New Blog!

Blogger is giving me...problems. So I'm breaking up with it. All of that "it's not you, it's me" crap...no. It IS you, Blogger. You suck. As LeBron would say, "I'm taking my talents to Wordpress." (If you're not from Cleveland or "Souf Beach" you may not understand what I'm talking about.)

So please add my new blog (with the same name), A Leap Begins, to your readers. Hopefully Wordpress will be as mind-blowingly awesome as everyone says it is. Forgive the elementary design for the moment. I'll figure out how to spruce it up soon.

See you there!

Guest Post!

My dear friend Amy got married over the weekend and now she's on her honeymoon. Guess what that means...I'm guest-posting for her! So please head on over to her blog and read about what I think brides *really* want to hear on their wedding day. Oh, and wish her a big congratulations, too :)

Tagged!

Oh that Kelly. She's a sneaky one. Tagging me in this fun lil blog game. And thennn the lovely Laura tagged me! So here are my long-winded answers to the questions they posed. Be sure to read all to the end to find out if I tagged you and what questions I want *you* to answer!

First up, Kelly's Qs!

1. If you could pick any one animal to have as a pet, what would you choose?
I. Love. Monkeys. Omg I die for them. While I would love to give any primate a loving home, this guy stole my heart when I played with him in Roatan, Honduras. So cute, right? I think it's a spider monkey? Yeah, we'll go with that.

I do not know those children. Clearly I was photo-bombed. 

2. What is the weirdest injury you have ever sustained?

I plan on doing a more in-depth post about this over on my wedding blog, but I'm currently going through some...trauma due to my wedding shoes. This is what my toes looked like 3 weeks after my wedding:

That's BRUISING. From my WEDDING SHOES. Now? They look even worse. Like, WAY worse. As in, my left big toe is half the size it should be.

3. What is the worst insult you’ve ever received?

Junior year of high school I was at an after-party for a school dance. I was being my silly, sarcastic self, and apparently some girl didn't like that too much. Her name was Emily, coincidentally. Anyway, she called me a C U Next Tuesday, stuck out her tongue and sprayed spit all over me. That was cute.

4. Which character from Friends was your favorite? And if you didn’t watch Friends… who the F are you?

I wasn't a hugely loyal Friends fan, unfortunately. I'd have to say Rachel was my fave because she was the prettiest and had the best hair. Yes, I'm shallow. No, I will not apologize for that.

5. What is the best “go-to” recipe in your arsenal?

Can my answer be the take-out menu drawer? Those never fail me :)

Okaayyyy. I must say that I'm pretty good at making fish. Tilapia is my favorite fish because of it's mild flavor and ability to pair well with a variety of seasonings. I like to grill it, pan sear it, or broil it. Yum in every way! This recipe for chili-rubbed tilapia (courtesy of Smoky Mountain Cafe) is delicious and SO easy. Like, legit fool-proof. I serve it with rice and also green beans, which I saute in the leftover oil/chili powder. Mmmm I might make it this week!

6. If you could go back and change one detail of your life, what would you change and why?

Oooh tough one. I'm a big believer of living with no regrets. However, I really think it's somewhat unavoidable. So, if I could go back and change one thing, I would be a better student. I got good grades in school, took advanced and AP classes, but I just wasn't a very good student. I don't *like* school. I like to learn, but I don't like the traditional school environment.

7. Which of the 50 United States would you least like to live in?

The coldest ones. I'm looking at you, Alaska.

8. What was your favorite class in high school or college?

Didn't we JUST cover the fact that I don't like school? Ha! The one class that sticks out is my Great Films and Literature class from high school. I had a major crush on the teacher so I looked forward to it every day.  Don't ask me what we learned...clearly I absorbed nothing.

Here are Laura's Qs:

1. If you could live anywhere in the US (and have your family/friends/job there) where would you choose?
I live here already! I LOVE love loooove DC. 

2. How did you meet your significant other?
Ughhh I hate answering this question. MySpace. There. I said it. So embarrassing.

3. What's your favorite trip/vacation you've taken? 
Hmmm that's a tough one. While I absolutely loved our honeymoon, the first vacation Josh and I took together (a cruise) is probably my favorite. We were only about 4 months into our "official" relationship, but decided to take a leap of faith and spend a week together in a 108 square foot cabin on a boat. We had a blast and aside from a few spats, didn't fight at all!

4. Who do you most look up to? 
My mom, hands down. She's awesome, strong, independent, beautiful, intelligent, and so much more. If I can be even a quarter of the woman she is, I'll be a happy lady.

5. What's your favorite holiday and why? 
My birthday! No? That's not an option? Boo :( Well, I do enjoy a good 4th of July celebration. Thanksgiving is awesome because of all the food (and my mom makes the most BOMB-ASS gravy that I could literally drink from a cup.) And of course, Christmas because let's be real, who doesn't like presents?

6. Who is the person who knows you best? 
Josh is absolutely the person who knows me best. I share *almost* everything with him (certain things my friends tell me I keep to myself.) He's always the first person I want to call with exciting news or something cool. My mom comes in at a very close second :)

7. What do you do for a living? Is it what you pictured yourself doing? 
Currently I'm unemployed :( I want to get into event planning, which is not what I pictured doing, but what I believe I'm supposed to do.

8. What's one thing that brightens your day without fail?

My boys, Tyler and Joey :) See sidebar to look at their cute mugs. How could they NOT make you smile?

Whew! That was crazy. Here are your questions!

1. Who would be your partner on The Amazing Race? Why?

2. What actress would play you in a movie about your life?

3. What is your favorite spice or herb? Or both!

4. What is the one outfit you can put on and immediately feel your prettiest/sexiest/sassiest/most beautiful?

5. Growing up, what was your most awkward age/year?

6. If you could choose to be born in any era, which one would you pick?
7. What is your go-to drink at the bar? And if you don't drink...booo. Jk I'm sure you're way fun :)

Also, a ton of my favorite girls were already tagged, so here are a few of my faves who have yet to receive the honor:

Christina from At least we have each other
Claire from A Realistic Wedding
Megan from Everyday Nonsense from a Nonsensical Gal
Maria from Procrastination Station

30DBJ: Day 30

A Dream for the Future

Josh and I really love going on vacation to the beach. We are beach people through and through. Josh is a water baby to the core and I'm a sun worshiper (skin cancer be damned!) so we truly cherish our time at the beach. We've gone to the Outer Banks of NC, Sarasota, FL, and on 2 Caribbean cruises. 

One of my dreams for the future is that we're in a position (both financially and time-wise) to take a beach vacation every year. 

I refuse to let us turn into a couple who never takes a vacation. Even when kids enter the picture, I hope we can continue our yearly beach vacation tradition. This may seem like a frivolous dream to some, but it's important to us that we take a break from life every so often. And damn it, come Hell or high water (or high tide, as the case may be), we will.

Well, this wraps up my 30 Day Blog Journal! (Even though there is one more day in September. Ps, WHERE did September go?) It was a really fun experience and a great way to force myself to blog every day, but I'm glad it's over. There is a lot I want to write about! I'm so excited to get started. 

Making Moves

My lack of employment is well-documented on this here blog, my wedding blog, and Twitter. After briefly working for the search-engine-company-that-shall-not-be-named earlier this summer (hint, it rhymes with shmoogle), I've been searching for a job and coming up with nothing. I won't lie, it sucks.

Could/should I get some kind of retail or other part-time job? Yes. And quite frankly, I'm not sure why I haven't. I don't have an excuse. Could/should I do more in my search for a full-time job? Again, yes. And again, I don't have an excuse for why I'm not. Actually, I do. See Day 27 of my 30DBJ.

But things are looking up. I've been in contact with a recruiter/career advice professional who is going to help me with my resume, cover letter, and job search strategies. Also, I'm finally going to get some experience in the event planning industry! Two Saturdays next month I'll be volunteering at weddings in DC with one of the top event planning companies in the area (which will remain nameless.) Even though I'm not earning a paycheck, I'm getting experience. In the event planning industry experience is EVERYTHING.

Hopefully a revamp of my resume and a bit of networking will really get the ball rolling in my quest for permanent employment. I'm ready to work. I'm ready to stop goofing around. Stay tuned!

Are you job searching? Have you gone through long bouts of unemployment? Tell me about your experience.

30DBJ: Day 29

Hopes/Dreams/Plans for the Next 365 Days

I need a job. And it's getting to the point where I'm almost ready to just take anything that comes my way, even if it has no relevance to what I really want to do (event planning.) However, I really think doing that would be a big mistake. So for right now, my hope for the next year is to get a job and be a good wife, daughter, and friend. And finish my damn wedding recaps. 

 

30DBJ: Day 28

What's in My Purse?

It's safe to say that my purse is heavy. I usually have a ton of crap in it and if ever faced with the need, it could be used as a deadly weapon.

Let's see, what do we have here:

Photos my SIL printed out for me (including one of her bulldog pup!)

Coach wristlet. Love.

Checkbook

Camera

Gum

4 kinds of lip stuff

2 pairs of sunglasses

2 tampons

A few bandaids

A pack of tissues

Deodorant

Mini Lysol spray. Go out and buy some now. I use it ALL the time.

Hand sanitizer

Pepcid AC

Day-Quil

Birth control pills

Bobby pins in a case

Loose bobby pins

A few hair ties

Keys

You may notice that my purse also doubles as a pharmacy. I'm not sure how it happens. 

30DBJ: Day 27

My Worst Habit 

I'm perfect and have no bad habits.

::blank stare::

Hahahaha right.  

My worst habit is definitely my procrastination. 

(Source)

I'm really REALLY good at procrastinating. Honestly, I should have majored in it in college. I've tried to get better with creating to-do lists and schedules for myself, but it's so hard to get over that hump. Any tips?

30DBJ: Day 25

My Day in Great Detail

Warning: Saturdays are usually either really busy for us or incredibly lazy. This particular Saturday happened to be the latter. Josh was off fishing with friends, so I had the whole apartment (and the whole remote!) to myself. I finished this Sunday morning because I wasn't sure how the rest of the day would unfold. 

 

9am: Wake up. Check email, Facebook, Twitter. Pet my cats

9:30am: Make a delicious breakfast for myself. Eggs, sausage, a bagel thin and coffee. Neglect dishes.

10am: Read blogs, watch TV, download some songs from iTunes, finish up my guest post for Amy.

11am: Spontaneously decide that I need to hand-wash the shirt I want to wear tonight. It's red and this will be the first time I've washed it. The sink fills with red water. "Yikes," I think to myself, "Good thing I didn't wash this with anything else."

11:30am: Back to the couch I go. See activities from 10am.

1pm: Decide I'm hungry. Eat a yogurt (Yoplait Light Thick and Creamy Cherry Cobbler. BUY THIS NOW.)

1:05pm: Decide life without Josh is incredibly boring. 

1:10pm: Turn on Bravo. Any productivity left in me has flown out the window.  
2:30pm: Shower, get ready, straighten hair. Curse self for not starting this process earlier. Dishes are still neglected.
4:15pm: Head up to SIL's house in Columbia, MD.
5pm: Go to the liquor store. Get questioned because my ID pictures me with curly hair and I have straight hair at the moment. Ha. Ha. Very funny, liquor store man.
6:30pm: Go to SIL's future SIL's house (got that?) for a "Welcome Fall" party. It's 86 degrees.
6:45pm-1am: Open bottle of wine, eat lots of food, silently gloat because my stuffed mushrooms were a HIT, drink entire said bottle of wine, eat more, play with an 80lb lab, cry because he reminds me of my dog growing up, tell the lab's owner that we have 2 15lb cats, receive judging look, try to justify that it's their BREED and Maine Coons are BIG CATS and we DO NOT over-feed them.
1am: Josh is tired so it's time to go home.

Whew!

30DBJ: Day 26

My Week in Great Detail 

You have no idea how incredibly boring my life is. Right now, I do a lot of job searching, blog reading, tweeting, Facebook stalking and cooking. I also play with my cats and make an attempt to pay attention to my husband. My week in great detail would be outrageously un-fun to read.

In short: I need a job some one please hire me I'm so bored!!

In other news, it's Sunday so, GO BROWNS! 

30DBJ: Day 24

Where I Live

My apartment is in an embarrassing state of disarray at the moment, so no pictures of that. It's kind of boring anyway.

Here are a few pictures of our "view."

Josh and I live in Bethesda, MD and absolutely LOVE it. We're super close to DC, but just far enough away that we don't have tourists invading our space (nothing against tourists, they just tend to...linger.) Josh and I moved here from Northeast Ohio and we're never EVER leaving. At least I know I'm not. The cost of living is kind of ridiculous, but I'll take higher rent and stuff to do over low rent and a boring town any day. Josh and I are a very social couple who love to go to dinner and out to bars, and luckily this town is filled with both. We love our new home and if anyone wants to visit, our door is always open! (Just ask first, mkay?)

30DBJ: Day 23

A YouTube Video 

I'll admit, I'm not a huge YouTube person. I like watching music videos and stuff, but the Chocolate Rain guy and others...I never really got the appeal. However, there is one video that I absolutely adore and that makes me giggle every time. YouTube wouldn't let me embed it here, but I found it on Funny or Die and was able to get the code from there. Ha, suck it, YouTube! I love boxers and we hope to adopt one or two some day. This video is a great display of their playful behavior. Be sure to watch all the way to the end!

Trampoline Dog - watch more funny videos

30DBJ: Day 22

A Website 

Most of the websites I love and visit are blogs. I'm sure this is not surprising to most of you, but among my "real life" friends, I think I'm in the minority. There are just so many fabulous writers, both "big time" and "little people" (like me), and I love reading them all. It was hard to pick just one, but there is a daily read that I can never get enough of:

(Source)

 

 TLo! These two fabulous men write about fashion, Project Runway, a slew of other TV shows (including Glee!) and pop culture. I want to hang out with them, but what would I wear?? Right before my wedding I had a dream that they critiqued my wedding look and luckily loved it. Well, I tweeted that to them (@tomandlorenzo) and they responded! It honestly made my life (I *may* have teared up a bit. It meant a lot and I was emotional due to the wedding. Shut up.) 

If you're not already a reader and you love fashion, opinions, occasional bitchiness, and all-around fabulosity, be sure to add them to your reader stat!

 

30DBJ: Day 21

A Recipe

Whoopsie! Sorry I didn't post this yesterday. With all of the vlog goodness I guess I just forgot.

As much as I'd just like to refer you to the "My Eats" page for a recipe, I'm a nice person and would never make you do that much work. However, I'm also not the best step-by-step food photographer. Therefore, you get a recipe by The Pioneer Woman with a picture of the end result (taken by her) and a link to the recipe on her site. Honestly, that's all I got. Our kitchen is terrible with crappy lighting so until I get the opportunity to make a meal in a "real" kitchen, this will have to do.

Shrimp Pasta in a Foil Package 

 

 (Source)

Ingredients

• ½ cups Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 whole 14.5 Ounce Cans Diced (or Whole) Tomatoes
• ½ cups White Wine
• 2 pounds Jumbo Or Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Fresh Parsley, Minced
• 1 pound Linguine, Uncooked
• Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

Directions

-Cook pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time. Pasta should still be very firm.

-In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Dump in the tomatoes and wine. Stir the mixture together, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for ten minutes.

-Meanwhile, prepare a large parcel of heavy duty aluminum foil. It should be large enough to hold the entire pasta dish.

-Throw the shrimp on the top of the pasta sauce. Throw the drained pasta over the top, then pour the whole dish onto the foil. Tightly wrap the foil into a parcel.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until serving.

-Open the foil parcel right before serving. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Squeeze on lemon juice, if desired.

This is one of my favorite recipes to make and eat. It's so simple and so easy. Obviously if you're not cooking for a ton of people you can alter the ingredient amounts easily. For example, I only use one can of diced tomatoes, and half a pound (half the box) of pasta. I also try to count out the number of shrimp depending on their size. Enjoy!
 

Recipe and photograph courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.  

Vloggy vlog vlog

Isn't vlog a funny word? It looks so weird all typed out, too. Let's look at it bigger:

VLOG

Weird, right? Ok, so I did a vlog. Surprisingly, I loved it. And I loved watching it back. I didn't think I would AT ALL. I usually hate myself on camera. In photos? Love. Moving picture? Not so much. But this wasn't bad and I really hope you guys like it. If not, please tell me and I'll never do it again. Also, I did it in black and white. I have no idea why. I think I looked more cute in B&W.

The vlog is about my (terrible) experience with Alfred Angelo. Also, I kind of insult Wal-Mart and talk about being "ghetto." If either of these things offend you...I'm not sorry. Watch and enjoy!

Alfred Angelo Messed With The Wrong Bridesmaid from Emily Burwell on Vimeo.

30DBJ: Day 20

A Hobby

Um, drinking wine? Going to Home Goods? Buying make-up? I have no hobbies. I like to cook! Can that be a hobby? I don't knit or sew. I don't do graphic design in my spare time. I don't have an Etsy shop. I'm sarcastic, can that be a hobby? Judging and sarcasm? What IS a hobby, anyway? WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN??

 

30DBJ: Day 19

A Talent

 Prince Poppycock, I am not. 
Although I do adore him and think he's a fabulous queen.
(Photo Source)

It's safe to say that I am talent-less. That's not an exaggeration, as much as I wish it was. But, there is one thing I'm really good at that I take pride in. I'm excellent at memorizing the lyrics to songs. 

When I was a kid my mom would say, "If you put as much effort into memorizing your History/Science/Math, etc facts as you put into memorizing songs you'd get better grades." Which is totally true. I can memorize a song after hearing it 4-5 times, but ask me to remember formulas or other useless "educational" facts? Can't do it. Useless facts, clearly have a special place in my brain, though. I guess that's another talent :)

Anyway, I love music and I take pride in the fact that when pretty much any song comes on the radio (or in a bar or at a party) I know the words.

 

30DBJ: Day 18

My Wedding

We did it! I'm still in the process of recapping our wedding over at Burning River Bride. I haven't posted in awhile, but I promise I'll get back on that train soon. Recapping is definitely more difficult than regular blogging.

Anyway! Our wedding was amazing, simple as that. I highly recommend having one :) And you know what, marriage isn't too shabby either.

*Photo by Linczak Photography 

30DBJ: Day 17

An Art Piece

My good friend Sophie is an AMAZING artist. She even designed my wedding invitations! I'm kind of obsessed with her work and hope to someday hang a painting of hers in my home, I just can't quite afford it at the moment. I couldn't pick just one, so I chose a few of my favorites.*

Incredible, right??

*I stole these pics from her facebook so PLEASE do not take them without my consent. I will literally hurt some one if they try to pass these off as their own. Believe that.

 

30DBJ: Day 16

A Song That Makes Me Cry

You guys are going to think I'm literally obsessed with RENT. I can't help it, though! It makes me laugh, makes me cry...gah I love it. The song that can always make me cry is the reprise of "I'll Cover You." Collins sings it right after Angel dies. The scene gets me every time. I freaking cried finding a damn YouTube video of it!

I hope that works. If not click here for a video that may not be the best quality, but really captures the raw emotion of the song (it's a live performance featuring the original Broadway cast. Chills.)

The song isn't one you'll hear on the radio, but I can't help but tear up whenever I hear it.

30DBJ: Day 15

My Dream House

This is incredibly hard. There are so many places I would love to live and all call for a different type of house. For example, I would probably KILL for a row home in the Georgetown neighborhood of DC.

 (Source)

However, parking is often limited and there's not much outside space to play around in. I want to give my (future, hypothetical) children a yard and row homes simply cannot offer an adequate one. 

I would also LOVE a beach house on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. My family vacations there so wouldn't it be fun to OWN a place instead of just renting?

 (Source)

This one will do juuuuuust fine :)

But really, I just want a nice house with a big yard. I like older homes with character. New construction really does not appeal to me because everything looks the same. Cookie cutter homes bore me to death. Give me an older house with a decent sized yard that doesn't look like every other house on the block and that's my dream home.

 

30DBJ: Day 14

A Non-Fictional Book

I can't help it, I'm obsessed with Jen Lancaster and have to recommend yet another book of hers. I like to read things in order, so after you read Bitter is the New Black, pick up Bright Lights, Big Ass. 

 (Source)

Just like the rest of her books, Bright Lights filled with hilarious anecdotes about her husband, her animals, and life in the big city (Chicago). If you weren't hooked by her first memoir, you definitely will be after reading her 2nd. Also, Jen, if you're reading this, I LOVE YOU!

 

30DBJ: Day 13

A Fictional Book

I already wrote about one of my favorite fictional books for day 4 of this project, but lucky for you I've read more than one fictional book in my lifetime!

 (Source)

Earlier this summer I read Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin. 

(Small aside: Part of the reason I like her is because we have the same first name. Do you find that you gravitate toward people who have the same name as you? I totally do. Same goes for people with curly hair.

 

Anyway,  I enjoyed this book because it challenged me to put myself in the situations presented in the book and think about what *I* would do. While the book is chick lit, it brings up some pretty heavy topics. I'm considering writing about them in a future post, but I'll be sure to put up a spoiler alert first.

Have you read this book or any others by Emily Giffin?

30DBJ: Day 12

Something I am OCD About

After watching that show "Obsessed" on A&E I've come to the conclusion that I'm actually not OCD about anything. Duuuuude, have you guys seen this show? It's intense. Any of my little "I like things a certain way" requirements sound incredibly trivial compared to what these people go through every day. I just like to be organized and on time. Obsessive compulsive, I am not.

 

30DBJ: Day 11

A Recent Photo of Me

Josh and I at a recent Washington Nationals game. They won :) I don't have that hair color anymore, as you all know.

30DBJ: Day 10

A Photo Taken Over 10 Years Ago of Me

Oh friends, today is your lucky day. I actually have a TON of pictures on my computer from over 10 years ago. Because I love you all so much and think you're the best readers out there, you get to see me in all of my awkward childhood glory. 

 

 At a friend's salon-themed birthday party.

This was when Madonna's song Vogue was popular I think.

(Blurred the other face to protect the innocent.)

Proof that my mom did not love me. 

WHY would you give a curly-haired child BANGS?

30DBJ: Day 9

A Photo I Took

 Emo-licious. Is emo even a thing anymore?

30DBJ: Day 8

Photo That Makes Me Angry/Sad

This is me and one of my closest friends, Dana. I love her and consider her my sister from another mister. I think (as does my mom) it's insane how much Dana and I look alike. She's one of the greatest girls in the world and I'm so blessed to have her in my life.

So why does this picture make me sad? This has been a really rough year for her because of a terrible break-up. We met because she was dating one of Josh's BEST friends (he was a GM in our wedding.) The four of us were so close and had so many good times. When they broke up, all of that ended very fast and very unexpectedly. This break-up has been an ongoing shit-show since January and it kills me to see her so sad. I'm incredibly angry with her ex (the one who did the breaking) for a lot of reasons. Luckily, I know Dana is an amazing woman and will find an equally amazing guy who appreciates and loves her :) 

Have you ever gone through something like this? Break-ups suck.

My New Toy

I love my iPhone, but I'm not a huge app person. The apps I download are usually social networking tools (Facebook, Twitter), the occasional game (Bejeweled, anyone?) or music related (who doesn't love Shazam?).

But then I saw cell phone pictures popping up on Twitter and blogs with cool vintage-y effects applied to them. Uh, I want that. So I found a free second on my SUPER busy Saturday night (you know, in between writing damn thank you notes and eating pizza) to ask a few friends (via Twitter because that's where ALL the cool kids hang out on Saturdays, duh) how to get cool pics like that. Two of my buds came through (thanks Ali and Layla) and I promptly downloaded Hipstamatic for iPhone.

Check out a few pics from my weekend!

First pic with the new app!

Fun, right? I've never really been into cell phone pics, but with this sweet app I'll totally whip it out more! (Heh, I said whip it out.)

If you have a smartphone (and really, who doesn't these days?) what are your favorite apps?



*I am in no way getting paid by iPhone, Apple, or the Hipstamatic creators for posting this. It's truly just something I enjoy and wanted to share.