gem of a Video

I think this thing speaks for itself. Epic win.

Some Youtube Favorites

First Attempt at Paella

Last night I made a paella for dinner. It had proteins as far as the eye could see. I had clams, chorizo, chicken, shrimp, and lobster tails. Yes lobster tails... and they were amazing in both texture and flavor. I also included a homemade sangria to complement the dish. It was an all around wonderful meal. I shared this with my parents and my friend Chyrelle.

During dinner the subject got on awesome stories from youth. Like one of the only times I've ever been to a Red Lobster and threw rice at old people. There was also the time my mom ralphed in my hoodie on a whale watching excursion in New Hampshire. It was a wonderful meal full of reminiscing and laughter. Definitely sometime I would like to keep doing.

I was almost a little sad when the dinner had to end, but there will be more and of course there are more memories to have. Hopefully a lot more that will make wonderful stories around the dinner table with family and friends.

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Listening to: "Coming Home" by Diddy

Outfit for Interview #3

This is my outfit for the final interview at Elephant Auto. 

Today I'll be meeting with the CEO in a little under 45 minutes. I'm excited/nervous for this final step. I hope I don't completely screw it up. I'm sure I won't but still that thought is in the back of my mind. The last interview I was asked to sing and I'm curious what this guy is going to ask me to do in the interview. 

I bought the cardigan and top last night at Banana Republic for $73 total. That is with my 50% off discount. I can't imagine paying full price for those two pieces, but people do pay that instead of waiting for discounts or things to go on sale. I find it to be slightly insane.

I am obviously wearing the same skirt and same shoes for this interview. I felt it would be superfluous to buy more of those for just an interview.

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Listening to: "Pure Milk" by The Mountain Goats

New Freaking Haircut

 My new freaking haircut. Note the awesome bangs.

Bridget at Escada Salon in Midlothian does the best job... EVER

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Listening to: "The Little Cowboy" by Erin McKeown

Interview Update

The interview went awesome, and I heard back from Elephant Auto an hour after I left their offices. They've asked me to come back for the final interview with the CEO. I scheduled it for tomorrow (Friday) at 3:30PM. I can't wait! I really want this job. It works perfectly though since I'll have just gotten a haircut that morning. I will be looking sharp. I'm going to get a new top at Banana Republic tonight to wear tomorrow.

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Listening to: "Mayfly" by Belle and Sebastian

Dressed for Success

 Here is the outfit I am wearing to my first face-to-face interview at Elephant Auto Insurance. It starts in fifty minutes, and I couldn't be more excited for this job.

The nude wedges are from DSW for $50, the suiting skirt, lacy tank, and cardigan I got from Banana Republic for $90 (with my employee discount), the belt is from Gap for $20 (also with my discount) and the gold locket necklace was a gift from my parents when I was just a baby. All in all a good deal for such a cute outfit. I can't wait for it to be really warm out so I can wear this hotness to Banana Republic for work.

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Listening to: "All the Pretty Girls" by .fun

I Wish I Knew how to Knit

I would make this for myself if I could knit. I'm going to ask my Mom to make it for me instead though.

If you want to buy it she has a shop at Etsy and a few other color options as well as some cute hats.

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Listening to: "Cabin Fever" by Casey Dienel

A Graph of Breakups on Facebook

This always makes me laugh. I was broken up with last April Fool's Day and apparently it's one of THE most popular days to break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend on facebook. I can understand two weeks before Christmas, because maybe you realize you don't want to waste your money on the asshole you've been dating for the past couple of weeks. But how in the world is it more popular than Valentine's Day?

Maybe they are counting the people who break up as a gag. I'm not sure if that will ever be truly known, but this is still good for a laugh. Found this awesome graph here.

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Listening to: "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri

A Cute Photo and a Short Update

This is the CUTEST thing I've seen all week.

Yes, I am aware it's only Tuesday. I feel it's a safe bet this will be the cutest thing my eyes will see for the rest of the week.

Besides a cute pug in pug slippers I'm starting to work on some crafty type things this afternoon. Hopefully my next post will include photos of things I've been making.

I got a 99 on my first chemistry test... so obviously class is going well.

I have an interview with one of the jobs I applied for.

I have started the application process for one nursing school.

I'm getting a haircut this Friday, and I plan to add some seriously awesome bangs to my look. (I seriously can not wait for Friday to get here!)

I can't really think of much other new stuff that's going on in my life, but it's going well regardless.

I want to pick a new book, but I have no idea what I want to read. The last book I read was Anna Karenina and that took me 3 months to read. YIKES!!! It was also a really long, and intense book so I can't feel terrible about taking that long to read a book.

One last thing before I get back to crafting... I've actually been keeping up with my blog everyday so far this month! I feel accomplished :)

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Listening to : "Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay

Picasso at the VMFA

Today, was supposed to be a super fantastic day where weather is concerned. Instead, it was mostly cloudy, and not incredibly warm out. Instead of going to Maymont I went to the VMFA to see the Picasso exhibit that's passing through. Seeing as it's a Monday the exhibit wasn't incredibly packed. Probably because most adults are hard at work earning a living. One of these days I'll join those ranks, but until then I'm going to live it up. The exhibit was fantastic. There were so many wonderful paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs. It was larger than I expected, but not overwhelming. I was definitely bummed about photography not being allowed. Here are some of my favorites from the Picasso exhibit...

Seeing the Picasso exhibit reminded me of when I was in Spain at the Prado and Rena Sophia. I absolutely loved the art there. Here are a few of my favorites from that trip in the summer of 2008...

 

I would love to go back to Madrid and be able to spend more than a few short hours at those museums. Of course I'd also want to drink sangria, dance all night, and shop a whole bunch too.

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Listening to: "The Sea and the Rhythm" by Iron & Wine

Dave & Busters

This is addiction at it's finest.

A Good Sunday Funday

 Today, I went down to Brown's Isle and played with an aerobie. For those of you that don't know what that is go here. I had never heard of these things before today. It was pretty neat. Also walked around Belle Isle for a while, and ran into some friends I haven't seen in forever.

Saw this today on the bridge while returning from Belle Isle. I do love ninjas.

(Another one of those little things I have a knack at finding around Richmond.)

All in all it was a good day.

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Listening to: "Summersong" by The Decemberists

Proud of Myself

I officially feel accomplished on this Saturday morning.

I completed my resume and submitted it to two different companies.

I'm really hoping for a second job so I can start saving some serious money.

I've never written a resume before so I have no idea if I did a good job or not. Let's hope so.

Fingers crossed.

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Listening to: "Comeback Kid" by Silversun Pickups

A Typical Friday in the Lives of Erin & Krista

Today was wonderful. Krista and I ate outside at Ginger Thai in Carytown. We had the fresh spring rolls, chicken dumplings and both ordered the tom yum soup. I added tofu to my soup and Krista just got the vegetables in her soup. Their food is absolutely amazing and the older woman who works there is adorable.

After that we walked around Carytown for a little while (mostly so I could go to Bangles & Beads to look for some curb chain which was unsuccessful.) After that we headed off to DSW for shoes. Krista bought two cute pairs of shoes for work and one for a wedding she is in during the month of July. I bought two pairs of shoes, a neutral colored wedge by Nine West and an adorable pair of black flats by Blowfish.

After the shoe store we headed up to Short Pump Town Center so Krista could get some work appropriate clothes and I could have some pants altered at Banana Republic. Krista was mostly unsuccessful with new work clothes. She ended up with just two pairs of pants. I continued my search for curb chain with no luck.

Finally, we made our way to Whole Foods so Krista could pick up some groceries for her weekend. We also grabbed a hot pretzel to share. It was amazing!!!

When I got home my parents and I headed up to Jo Ann's to pick up a few things. I got paint brushes, alphabet stamps, gold leaf paint, 150 colors of embroidery thread, floral wire and floral tape. I've been inspired to make a few things (mostly jewelry) by looking at DIY blogs on the internet. I still need to pick up a few things like small plastic dinosaurs and some thin, cotton rope, but I'll get there eventually.

I'm super exhausted so it looks like tonight I'm going to stay in and relax in front of the TV with the rents.

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Listening to: "Notorious" by Duran Duran

I found this back in October of last year, and I've been meaning to take a picture of it ever since. Finally did so last night after having sushi at Sticky Rice with Sarah. It's located on S Addison St across the street from Delux. It's super cool in my opinion.

When I tried to take this picture at first the stupid street light cut out on me. I was super pissed off. Walked away and as soon as I turned back the darn thing was back on so of course I ran back and snapped it really quick before the thing could be mean to me again.

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Listening to: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Another Flattering Work Experience

Not too long ago I got asked out for dinner while at work (the first day I was done being sick with the flu). Earlier tonight my friend Josh texted me to a missed connection on Craigslist. Needless to say I'm extremely flattered someone thought I was hot. The post isn't that exciting, but still for someone to think enough of me to actually post one is awesome! It's short, and not creepy like most of the posts are (somewhat of a let down) but here it is.

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Listening to: "Best of Me" by The Starting Line

I Try to be a Good Daughter

This weekend I planned a special Valentine's Day surprise for my parents since they were out of town until Saturday night. I bought them lobster bisque from Trader Joe's, a heart-shaped berry tart from Whole Foods, a heart-shaped ribeye steak from Martin's, a bottle of red wine, vanilla gelato, blue cheese crumbles to go on the steak, and tulips.

I wanted the whole thing to be a complete surprise to them both, but I had to tell my Dad because they were planning on steak for Sunday dinner. My mom was SO surprised. Dinner was a huge success. They both loved everything, and were completely stuffed. The steak was super cute. I wish I had taken pictures of the whole deal to show off how awesome I am, but I completely forgot in my own rush to get ready for dinner with Chyrelle (see previous blog post). I try to let them know I love them and appreciate everything they do for me. I'm pretty sure they got the idea with my special dinner surprise.

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Listening to: "Tiger Lilly" by Matchbook Romance

The Restaurant so Nice they Named it Twice

Last night Chyrelle and I went to Cous Cous for a single ladies dinner on Valentine's Day. It wasn't too crowded which was nice, and for the good majority of our meal no one was sitting at the tables next to us so we didn't have to mind our P's and Q's. Anyone who knows me will tell you I have the mouth of a sailor and mind has taken up permanent residence in the gutter.

Our waiter was really nice and very knowledgeable on the menu items. He graciously answered our questions and offered up opinions when asked. For dinner we went with the date night menu. This allowed us each to get a starter, share three second course items, and split a dessert. It also included a 1/2 carafe of sangria. We upped that to a whole carafe of the sangria made with champagne, strawberries and mint.

For our starter we both ordered their soup du jour which was a lamb and vegetable soup prepared in lamb and field stock. It was really good, and I added sriracha to it, like our waiter suggested. This pushed the soup's awesomeness over the edge for me. I wish they'd add it to their everyday menu so I could have it constantly. After the soup we received our second course selections: kefka, saganaki, and gnocchi.

The kefka was a unanimous second favorite to the soup. This dish is meatballs made of pork, beef, and lamb topped with a tomato sauce. There was an unexpected sweetness to them. This flavor really made these meatballs that much more amazing. We could not get enough of this dish, and ate all the sauce it came with on pita bread.

The next dish that was delivered was the gnocchi. This dish was not our favorite, or even close to it. We could have done with a second helping of the kefka instead, but were better off with this dish than some of the other options on the menu (like french fries). In the end it did grow on us a little and we finished most of it.

Our last dish was the sganaki. This dish was described in the menu as "flaming sheep cheese over sliced apples served w/toasted pita." It literally came to our table lit on fire. The cheese was delicious. Our only isse with this dish was that the apples lost too much of their crispness and were too over powered by the cheese. it was still super delicious though, and we nibbled on it while we continued to enjoy our sangria.

Our dessert was UH-mazing to say the least. The panna cotta was beautiful and delicious. We decided to be brave when we selected this particular dessert. Neither of us were sure about how something like this would taste. The panna cotta was topped with balsamic vinegar, strawberries and currants. So because of the vinegar I'm sure you can see why we were a bit hesitant in our selection. The balsamic vinegar definitely balanced out the dish. Without it I have a feeling it might have been a little too sweet.

This was by far the best Valentine's Day dinner I have had to date. Everything was delicious and wonderfully prepared. The service was great, and the price was just right. We only paid $24 each and with tip neither of us paid over $30. If anyone is looking for a good date restaurant I definitely suggest Cous Cous. They do their date night meal deal on Monday and Tuesday nights every week.

Their menu is available on their website here.

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Listening to: "Beat It" by Michael Jackson

A Special Day for a Special Dog

Happy Birthday to one of the CUTEST dogs ever!

I know I post way too many pictures of my dogs, but this is adorable!!!

Douglas is one of the best dogs a girl could ask for.

Berkeley is too of course, but this is a birthday post for Douglas.
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Listening to: "Blush (Only You)" by Plumb

Valentine's Day

I hope everyone has a mathematical Valentine's Day this year!!!
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Listening to: "Carnal Love" by Ash

Three Dog Bakery

Today Berkeley and I went to Stony Point for some Valentine's Day treats from 3 Dog Bakery. I bought 2 cute little heart-shaped treats and three scaredy cats for Douglas and Berkeley. For my friend's dog; Diego I got a big "harlequin" bone treat.

There were of course a ton of other dogs there because it's such a nice Sunday afternoon. Berkeley made an effort to pee like a big boy instead of squatting like a girl. He also took the biggest and nastiest smelling poop ever. I am ashamed to say I didn't have a bad, and couldn't find any to pick it up with so I had to leave it there. I had one set out and forgot to take it with me when I left the house. Gross I know, but according to the movie I Love You, Man it's a natural fertilizer so it should be left behind. At least it was outside and not in a store.

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 Listening to: "Tonight" by Enrique Iglesias

Homemade V-Day Cards

 Stayed in tonight and made these awesome V-day cards.

 Yes, I went with an anatomy theme this year with these cards.

I of course had to bring in zombies with the brain card.

I really want one of these phrenology head statues. They are super cool.

 Each one is stamped with this on the inside.

And on the back my thumbprints make a little heart for my logo or whatever.

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Listening to: "Shine" by The Morning Of

Review on Boom Boom Burgers

Today Krista and I ventured down to East Franklin street to see what all the buzz was about with the new burger joint; Boom Boom Burgers. We both ordered Mrs. Boom burgers and a cheerwine. Krista of course ordered her's plain (without the colby, ketchup, and pickles) and I kept mine how it was originally prepared. Much to our mutual disappointment the burgers did not come with fries or any other side. We paid separately $10.50 for one burger and one soda. When we got our burgers we bit into them expecting grass-fed beefy goodness and were both extremely let down by the flimsy, thin burger that lay inside the bun. It was a pathetic excuse for a hamburger one expects from a fast food joint like McDonald's or Burger King. The meat was also cooked completely through and felt a little dry and lacking flavor. I prefer my burgers to have a nice pink center. The restaurant was practically plastered with images of the owner, as if we cared. After we finished our burgers we both still felt hungry, possibly even more so than before. When we left Boom Boom we headed straight for Buzz & Ned's for some delicious sweet potato fries (Inspired by the photos of the owner who was holding sweet potatoes and bragging about their all natural and local ingredients.). Krista and I were left with such a bad taste in our mouths after Boom Boom that it is highly unlikely for either of us to ever return there again. You can get a good and cheaper burger from Cook Out near Regency Mall for under $2. So what if it isn't grass-fed. I'd rather have a tasty burger for less than 1/3 the price than some flimsy thing that hardly takes up any space in my stomach. If you must venture to this burger joint despite my warnings remember your debit or credit cards because they do not take cash.

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Listening to: "Black Hole Sun" by The String Quartet

Diet Inspiration

I get the feeling I should consider doing this on my fridge. Guilt myself into less snacking.

I'm not gaining weight, but I just feel terrible after I eat all of the snacks. Tonight I ate a little too much junk.

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Listening to: "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany

Cook Out in RVA

 My super delicious BBQ plate from Cook Out.

This is probably the best strawberry milkshake I've had.

Hands down.

I haven't had a hotdog in forever. This was definitely a nice treat.

Had just mustard, ketchup, and relish on it

Tim chowing on his BBQ plate.

This was such an awesome choice for lunch. I'm glad we got there when we did because right after we parked to eat the line of cars never stopped.

Seriously. Hit this place up.

I wish my photo showed how busy this place was, but you can hardly see any cars.

It was like trying to drink pure ice cream.

So freaking amazing, thank goodness for a spoon.

This place is by far the best "fast" food I've ever had. Just be prepared to order, because the menu is a little overwhelming and of course you don't want to hold up the other twenty people behind you. I definitely recommend everything I ordered, and I can't wait to try a different flavor of milkshake next time I go. The prices were also great. You can't beat under $15 for a lunch of that size.

To check them out hit up their website here.
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Listening to: "Over the Rainbow" by Melody Gardot

Thoughts on Dating

Dating can be a very scary challenge for anyone. How do you meet people, what is expected on a first date, what do you wear, etc. Several of my friends have told me about the stresses they feel when thinking about all of this and the issues they have finding a good man or woman.

Meeting people is definitely the first challenge in dating especially after you leave high school and college to join the real world. Meeting people at work is considered a taboo and guys at bars aren't often the kind of person you'd really want to date long term. These days you can even meet people from the comfort of your own home by using different sites online. But does that make it any easier? People can say whatever they want and use older photos or photos that aren't even of themselves. You can never now for sure until meeting someone if they are who they claim to be.

Everything about a first date is scary to practically everyone. You have to make sure your hair looks nice, clothes are nice and appropriate, your skin doesn't have a huge freaking zit, you smell nice, your breath doesn't reek, and so many other tiny things. Another issue is where do you go and what do you do? What do you talk about, and how to react during an awkward silence. What if you have to fart or burp? Who pays for the dinner or whatever you end up doing? All of this is very situational, and greatly depends on how the date is going. Except for farting and burping those are not allowed. At least until date five (just messing). Just do your best to stay calm and make light of any mishaps that might occur along the way.

Nothing about dating is easy or stress free so I guess all I can say is go with the flow and never settle for less than what you deserve; to be happy.

Here are a few funny videos that tie into the dating theme of this particular post. Enjoy.

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Listening to:  "Girl is on My Mind" by The Black Keys

30 Minutes is Hardly Enough

 There's nothing like eating a kids meal while on break at work.

Their kids meal is a steal too. For $5 you get a grilled cheese sandwich, cup of tomato soup, chips, fruit, and drink (soda, juice or milk). I went with chocolate milk.

I think it's incredible if a kid can actually eat all of that. I was stuffed when I finished.
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Listening to: the sounds of the Nordstrom Cafe

Hot Dog!

Two of the best looking guy I know.

They look so cute together.

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Listening to: "Anna Molly" by Incubus