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