top 5 tuesday, january favorites

Once again I'm linking up with Rachel from Just Peachy for Top 5 Tuesdays. Hopefully later I'll remember to post about school so far, I have a lot to share today so be ready! For now, my January favorites.

1. Coffee

My daily coffee intake has almost tripled this month. Monday's alone I drink 3-4 16 oz cups. It's something I look forward to in the morning and late in the afternoon. Now on monday's I have a huge break between classes but don't have time to drive home between, so I sit in the local coffee shop and drink they're fabulous coffee. It's my new favorite thing.

2. Reading

While I haven't been able to read a whole lot, the few books that I have been reading/currently reading are so good! You should definitely check out Those Who Save Us and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close if you get the chance!

3. School

Although it just started last week, my Patisserie class has quickly become my favorite thing. I'll talk more about it later, but the energy and enthusiasm my chef has is contagious and I have never been more intrigued.

4. My job

Seriously this kid gets cuter and cuter everyday! We now play temple run and he calls it the monkey game. His sister and him are adorable and I love getting to spend so much time with him.

5. The Avett Brothers

Lately I can't get enough of their music and with the help of spotify I have found many new favorite songs.


What are some of your favorite things from January?

quote of the week

Not exactly a quote but something to get you motivated on this lovely Sunday. I've made it my lock screen on my phone and I get my butt in gear every time I look at it.

life according to my iphone

I had big blog plans of participating in Rachel's link up for OOTD however, almost every night it would be about 11 and I would be in bed and realize I had forgotten to take an outfit picture! Next week I hope to get dressed everyday in real clothes and take pictures to prove it.

So instead I have a few photos from my phone of this week. Hope you enjoy them!

Sunday night I roasted a chicken for dinner and it was one of the best ideas I had all week

monday classes started, in patisserie we made the most delicious biscuits ever in adorable heart shapes. I definitely ate my fair share.

When I don't have classes, I babysit this crazy kid all day long.

He loves my brother and taking pictures with people sleeping.

My favorite boots, I just started wearing them again.

My outfit for the one class I don't have to wear my chef's uniform for.

Lastly, my chef pants, black clogs and t-shirt. Such a lovely combination.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

top 5 tuesday: Recipes

Today's top 5 theme was right up my alley! My top 5 recipes!

1. Appetizer

Blue Cheese and Walnut Dip, it is so easy and so so yummy!

2. Side Dish

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, I made these for thanksgiving and nixed the bacon because we have vegetarians in the family. They are amazing and addicting.

3. Main Dish

Tonight I roasted a chicken and it was literally the best idea I've had in a long time. It was sooo easy and super delicious. You all should try it some time! I based it off of a recipe from sparkling ink but didn't have any lemons so I just did with out them.

4. Dessert

If you make one of these recipes, it should be this one. These strawberry shortcake cookies are wonderful. Last summer I think I made these at least once every 2 weeks, I couldn't get enough.

5. Drink
I don't really have any good drink recipes. We usually drink sangria and don't really base it off of a recipe, just pour some wine in, add ginger ale and whatever fruit we have.

hope you enjoyed some of my favorite recipes. I would love to hear what some of yours are!

reflections on my decisions

So I've been thinking about doing this post for awhile now and finally took the time to sit down and write it.

It was around this time last year, that I was starting to think where I was, wasn't where I needed to be. It was my second year at Rutgers and I still felt like something was off and that it wasn't the place for me. I remember I would have conversations with my mom and say jokingly, that after I graduate I would consider getting a degree from a culinary school.

Cooking in my family has always meant something . Gathering around in the kitchen has always made me happy. I loved family dinners, food and baking. It was what always made me happy. When I lived at my apartment at school, I always looked forward to grocery shopping and cooking my dinner for the night. As the year progressed, I began collecting more recipes to try, started reading cooking magazines and read up on my stuff. Also, after reading lots of foodie blogs with authors who had gone to culinary school I decided to do some research. After taking a class on baking bread at Le Cordon Bleu I was convinced I was finally finding my place.

While it hasn't always been easy, I could not be happier with the decision I made to attend culinary school. It has taught me so much. I have learned to love the routine, getting up early, wearing the uniform. I feel like I have grown and learned so much from my first semester and I can't wait to see what comes next this semester!

So stay tuned, because I'd like to share more about my culinary school experiences this year!

quote of the week

is this really necessary?

So today I'm linking up with Sarah for a fun little post.


And boy do I have a list for you. My culinary classes don't start til next week, however I'm taking a philosophy class online and already I know this is going to be interesting.

Here are some lovely quotes from my professor that are totally unneccesary. His excitement about the class is a little over the top.


"Celebrate finishing this unit! And look forward to the next!"

on enrolling in an online class: “I applaud your decision to enroll. I applaud your initiative. You will learn much about Philosophy. But most of all, you will learn much about yourself. Welcome aboard an adventure in learning that hopefully will never end!”

"Read the entire syllabus, very carefully and very slowly. Read the syllabus again. It is your friend."


"The Karma of Grading: The points accumulate over the semester, so every action (or non-action) on your part has an impact upon your final grade. This is called the "modified karma theory of performance evaluation."

"Buckle up, because philosophy is a mind-bending, exciting ride."

other random things in classes that bother me:

-- the rule that says after 15 minutes if the professor hasn't arrived you can leave, last semester a professor was always 10-12 minutes late so we could never just leave

-- professors that are late. it's rude and frankly annoying.

-- freshmen

-- the moms that go back to school and are all over the professor every 5 minutes

-- people that record lectures in class. one girl in my stats class used one and was late to class. she'd interrupt the lecture every time to place her recorder in the front of the class and then walk to find a seat.


Disclaimer-- I am a nice person. All of these are really in good fun and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

what i made wednesday

For once I actually made something, I pinned on pintrest. These scarves are super easy to make and only take a little bit of time with a sewing machine. And luckily for me I have a mother that can sew. I am awful at it, in my high school home ec class when we had to make our boxers, I got my friend to sew them for me. Im working on learning how to sew myself, we'll see how it goes.

Moving on, here are the scarves


and welcome to the mess that is my bedroom floor, only quality photography on this blog haha



this one is made from t-shirts and super easy. I'm thinking about making another one in mustard and grey


this one is made from a jersey knit and it is adorable, I already have more fabric out to make another one like this.


Any great crafts out there that I should make? I plan on making a few more crafts this weekend.

quote of the week

On feeling stuck

Lately I've been feeling stuck. I have been lucky enough to not have classes until the 23 of January. Yet I have no idea what to do with my time, I sit at home and just do nothing. There are so many things I could be doing but I just don't do them. It's a rather icky feeling and I'm hoping it goes away soon. I can not think of things to blog about even though I have a notebook full of ideas. January has never been a favorite month of mine, it always seems to bring with it bad news and ill feelings. As much as I plan and write lists, I can not seem to push the feelings aside.

So, I'm taking suggestions, what you would like to see me post about, or any questions you might have for me.

Top 5 tuesday: School Supplies

I think I got a little bit too excited when Rachel posted the topic for this week's Top 5. I have a bit of an addiction with school/office supplies and could not wait to share my favorites.

I apologize for the quality of the picture, it's on my to-do list to find my camera cord.


So I couldn't cut it down to 5, so I have six.

1. My new erin condren note pads, so cute and perfect for making longer lists for the future.

2. Erin Condren planner. I'm not really sure how I survived with out it. I used Vera Bradley planners all through out high school but this one blows those out of the water.

3.Le Pens.Perfect for writing in my planner without bleeding through the page. I mostly use these for color coordinating my planner and my to-do lists.

4. Post it notes. I just got this set of Vera Bradley ones and they are adorable. Usually I stick to bright yellow ones but any post-it notes are great in my book.

5. A notebook of index cards. For my classes, I have to have the recipes for what we're making with me and its so much easier to write on these then print out huge sheets of paper. I use one for each class I have in the kitchen.

6. Binders. I like using these for notes in class because I can add paper, dividers, any handouts theyre great.

life,lately

Lately I have been....

waking up a little early to enjoy a cup of coffee and pages from the latest book I'm reading before the kids I babysit are dropped off.

taking a break from the computer at lunch to enjoy a book.

making lists of things to do now and in the future.

attempting to stay on track with my new year's resolutions.

adding more recipes to my pintrest board, maybe a little too much.

planning to make lots of soups, breads and whole grains.

listening to michael buble and a fine frenzy.

keeping the thought of school far from my mind.

quote of the week

Things I'm loving

I feel like it's been awhile since I've posted one of these lists, so here you go Some of my favorite things this week, courtesy of my phone,old navy and pintrest.

First things first,these songs are awesome.

this book is a must read, so good and different then anything I've ever read in a good way

I kinda am in love with this style of desert boots

This dog is way to cute, I need one

Polka dots and Pink, do I really need to explain anymore?

I have a thing for wedges, have you noticed yet?

current nail polish

What are you loving this week?

Hey It's Okay

This is a new record for me, I've blogged everyday this week and have a blog post planned for tomorrow. You might wanna write that in your planner because who knows when/if it'll happen again. Once again I'm linking up with Neely for today's post.

It's Okay too....

- Start a wish list for my birthday in March
- To want a fur vest and have your eye on one thats in the girl's department of the store
- be completely hooked on Bones, I've watched the first 4 seasons and now have started reading the books they're based on
- to have 2 comforters, flannel sheets and various other blankets on your bed because its freezing in your house
- to be crafting more things then buying things
- to catch up on some reading
- to have a countdown on the delivery of a package of shoes you've been lusting over for months

What's okay with you guys this week?

-- also don't forget to leave me a comment or email if you'd like to receive a handcrafted birthday card from me!

Holly Jolly Swap

I am so excited to finally share what I got from the Holly Jolly Swap hosted by Ashley, Emily and Crystal.

Thank you girls once again for hosting this great swap. It was so fun to send and receive mail from my secret santa and to send out my package as well. If you would like to see what I got my swap partner, check out Sophia's blog.



Kelsey from Welcome to Crazy Town was my secret santa and she got me some great things! I loved that I had never read her blog before or Sophia's because I was able to make new blog friends!



Kelsey sent me 2 cute cards, a set of gold bangles and an infinity scarf in my favorite shade of blue. Thank you so much!!





Random side note, I have seen a few bloggers posting about sending birthday cards out to friends/followers and seeing as one of my resolutions is crafting, I would love to send out cards crafted by me on all of your birthdays! So if you would like a handcrafted card by me on your birthday, leave a comment with your birthday and email so I can get your address!

top 5 tuesday

I could not resist linking up with Rachel of Just Peachy when I heard what the theme was this week. Lately I have developed a love for all jewelry, so narrowing it down to my top 5 favorites was pretty hard.

sorry for the crappy quality photo, I can't find my camera cord so I had to use my iphone.

1.My wishbone necklace I bought at a local store for myself for Christmas. It reminds me of the quote from Eat Pray Love; "Stop wearing you're wishbone, where your backbone ought to be."

2. A gold ring with an M on it. It was my mom's when she was growing up and she got it changed to have my initial on it.

3. My extremely dirty pandora bracelet. I love all of the charms I have and the things they remind me of.

4. My new Kate Spade bangle. The kids I babysit got it for me for Christmas and I have been wanting it for awhile. It has "hand in hand" on the outside and on the inside it says "there's strength in numbers"

5. Lastly a skull bracelet from Bauble Bar. Im not quite sure what it is about this bracelet but I really love it and wear it just about everyday.

What are some of your favorite pieces of jewelry or places to buy jewelry from?

2012 Resolutions

Every year I make silly resolutions that I know after 2 weeks I will have forgotten about. This year I have decided to make my resolutions a bit broader in hopes they will be easier to keep. Also I'm going to post them in my room as a daily reminder to keep them. And with the help of my handy Erin Condren planner I can keep track monthly of the goals I have kept and met. So this year I'm trying to organize my life a little differently so when I look back at my planners I know what I did and did not accomplish. We'll see how it goes.

Resolutions

1. Be more positive, less complaining and whining. I apologize for those who follow my twitter account and see on going tweets of me complaining. I'm looking to change that. I'm hoping to focus more of the positive and good things I have in my life this year.

2. Be a better blogger, post more, make some changes on the blog.

3. Declutter. I buy so many things that are last minute, see it in line to check out purchases and that needs to change. My stationary and paper drawers are overflowing in my desk and instead of just buying more Im going to actually use what I have.

4. Dress better. I wear the same few things over and over again. It's time to expand and try new things with my wardrobe. Hopefully I'll take pictures to keep track and not wear my favorite v-neck repeatedly. Although for the most part at school I have to wear my chef's uniform, on the days I have regular classes I hope not to dress like a complete bum everyday.

via

5. Actually make the things I pin on pintrest. I have over 600 recipes on my one board and probably have made about 6 of them, this needs to change! My craft board is filled with lots of cute things but I have yet to make one of them.



6. Read 50 books in 2012. Over the summer, my love for reading was rekindled and I want to be able to have a record of each and every book I've read this coming year and share them with you. So far I have a huge pile of books to knock out in the next few months and a list of others I want to start.

7. Eat healthy, Eat more locally grown foods, Eat seasonally, Eat Breakfast more often.

8. Live intently

So tell me, what are some of your resolutions for 2012?

quote of the week

I saw this quote on Staley's blog and thought it was to great not to share. Also it seemed really fitting for where I am in my life right now.

via

"The point is people, no matter what your situation, you have a lot to look forward to this year. Whether you are with someone you can hold close or yet to find someone to have close. I just want to say good love is on the way. Someone thinks you're beautiful and someone is going to love you." -john mayer