Wish Fulfillment/ I am psychic

Normally, I hate March.

HATE.

The snow starts to melt, makes everything muddy, gives way to one last ominous snowstorm, and it's not quite spring clothes season yet. Also, every day is a dilemma between "Snow boots or rain boots?"

It's a tough life.

But this year...ahh, March cannot come fast enough.

I am a senior. So that means I am in a constant mode of senioritis. All. The. TIME. Because I am already looking so forward to graduation and all of the exciting things to come after that (more on that later.)

But THIS year, as my graduation present, my family and I are going to Ireland for spring break!

And, to sweeten the deal, I get to bring my boyfriend, who has never stepped foot on a plane. So his virgin plane experience will be an eight-hour flight over the ocean. He is just thrilled.

In this post, back in December, I talked about how much I missed the UK, and that I just knew I would be back again someday. And March is someday! I can't wait.

Plus, we get to stay at this castle for a night, which I have actually stayed at once before.

Ready for a crazy story about that?

My freshman year of college, I had to make a powerpoint presentation about anything I wanted. The only criteria was that it had to be a business or a location. Anything in the whole, entire world.

Well. I started with Disney World, but then I decided I wanted a real castle. Somewhere far away, where I would never get to go, but could dream about.

What did I choose? Ashford Castle. ^^^^

Little did I know, I would be there the next summer, with a friend I hadn't yet met, who would invite me on a trip to the UK.

I didn't realize it was the same place until I walked in, and was completely stunned. And a little freaked out.

Then, my mom planned this trip to Ireland in the Spring. Where are we staying for one night? Ashford Castle! She had no idea it was the same place I'd been.

So my freshman self had no inkling that before graduation, I would be a guest at that castle not once, but twice. 

Obviously proof that I am psychic. Send your life questions my way, I've got this.

Happy Wednesday!

Brewed*

(*This is also the tentative name of my first book, which I am nearly finished with!)

I am a "setting the scene" kind of person.

I believe in fresh flowers, candles, decorations, and at Halloween, I believe that my home should look like Jack Skellington puked up All Hollow's Eve magic all over the place.

So last night, being a lovely, lazy Sunday, I made breakfast for dinner for my roommates. I lit a candle, put out a sparkly pumpkin, hung up some bat and spider window clings and played music from "Hocus Pocus."

I also cooked up a pot of hot apple cider, and holy cow, that stuff smells amazing when it's cooking. And it tasted delicious, especially with real whipped cream to top it off.

It's a little incredible how much good a hot beverage can do. For me, nothing makes me feel more prepared to take on the day than a cup of hot coffee or tea. I remember reading somewhere that holding a warm drink makes people literally feel warmer and kinder to others. I believe it.

And hot apple cider is really just a yummy, cozy blanket for your internal organs.

I will definitely be making more of this later this season!

I created a Frankenstein-type hot cider with a variety of different cider recipes, but this one was simple and wonderful.

- HOT APPLE CIDER-

- 6 cups apple cider

- 1/4 cup maple syrup

- 2 tsp cinnamon OR 2 cinnamon sticks

- 1 tsp nutmeg

- Peel from 1 orange

- Peel from 1 lemon

1. Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large pot. Turn the stove up to medium-high.

2. Add the spices and fruit peels.

3. Heat for five to ten minutes, until hot. Makes 6 servings.

And that's it! I let it simmer through dinner, too, so we could go back for seconds. I remember my mom making apple cider when I was young, and nothing feels more like autumn than that. What are some of your favorite fall traditions?

Happy Monday!

The Pumpkin Festival

So this happened a week ago...

...And I've been a bit lazy.

BUT it is the weekend, and I am loving this weather! It's chilly and fall-like, as it should be. 

Last weekend wasn't quite as obedient. It was kind of hot, actually. But regardless, it looked like autumn at the annual pumpkin fest!

So you know Libby's pumpkin? One of the major canned pumpkin brands at the grocery store?

Well, their headquarters are about twenty minutes away in a town called Morton. And because of that, Morton puts on a festival every year filled with crafts, rides and pretty much every pumpkin food you could imagine.

Honestly, I crave that pumpkin ice cream all year long. 

Also, get this...it's coming up to the end of September. And I still have yet to get a pumpkin spice latte.

INCONCEIVABLE.

Just wrong.

So that will be my goal this week, in addition to hopefully studying enough for my tests and getting the paper out on Friday.

Have a lovely week, it is officially fall!

On college, selves, and endless writing.

This is me most days.

With the campus newspaper I am the editor for, a rather disheveled appearance, no makeup, looking a little zombie-like, sitting in the newsroom, and yes, that is a pen behind my ear.

I have spent three, going on four years, in this room.

It is where most of my college career has taken place, and where half of the memories have been formed.

Where wildly inappropriate, yet witty, jokes have been tossed around. Where way too many french fries and pizza have been consumed, particularly during stressful weeks. Where we broke a window trying to kill a wasp. And where I went from reporter to editor, from freshman to senior. 

It's not an easy job.
But it is incredibly worthwhile.

I am what most would call a people-pleaser, and there is no room for that in this job.
Case in point: Let's say I write an editorial that is less than glistening about some new campus program. Then we distribute 5,000 copies of it around campus. Someone will not be pleased, guaranteed. And they will likely tell me so.
Words have power.
I didn't realize quite how much until I started this job.

It's something I'm still getting used to.

But I don't know that a job in the media is what I will ultimately end up with. It could, but I don't know.

Do you ever think about that?
Go one path, and you could be this person.
Take the other, and you'll be someone else entirely.
But both paths could be completely satisfying, in their own right.

That's the hardest part about senior year.
What now?

To be honest, I want to write books. I have ideas for about seven as of now, and I've started on three. One is very close to being done.
Ever since I was little, that was my dream. I loved telling stories. Still do.

So anytime I get panicky about what I might do with my life, I try to sit down and write a little more.
And it always feels like that's exactly what I was born to do.

Aaaaand end rant.

Pumpkin Festival this weekend!
Happy Friday :)

The Sunday Soups

-I am a college student.

-I am, 99% of the time, quite broke.

-If I am not eating food at the present moment, then I am likely hungry and/or thinking about food.

All of these things are related, you see.

As I mentioned in this post, when the school year gets crackin', eating becomes hard work. I try to find something portable, filling, and for the most part, instant.

The answer to that?

Sunday Soups.

I have discovered that if I cook up a big soup on Sunday, the only day when I typically have time, then I've got lunches and/or dinners to pop in the microwave for the next week.

I know you're not really supposed to eat the same thing for like a week straight, but come on now. It could be Ramen, after all.

But anyway, I wanted to try out soups because it doesn't cost much to cook up a big pot of it, they're healthy and they taste delicious. The good ones, at least.

There's a site I found that I like a lot, and it's actually where both of the soups I made came from!

It's called Oh She Glows.Seriously. Even the name is enticing. I found it and thought, "Yes. I too would like to glow. Show me how."

It's a site filled with delicious vegan recipes that even myself, who eats far too many chicken nuggets and animal by-products to be anything close to vegan, loves. 

Last week, I made the Carrot-Apple-Ginger soup.

(Please enjoy the phone-camera quality of the following photos.)

- Recipes for both soups here. -

And because I wasn't thinking, I never got a picture of the finished product. But it turned out as a creamy, bright orange, flavorful bowl of happiness.

In one word, it would be fresh. But also very, very (surprisingly) filling. That sucker has a pound and a half of carrot ground up in it, not to mention one or two apples.

Yum. 

And it's perfect for the onset of harvest-fresh apples!

This week's soup, which I am enjoying at the present moment, is the Red Lentil, Butternut Squash Curry soup.

Ok so...mine looks nothing like the photo for the recipe does. At all. But it's still wonderful!

I'm a sucker for curry, too. I ate a lot of Indian food in high school, considering many of my friends were Indian. 

My best friend's parents own an Indian restaurant, so I've become horribly spoiled with that.

Anytime I go elsewhere, it's just...not right.

But I have to say, that soup is good. Like I-will-gladly-eat-it-every-single-day kind of good. And it smells awesome when it's cooking, as does anything cooked with onions and garlic.

So needless to say, I will be continuing the Sunday Soups tradition, at least until I run out of good soups to try.

(Which won't happen. I bought a cookbook. Get excited.)

Next weekend is the Pumpkin Festival round these parts, so I will post a recipe I crafted myself...the pumpkin spice smoothie! It's delicious. I can't wait.

As for this weekend, me, Tom, my roommate and her friend headed to the Marigold Festival, which was actually adorable. Such a fun day!

Except for the duck....

Things in costume freak me the heck out.

Who could be behind those freakishly large eyes?

My Thomas.

It was too sunny for him, but I like to imagine it's his reaction to the above ^^ photo.

 Happy Monday!!

Big Girl Time

I have to be honest...

I'm thrilled for all my friends who keep scoring post-grad jobs at the start of their senior year. But seeing all the Facebook statuses is totally freaking me out.

I figured I would at least have until winter or so to start the search.

False.

Apparently, you should start it nine months out.

I was looking online yesterday for people who wanted grads, and thought "What am I doing?! This is not real life."

The idea of having a big girl job keeps me up at night, I swear. It's not like I haven't worked before; I've been working since I was sixteen.

But I've always had more school to look forward to.

So now, suddenly, since I'm not doing grad school, (not yet at least; you never know!) I have this whole new phase of life happening, called "career."

It's the typical cry of the college senior.
"What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Myself, circa 1995, complete with tutu and glowing red eyes.

I read somewhere that to find your true passion, think back to yourself between the ages of six and 11. What kinds of things did you like to do? What interested you most?

For me, it was writing. Storytelling. And it never went away.
But until I complete my first book, (underway, by the way. More than halfway done.) I have to find something fairly stable to support my endeavors until I hit the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Shoot for the moon and all that, right?

In the meantime, here I will be, studying at school, praying I have all my credits covered, and running a newspaper, all while trying to squeeze in some final college memories to reminisce about when I'm old and visiting with my college roomies.

What did you enjoy most as a little kid? Does your career involve that/ do you still enjoy it?

I'd love to know!

Happy weekend :)

Septiembre.

Well, hello!

I have been M.I.A. for awhile. 

Let's just say, the first week back at school and the newspaper SLAMMED me.

But now I think I am used to the insanity, and I can resume blogging!

First, a brief recap of things on my camera:

My roommate Katie. I adore this picture. (Sorry Katie, I love you!)

Part of the staff, in an awkward newspaper family photo in the new office.

My uncle coaching my cousin's football team. It's kind of hilarious to watch five-year-olds run around in massive shoulder pads. Like rocks with legs.

My babies and me. Funny face time.

(No, they are not really my babies. But I would steal them from my aunt if I could.)

My cousins' pirate ship, constructed by my grandpa and my uncle. How cool is this?!

When did September get here?! Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled. Fall is the absolute best time of the year.

But seriously, it snuck up on us.

Also, bear with me, (is that the correct "bear" in this sense? Things I should know...) because I am currently undergoing a kind of blog identity crisis. It will be one year old in November, and I am thinking about what direction to take things. So, I will likely do some layout and post content changes in the next few weeks.

Happy September!