June Goal Update

I have about three days left in June and I figured I could use this time to look back on my goals and see my successes/failures.

June goals:

• Type and polish two more stories for my book- Yes and no, but more no than yes. I've been working, but it's been sporadic, and nothing is 100% complete.  My problem is I like to write very large and complex scenes, as opposed to short stories.  This will be continued.
• Bike rides!- Ugh.  I put air in my tires two days ago.  I can pretend that the next three days will be filled with rides.
• Drop one of my two gym memberships
• Create a new piece of art- I haven't been especially inspired.  I've been buying instead of creating.  I'm scouring thrift stores for a good find so that I can re/upcycle it into something I love.
• Clean my items out of the garage
• Clear off one row of my bookshelf for Pyrex display- Yes and no, more yes than no.  I actually cleared out an entire bookshelf.  I now have one, instead of two in my room.  So the displaying part didn't happen, but the cleaning part did.
• Get together with friends before they move- No, Laurel is still here though so I keep telling myself that I have time.  Note to self: text Laurel and make concrete plans.
• Craft/movie night- This will hopefully be coupled with getting together with Laurel before she moves.  I also need to yell at Rhiannon and plan a day/evening/time with her.  After spending the day with Rhiannon in Fargo on Tuesday, I don't know why we don't hang out more.

Looking forward to setting July goals, though I can see by my lack of success that I need to have more definite plans of action with deadlines.

Favorite Treat

Yesterday I saw World War Z, partially for zombies, mostly for popcorn.  It was fantastic.  Not too sweet, not too salty...enough for the movie, a lot for later.  We are both talking about my large popcorn, right?

Anyway.  This tale begins a few months ago when I went to a movie with my friend, Melinda.  I think it was "This is Forty."  I bought a large popcorn as I usually do, Melinda got Buncha Crunch, and whomever else we were with was forgotten because they did not purchase a movie time snack.

Partway through the movie, Melinda offered me Buncha Crunch, which I obviously accepted.  I threw the chocolaty goodness in my mouth along with my popcorn and BOOM!  New favorite treat.

Now how does this relate to World War Z?  How is this even a blog post?  I'm happy you asked.  I had leftover popcorn last night and decided to recreate that magical moment with Melinda tonight.  I bought Buncha Crunch at the grocery store and then proceeded to crawl into bed, throw on Netflix (I'm re-watching Fringe from the beginning), and take some webcam photos to document how you, too, can make this treat.

There are three ways to recreate this treat.  They only involve two products: popcorn (any type will do, but movie theater is the best) and Buncha Crunch.

The first method is for those who don't like measuring.  Pour in the Buncha Crunch.  All of it.  You really can't have too much chocolate.  Mix with your hand and make sure when you bring mouthfuls to your lips, you have a good combo of the salty and sweet.

Warning: Method one will bring animals who think they're people over to investigate.  This is Crookston.  He wishes he could enjoy this treat without risk of death (you know how it is with dogs and chocolate).



 Method two involves putting the popcorn in your mouth first.

 And then you put the Buncha Crunch in.

Then you chew or let it melt in your mouth.  Choose your preference.

 

 Method three, the final one, is my favorite.  Put each treat in a hand with like products.

 Then shove it in your mouth like they're planning an escape...which is entirely possible because the chocolate is rolly.

 I give this recipe a 10 out of 10 for easiness and for the easy ability to replicate.  You're welcome.



Globe Love

Following bloggers means that I often get an insight into their homes.  Some of the display and items I've seen showcased leave me envious and one of the things I usually find that fuels my jealousy is globes.  I've always wanted a globe.  There's something about the ones with raised mountains and outdated countries that just makes me happy.

Last week I won an online auction that included two globes. When I made the journey to pick up my items, the couple who runs the site mentioned they had another globe should I want that one as well.  Who needs two globes?  It doesn't make sense to have two, let alone three.  So, of course, I took the third one as well.

Now I'm the owner of a small collection.  I have big plans for one.  If you remember the map coasters I made for my newlywed friends, the big plans are for them.  Shannon and Jared just bought a house, so I'm planning on amping up the cool on this globe and giving it to them as a housewarming gift.  That tutorial will come later this month.

Something you should realize is that I don't do things in small dosages.  I dive in head first and get obsessed.  That's why I went from zero to three globes in a matter of seconds and why I spent most of last night and my time off today finding cool facts and crafts that center around globes.

First up, how globes are made.  It's only a four minute video, so it's not a horrible watch.

 

And now for the inspirational globe crafts.

 



This one combines my love of vintage and repurposing all on one globe.  I have some old children's books that I could use should I decide to go this route.  Unfortunately, the pinterest link didn't send me to the original source.  Should you come across it, let me know and I'll properly credit the picture/globe.

 

Little House in the Big D also seems to have been inspired by the Anthropologie globes I stumbled upon.  This project most closely resembles what I'm hoping to create.

 

These globes led to both snowglobe projects and some other neat map ideas.  I think this summer will be a crafty one...if I can only find some free time.



Girl Crush

Working at the mall means that I see my fair share of people.  My favorite part of my job, hands down, is that I get to talk and interact with guys and girls that I'd never have an excuse, or the courage, to converse with.  This brings me to my main point: girl crushes.

A girl crush is, according to Urban Dictionary's top rated definition, "lings of admiration and adoration which a girl has for another girl, without wanting to shag said girl. a nonsexual attraction, usually based on veneration at some level."  Since I meet hundreds of people a week, I occasionally find myself with a small girl crush.

Today I found myself talking with a girl who had wonderfully bright hair and briefly lived in the same town as my Grandma.  She had a couple of cool tattoos on her arms and a few piercings I've contemplated, but never had the nerve to follow through on.  My girl crush on her was mostly based on envy.  This girl had cooler hair than me, badass tattoos and sweet piercings...in short, she was kind of like the cooler version of me.

Some of my girl crushes are on people who inspire me. 

 

Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess blog definitely inspire me.  These two adorable gals find a way to DIY everything.  The only thing they haven't done on their blog is stencil toilet paper...but it's probably planned for a future post.

My other favorite duo are my neighbors to the North.  Stef and Erin from the Oh So Lovely Vintage blog.  The two have a shop in Canada that makes me squeal with joy every time they post pictures.  I'm envious of their killer style and the fact that Stef is a year older than me (Erin is 3 years my senior) and living this crazy dream.  Random story: one time I was working and Erin stopped in.  I was so excited that my mind when blank and I asked her, at warp speed, "are you Erin or Stefanie?"  She warily answered that she was and I, again at warp speed, proceeded to tell her how much I love her blog and how I want to visit her store and then I mentioned 117 of my favorite bloggers...or it felt like that.  I'm sure I scared her into never stopping back, but I was embarrassingly excited to meet her :)

I think one of the main things about having a girl crush is not really knowing the person.  You see a snippet of their life and look for a way to connect with them.  If you have a girl crush on a close friend...you might be a lesbian.

Art Fair finds

I'm trying to get better at taking pictures of the little things in my life.  Things that make me happy.  Things that need to get done.  Just grabbing the computer and documenting a little snippet of life.  Now I'm not a great, or really even a good, photo taker (I won't even being to pretend the word photographer applies to someone lacking the skills I do), but I figure practice makes perfect. 

 

I purchased some wonderful photographs, prints, notecards, and postcards from local artists.  Quite a few are around everyday objects and abandoned objects so I'm hoping to frame these and make a little mural on the wall.  I still need to measure for frames so that I can know better what to look for while thrifting. 

 

The lighting in the above photo is super poor, since these photos were taken at night (which I'm aware is a huge photo no-no).  I figured this last one would give just a little more insight as to how much art I purchased.  My friend Lacey, with whom I went to the art fair, kept giving me crap for everything I bought...what can I say though, I'm an art lover.

Sara's Wedding

Last October, I had the honor of being in my best friend Sara's wedding.  Throughout the weekend, I was there with a little flip camera recording the funny, the weird, and the sweet.  I'm currently working on a larger video with some interviews and Sara narrating our adventures.  Since that one has been taking some time to actually produce, I made a shorter, sweeter, video.  Obviously I was with Sara the entire time, I didn't get much video of the groom, but I think it turned out pretty well for a video I only spent a few hours on.  Enjoy.

Father's Day

It's Father's Day and this year, I'm thankful, more than anything else, to just have my dad around.  A couple of months ago, my sister's best friend lost her dad to an unexpected heart attack, though most heart attacks are generally unexpected.  He was loading the car for a day trip to Fargo and the next second, he was gone.  This event shaped the way I view and think about my dad.  When we fight, I'm thankful that he's around to fight with.  I've always gone to him with problems and dramas and joys and tears, but I now appreciate the simple passing by him in the hallway (yep, I'm in my mid-twenties and I still live at home).  I'm lucky just to have a dad who is around.

Thanks for everything, Dad.  I love you.

Selfies

I bought a laptop a few months ago with some of my tax refund money.  This means that I'm often on my computer surfing the web and being a general pile.  It also means that I have no idea how Windows 8 works so I randomly move my mouse and my camera pops up.  Every time this happens I feel the need to take a picture, no matter how unflattering.  Enjoy.

 

June Goals

June goals:

• Type and polish two more stories for my book
• Bike rides!
• Drop one of my two gym memberships
• Create a new piece of art
• Clean my items out of the garage
• Clear off one row of my bookshelf for Pyrex display
• Get together with friends before they move
• Craft/movie night

I'm a firm believer in writing down goals to hold myself accountable.  Putting it on (cyber) paper will hopefully serve as a reminder and make them stick a bit more in my head.