Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I have 10 fingers, you have 10 fingers, let's be friends!


Yesterday was Mardi Gras and it was the first time I've ever really celebrated. Ok, so the boyfriend and I went out to dinner and there was more fun in the bar at said restaurant (pictured at the left) but it was still great. There were balloons, decorations and of course...beads! Thankfully I didn't need to start flashing anyone to get said beads, I still ended up with quite the collection.

Unfortunatly I was beyond stuffed before we ever arrived to the restaurant. Earlier in the day I went to happy hour with one of my closest friends who I haven't seen in a few months. We stopped by a local mexican joint called Cactus and her boyfriend came along. We did the catch up thing, snacked on chips & salsa/guac and had quesadillas. But all that meant was come 7pm I could barely force myself to eat anything extra. :-(

For all the fun had on Tuesday, great hair day and all...today isn't really the same kind of day. I think the job search is starting to catch up to me. I was all positive thinking and going strong with applications etc. and today I can be bothered to care. Ok, scratch that. I care, but the lack of responses and the continuous questions from absolutely everyone about how the job search is going is getting to me.

The boyfriend and I have started watching Dead Like Me recently. I've seen it countless times before but I like to introduce him to shows that he hasn't seen and that I love. But because of this I feel myself missing working in an office. Yes, I just said that. I miss it, I miss having a reason to get up early even though I can't stand waking up before 9am. I miss having deadlines, projects to work on and seeing the same people day in and day out. I miss having a desk or a cubicle where I can put those little doodads up to make me smile after a potentially boring day.

What is wrong with me?

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Good To the Last Drop

I don't mean for this to turn into a wine blog, or at least I don't right now. I'm still finding my footing so I'm testing the waters with a variety of things instead of diving right in. Yes, this is how I am in the swimming pool too. :-)

But I have another wine review for you guys and I think you'll like it. Right now I'm drinking O Wines 2007 Chardonnay. The boyfriend and I first tried this wine over at Grape Choice in Kirkland. It's in the heart of downtown Kirkland and the wine shop has so many different brands, as well as a great atmosphere if you just want to chill and drink a little.

But as I was saying, one day a while back the boyfriend and I went to drink a little bit. I told him to pick something because I trusted his judgment and he picked out this chardonnay. I loved it at the time and I made a mental note to try it out again the next time we went.

So there was this big sale I mentioned before and we picked up a variety of bottles to try. Some we have had before, some were recc'd to us and others just looked good. I made a point to get this one again because like I said...it's yummy.

It didn't disappoint. Some chardonnay's are too oakey (I say there's no such thing but others tell me otherwise), too sweet, whatever. This one is PERFECTION. There's a hint of sweetness at the end of it. A little creamy/buttery, a little vanilla and fruit of some sort mixed in.

But the best part ever? They have made it their mission to donate a portion of all proceeds from O Wines to establish scholarship funds for underprivileged/at risk young girls in Washington State. What could be better than that? You have a great tasting wine that when you buy it gives to underprivileged girls. That's even better.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Down Memory Lane

When I was a little girl (around 4 or 5) I started staying with my great grandmother during the week. At the time it was my single mom and I as her and my father split up before I started walking. In our family though there is a great support system and since my mom and I moved apartments frequently the best course of action for schooling was to use my great grandmother's address. I stayed with her during the week and came home on the weekends. Surprisingly this was the perfect arrangement for all parties involved and it stayed this way pretty much until my great grandmother passed away. With the exception of right after high school (I moved in with my mom & stepdad for about a year which was a BAD idea) I want to say I lived there for approx. 20 years.

This arrangement helped me a lot. My great grandmother was a teacher when she was younger and always was ready to do arts & crafts with me, teach me reading, math, help with random homework and most of all...she taught me how to knit. Ok, so she taught me how about three or four times over the course of my life because I couldn't stay with it too long, but every time I started I picked it up right away. She also taught me crocheting because you can't have one without the other. In fact, the primary thing she knitted were dish cloths/rags and you can't call it finished without crocheting the borders.

When she passed away I thought it was only fitting to continue her dish cloth/rag tradition. Every Christmas she gave them to all the families as gifts and during our first Christmas without her I couldn't just NOT do it. It was a coping mechanism for me and to this day I do it every year.

So I know the basics. I've made some scarves, even a blanket...but after a certain point I became stuck. When I was little she made my cousin and I these blankets and to this day it stays in bed with me. It's the most comfortable blanket ever and I think every baby/child should have one. This is what brings me to my current dilemma.

I started this blanket for my cousin's baby about a year and a half ago. I love the colors and design of it but secretly? I messed it up, royally. I was new to more than the most basic crocheting and I flubbed some spots meaning I had to make the same flubs every time afterwards. This in turn made me put it away never to be seen again.

Until today. I decided to rip it and start over and I've done two rows so far. And of course? I'm off by two stitches. What do I do? Do I just remember to reduce by two stitches every time? Do I rip it and start all over again? Or do I rip and start again and add to more stitches from the beginning? Life is so complicated.


Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Pour Me A Glass

I've been wanting to post something about wine for the last couple of days, mostly because this week a local wine shop had their annual sale and the boyfriend and I picked up quite a few bottles. Within the last year we've become a big fan of wine in the bigger picture of alcoholic beverages and there's a variety depending on what your price range is.

We have a tendency to pick wine based off the packaging or name of the wine, there's been Cupcake Chardonnay last week, the 3 Blind Moose Cabernet Sauvignon I'm currently sipping on or countless others that have entertaining corks. But when I go online to find reviews of the Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc (I think it's the 2006) all I find is positive reviews and that was not my experience.




This is what the website gives as a description:

Colour:
Pale yellow in colour, with green hues and brilliant clarity.

Aroma:
A vibrant bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits, layered with subtle cut grass aromas.

Palate:
Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a charming, elegant wine, displaying intense varietal character. Ripe, zesty flavours of grapefruit, kiwi and pineapple are overlaid with fresh cut grass. Finishing crisp and refreshing, the palate balances intense fruit qualities with fresh acidity, fullness and length.


Sounds promising, right? I was impressed with the idea of grapefruit since I can't pass up anything with that, let alone with a cute little monkey on it. But the only thing I actually tasted in this wine was the so-called "subtle cut grass aromas". I don't know if it was lemon grass or what, but at the time the only reason I eventually finished the bottle was because it would be bad to waste it.

I thought maybe it was just an aversion to New Zealand wine, but that wasn't it. I've tried a few others that didn't make my taste buds rebel (I need to start writing this stuff down) so I'd say it's just this one.

Monday, February 9, 2009

I'll tell you what caused it if you'll handle the effects

Unemployment is a very bad thing. I know you're thinking "duh Cass, why would you say something so obvious?" but bear with me. Yes, unemployment sucks because you are out of work and probably getting a check that is far less than what you used to make but that's not why. It's because you have too much free time.

Even though you spend your time job searching online, there is networking to be done to contact those with opportunities. You're working on reformatting your resume for the 15th time (or so!) and at times you're kicking yourself because how are you really going to write an awesome cover letter to make people realize you are the poop and they need to hire you RIGHT NOW because THEY CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU OMG!!

Exactly. But there's also that time where you don't want to do that stuff. You have laundry to do, a home to clean and there's tv that needs to be watched. Lots and lots of tv. In the last week or so I've watched the second season of Dexter, started Californication, caught up on the shows I missed due to networking etc. and cooked. Yes, OMG I COOKED! Since I'm kind of new here you probably don't know how important that bit is, I don't cook. If I do? It's baking. So actually making real food for real people would make you confused.

Obviously this means I need to find a new job pronto, although lounging in my pjs and showering in the afternoon can be a lot of fun too. Can I get a job that lets me do both? :-) Kidding, a little.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Addicted

As a fairly "girly girl" I have a few things that I am hopelessly addicted to. For some it's purses (or bags), some it's accessories and some have an endless supply for 3435645 pairs of jeans. However, for me it's shoes.

I love shoes, I always have. And I think it stems from when I was younger, because my mother was all about having multiple pairs of shoes so that they didn't wear out as fast. Oh mother, look what you started!

I don't know how many shoes I technically have, but I do know in my little studio apartment I definitely don't have enough room for them all. Even when I try to put them all away there are still a few straggler pairs that hang out under the coffee table. :-)

My favorites right now?



Please ignore the Kleenex in the background. :-) These are my Enzo Angiolini Magnify's in red leather. I think I picked these up about a year ago and due to the color I don't get a chance to wear them all that often. But how I love these! They are comfy and there hasn't been a time where I've gone out and every woman around oohs and ahhs over them. <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Funny thing, these are one of the few pairs I have that are not from Linea Paolo. That particular line is my favorite, they have the cutest and most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. Unfortunately now that I've found that link for you guys I realized that Nordstrom is having a killer sale on a lot of them and it's taking all my willpower not to add some of them to my cart. Being unemployed is a bitch.

Now if only I can get out of the habit of buying new shoes and THEN trying to find an outfit to go with them. :-) Doubtful.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Super Bowl *insertnumberhere* :-)

Today I attend my very first Super Bowl party. Yes, I'm approaching 30 (scary!) and I've never been to a Super Bowl party. But I've never been a big football person, mostly because despite being told and explained to over and over again the rules make no sense to me. They throw flags over the silliest things (flag! he celebrated too early!) and I know that college and pro rules are different. But I have a boyfriend who is a big football fan so I'm trying to get into the spirit of things and most of all, I provide food. :-)

Yes, I bake and make all kinds of snacky goodness so they put up with my endless questions in the middle of the game because without me there wouldn't be tasty treats. Today I'm making a concoction of pigs in the blanket with little smokies. Somewhere in there we're throwing in cheese etc. so it should be good. But because of this I have to start early with the prep, the party we're going to has 20+ people already RSVP'd.

In other news I've been craving crab cakes benedict for the last week or so like nobody's business. For one reason or another I haven't been able to have it and at this point my body is rebelling because I'm not feeding it what it wants. I've dreamt about these things and even too the point where I get to the restaurant and find out you can't get them if you sit in the bar and at that point in my dream I have a tantrum, it's not pretty. But as a pre-Super Bowl excursion we're going to get the car washed and then head over there for lunch/brunch.

Yummy food, here I come!
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