Oh dear lord... the Biebs

I love the Oatmeal. The Biebs is kinda old now, but don't worry, there's still some amusement left in him.

Created by Oatmeal

Pranks

Just a couple of fails and pranks noticed OTJ.

It says website blocked:marketing allowed. However, marketing was the one that accessed it. FAIL.

Brad's got the Biebs. We Biebered him up and somehow it got leaked to a couple of managers. One printed it up and posted it on Exit door of the office. Nice.

New Office

It's further away, but instead of a cube, I get an entire office all to myself! Talk about a half year promotion minus gas, time, and sleep! joke.

Positive note- it's quiet so I'm actually able to do my work. Noone's really here so I crank up my music and watch video tutorials without randoms breathing down my back. Plus, I like my little easel set up! I have 3 containers for my writing and coloring instruments. 1 for pens & pencils, 1 for mini colored pencils, and 1 for Crayola markers. Yes, I'm a kid, but it helps me get creative. I've set it up so that I can draw what I want on the board. That bulletin board in the back? Handmade by me one weekend so that I could have something trendy, unique, and cheap for my office. Check out the tutorial here: Trendy Memo Board Tutorial.

#141 le sigh

As much as I've talked about loving what I do, and I truly do, I can't help but feel consistently stressed. It's like I have this pressure on my chest and I can't get it to go away. I am working all the time and my projects keep piling up to no end. I keep thinking, "Finish the little stuff first to make room for the big stuff" but in reality, I need to do a little bit of big stuff bit by bit. I've been hitting my deadlines but because of lack of sleep, stress, and a busy schedule, I feel so overwhelmed. The benefits here are great though- my departments gets fed quite often and we attend a lot of nice events. Now with my baby dog gone, it's hard to go home and try and snug. Her dog food bowl is still sitting on the ground with food in it. Everytime I go home, I smile, thinking Storm hasn't gotten a chance to get it then realize she's not home.

#139 R.I.P. Storm

Today was one of the hardest days I've experienced in a while. Thomas and I took Storm to the vet Thursday because she wasn't feeling well at all. It was very sudden- her body just started getting weaker and weaker. Turns out my baby girl had cancer in her spleen and it is suddenly taking over her. I got to know and love Storm for the past 2 years- I've known her for 7 years but really connected with her in the past 2 years. I wasn't sure if I could love an animal that was raised by someone else, but she was always there for me, protecting me - truly selfless. I've never had such a connection with an animal- nevermind that she was 14 years old, her spirit was still a puppy. Very youthful, happy, bouncy, annoying. Though I had my previous cat for 13+ years, she was still a cat meaning ultimately selfish and would probably turn her own mother in if it meant she would gain something. Storm, on the other hand, loved her family and would risk her life to defend her owners tooth and nail- something I just adored about her. Yet, she could be so girly despite her strong upbringing. I miss hugging her and rolling in the dirt- we would literally dance whenever we had the chance. She'd bounce around and jump up in the air as high as her arthritis would allow and when she landed, her talons would scrape up my leg. *oh well*

When we found out she wasn't going to get better, instead of leaving her at the vet which she hates, we took her home. Thomas took off 2 days to spend time with her at home. I was off Saturday and instead of going home to my family, I stayed with Storm all day. We took her outside and I snuggled right next to her reading my company book, TGIM. When it got too cold, Thomas picked the 80 lb+ pooch back inside and onto her handmade bed by me. Thomas rearranged our furniture so that we could live out of our 1 room and to be with Storm. At 4am, we heard a yelp and both of us hopped up to be next to her. We stayed with her until the end which is still the most haunting part for me, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. We went to our new garage and I watched Thomas build a wooden box for her. We had a burial for Storm a few hours later. I wrote her a pink Thank You-for-being-a-good-pup card and cried like a baby reading it at the burial. I left the card in the soil for closure. I miss you so much Storm. This is so hard.

#138 Work = Play?

Ever since I took on my new gig, I feel like I have been going a million miles per hour. The transition change and the new faces- I've gotten really comfortable at my office. I've been keeping tabs of how many days my work has fed me and so far, it's close to 40%. I've also kept tabs on how many events I'm working (aka out of the office) and I say close to that as well. It's pretty awesome- I get to stay very, very active while utilizing my skills on the side. Oh, I found out that I'm in charge of their Youth Club- that's pretty awesome because I specialize in children's illustrations and have wanted the chance to create my own book- now it'll be in newsletter form 4x a year

#137 New Job

Wow, it all happened so quick. I did a testimonial at my credit union a few months back. About a month ago, my [now] boss saw my commercial and made a comment about how nice I seemed. At the time, they were in need of a graphic designer and my friend mentioned, "Um, you know she's a graphic artist right?" So, my boss checked with the HR department to see if I applied- No I hadn't, but once I found out about the opportunity, I dropped everything I had and applied. I finally got to work on my portfolio presentation and decided to go with the iPad- hello, it saves PAPER and is with the technological age! I literally spent 3 whole days prepping my best work to look like it was in 3-D. Oh, this is once I found out I got an interview. I spent the next week and a half working on my portfolio and scheduled an appointment with Career Services for a mock interview. Practice, practice, practice. Though my work should speak for itself, the way I verbally communicate is a variable I was nervous about. I practiced speaking in the car, to Thomas, to UWF, etc. I even got my hair trimmed and a new outfit from The Limited(on sale! woo!). This was the job I wanted- no doubt. You got the 9-5 benefits but also working at all of the events so you're constantly staying busy. Rocked the interview and came back for a 2nd with the CFO.

Now I am at an amazing place.

Baby Photoshoot w.B

B's been really excited about her shoot. Me? Not so much. Preggo shots just don't do it for me. Anyway, I looked up some awesomeness and found out, hey, they CAN be beautiful! I'm going to check out the UWF photo studio on Sunday and we're going to shoot our eyes out. My plan: while the sun is still rising, I want to take B&B on a canoe so I can get some sweet, romantic canoe shots. Very natural, beautiful.

Did I mention I'm only using a point and shoot camera? Yeah, I'm going to need sun and light on my side.

I found the only maternity photographer I'll  need in terms of inspiration: Erin Wallis Photography

#135 Baby Baby Baby ARI!

So Brandy's baby girl is named Ari which is a [male] Hebrew name for Lion of God. Of course, that's my cue to incorporate a lion into her shower invitations. No one will get that this strange monstrous creature on her invite is a lion, and they are going to wonder why, but who cares. Brandy will get it and she'll understand.

Anyway, after finding out I couldn't print at the office, I was determined to have them printed last night however late it would be. B sent me home early which was fine because I took my sweet time to the school and went nuts. The printer was being my best friend that night(I don't know why it wasn't when I wanted to print my wedding invites! Sheesh!). 1st priority- test print the invites. Color looks good- 48 later, OK. Well, I have time now- I wanted people to bring diapers as a "raffle" but without sounding greedy. So, I made up a little poem that was lighthearted and hopefully not desperate sounding. I absolutely hate it when invites tell me what to do. Here it is:

Test printed it- oh mama, that brown looks black. I adjusted it so now it looks good. Perfect. Now the tricky part- should I even try sending envelopes that tiny through that huge machine? After a few attempts, I nailed it and now the envelopes are super cute. Here's what they look like:

Of course I changed the names and addresses on here for privacy sake but seriously, I'm stoke!! After that, I cut up all of the inserts(which were the perfect width, thank goodness) and found out I made a big no-no. I had left one of the guides on, thus printing my invites with a thin black line on the side of half of the stack. I ended up trimming them off, but it's pretty clear that one side is wider than the rest. Whatever, I labeled that side as the "Lovely" stack and put the "Perfect" stack in another order. I stuffed them all until I was kicked out of the lab. Woo hoo, this = donezo and I love it.

Annnnnd I took one invite from the Perfect stack. Hey, I deserve a good invitation, right? I also added rub-on transfers from Martha Stewart's line(<3 her) but only had 20 so now only 19 of the invites have the sweet little envelopes that say "It's a Girl!" on it. Mua hahaha....

#134 Hair Hair Hair

Alright, I've been posting these everywhere but I need need need/want Melissa to have her hair piece up in this mug. Fave shot of today! (well, at least so far of the 3 I've seen :)

# 133 Baby Shower Notes: BB's likes

Notes for BB:

she's Jew-ish so no pork. 

loves lox bagels- is smoked salmon raw? lol. maybe do a cooked salmon/creamcheese/chive cracker spread. 

More Games:

-  "The bottle chugging contest. The hostess buys a set of small baby bottles and fils them with juice. Contestants have to chug the bottle through the nipple -- first one to finish wins! It's hilarious to watch!" -- caileyhc *this sounds like a winner to me.

- "The poopy diaper game. There are about 10 diapers each with different kinds of melted chocolates. Pass it around, smell it, and write down what it smells like (like Kit Kat, Snickers, and so on)." -- Leis

- "The Price is Right -- Throw 10 common baby items in a basket (lotion, shampoo, creams, wipes, etc). In the basket, put a sheet of paper that lists each item. Under the items you have to guess the price without going over." -- emily0829

I'm Making a Diaper Cake. A Badass One at that too.

I saw the diaper cake at Rose's shower and thought, why are they so expensive?? But, it was very cute and looked incredible easy to partake in. After looking at some tutorials(all very matronly/out of date/ cheesy), I found one that fit my criteria- simple, quirky, and therefore unique. The humor was a nice touch too!

http://alphamom.com/family-fun/activities/how-to-make-a-unique-diaper-cake-ha/

What was great was that the tutorial called for a bottle champagne nestled within the cake. HAHAHA!

These following cakes struck my fancy as well, especially since it's a motorbike thing. If the baby's a boy, I might try my hand at this.

Seventh Generation Diapers. Enviro-friendly means Baby friendly too since there are fewer chemicals used. They're more expensive (duh) but I am dying to buy a bulk pack on amazon.com! The only thing is, since they're chlorine free, they're not white but a brownish-color so it would look kind of funny for the cake. Anyway, we'll see- my 1st instincts say just go for it- be a modern woman who cares about her friend ANDthe environment at the same time!!!

# 132 Baby Shower!

... but not for me! I decided to take it upon myself to host Brandy's baby shower. She's about 2 months in so I have a good 5 months to plan it. Here are my notes (hopefully she won't read them!).

COED BABY SHOWER IDEAS:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_coed-baby-showers_8243.bc

Early Nov to Early Dec. 

NOTES from Rose's Shower:

- Deck it out with Baby Bath Punch bowl: frozen blocks of ice w/flowers in the middle

- Alternating heights for food display

- Coord. colors

- Cascading balloons on string. Or the pom poms.

- lots of chairs for seating.

Brandy likes elegant, Tea-Like setting. I'll have a Sunday Tea Brunch for her.

- She loves lamb?

- tea sandwiches: cucumber, watercress, spread, bread

Planning Your Tea Party -  A Step by Step Guide

• Select a date and send out your invitations.
• Purchase your tea and related accessories.
• Review recipes for tea time sandwiches and treats.
• Plan your menu. Include both savory and sweet food. Here is a sample Tea Time Menu.
• Set a beautiful table.
• Design an easy rose centerpiece.
• Brew and serve a proper pot of tea.
• Relax and enjoy your guests while musing on the merits of tea. Try reading the leaves for amusement. Turn to Tea Quotations and Reading the Leaves for inspiration.

INVITES: find out what animal Brandy likes. 

Games fit for guys, too
***One of the cutest games I ever played at a couples shower was "Make a Baby." We each got small pieces of two different colors of Play-Doh and were told to make a baby. When the time was up, we all had to put our babies on a platter, and the expecting couple came back in the room to pick their favorite baby. Some of the babies were pretty hilarious.
— Fergus



***The game the guys loved best was the Diaper Olympics. I had two infant-sized dolls that needed a pretend diaper change. We divided the group in half and did a relay race. You had to take the baby, rush to the table, pull the diaper off, use a wipe, powder, and diaper again, and then take it to the next person in line. It was good practice for the guys — and boy, did they need it!
— Mary

These simple guidelines can help you plan a coed party:

• Make sure plenty of men will be there in addition to the expectant father.
• Make the invitations guy-friendly: Don't call it a Jack and Jill baby shower. And go easy on the pink.
• Invite the couple to register for baby gifts at their favorite store.
• If you plan to hand out party favors, realize that most men don't find the jellybeans in a baby bottle all that adorable.
• Games? If you do have them, choose ones that dads-to-be and their friends will enjoy. (For inspiration, see our readers' ideas below.)
• When it's time to open gifts, make sure the couple opens them together or takes turns.
• Bring on the food!

And here are some great ideas for co-ed showers from people who've hosted one — or had one thrown for them:

http://bklynbrideonline.com/tag/tea-party/

RECIPES:

Deviled Egg Sandwiches

3/4 cup soft butter or cream cheese
20 slices bread of your choice
4 or 5 hardboiled eggs
8 ounces canned sardines in oil, oil reserved
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with butter or cream cheese. Place all the remaining ingredients except reserved oil in a food processor. Whirl until a spread is formed, adding reserved oil and/or mayonnaise to bring it to spreading consistency. Spread the mixture evenly over 10 slices of bread, top with the other 10, remove the crusts and cut into tea sandwiches. Makes 40 quarters or 30 finger sandwiches.

Seafood Tea Sandwich Recipe

Shrimp, crab, or lobster may be used in this tea sandwich recipe, or any combination thereof.
3/4 cup soft butter or cream cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
20 slices bread of your choice
2 cups finely chopped crab, shrimp or lobster
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the butter and chives and spread the mixture onto one side of each slice of bread. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl, then evenly spread the mixture over 10 of the bread slices. Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and cut. Makes 40 quarters or 30 finger sandwiches.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

1 cup soft cream cheese
20 slices bread, your choice
1/2 cup capers
12 ounces thin-sliced smoked salmon
Juice of 1 lemon
Black pepper
Spread the cream cheese on one side of each slice of bread. Dot with capers. Arrange the smoked salmon on 10 of the bread slices and brush with lemon juice. Pepper generously. Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts and cut. Makes 40 tea sandwiches or 30 fingers.

Cucumber Tea Sandwich Recipe

Cucumber sandwiches are still the quintessential tea sandwich recipe. No tea party recipe page would be complete without them.
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced very thinly
Salt
3/4 cup soft butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
20 slices bread
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pepper to taste
Lightly salt the cucumber slices and place them in a colander to drain for 1 to 2 hours. Then combine the butter and garlic and apply to one side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper. Add the cucumber slices, coating them well. Arrange the cucumber on 10 of the bread slices, top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and quarter. Serve immediately. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.
Variation: Tomato Tea Sandwich Recipe 

Prepare as above, substituting about 2 pounds of seeded, thinly sliced tomatoes for the cucumber. You do not need to drain them as you would the cucumber slices. These can be messy, though, so it's best to arrange the tomato slices so that each slice touches a portion of the outer spread to keep the filling from slipping.

Almond Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Spread:
Combine 3/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or 2 tablespoons dried basil.
Filling:
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken meat
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
20 slices bread, your choice
Combine the filling ingredients. Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer of the butter mixture. Add the filling to half the bread slices and top with the other half, buttered sides in. Remove the crusts and cut the sandwiches as desired. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Pepper Cheese Sandwiches

Spread:
Cream together 1 cup soft butter, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
Filling:
1 1/4 cups Stilton cheese, finely grated
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup, more or less, heavy cream
20 slices bread, your choice
Combine all filling ingredients except the cream in a small bowl. Gradually add the cream to bring the mixture to spreading consistency. Spread a thin layer of the butter mixture to the edge of one side of each piece of bread. Top half the slices with the filling. Place the remaining bread slices on top, remove the crusts and cut as desired. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Pineapple-Cream Cheese Sandwiches

3/4 cup soft butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg
20 slices bread of your choice
11/2 cups soft cream cheese
1/2 cup pineapple, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
Salt and pepper
Combine the butter with cinnamon or nutmeg and spread the mixture over 1 side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, cream the cream cheese, if necessary, and stir in the pineapple and nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over 10 slices of bread and top with the other 10 slices. Remove the crusts and cut. Makes 40 quarter tea sandwiches.

Hummus in Pita Bread

This is not a traditional tea sandwich recipe, but it exhibits the same features. Any small-portioned, savory (not sweet) sandwich or appetizer may be served with or instead of the traditional tea sandwich.
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), liquid reserved
1/3 cup tahini paste*
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
12 mini pitas
Chopped olives and tomatoes, optional

*You can make your own tahini paste in a food processor or blender by grinding toasted sesame seeds. Toast the sesame seeds over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, and garlic until smooth, adding a little of the reserved liquid if the mixture seems too thick. It will be slightly grainy. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the pita pockets in half and fill each with about 2 tablespoons of Hummus. Top with chopped olives and tomatoes, if desired. Makes 24 tea sandwiches.

---

For fun, serve a variety of tea sandwich recipes or a combination of sandwiches and appetizers. Figure that your guests will consume about 4 tea sandwiches apiece, or the equivalent, depending on the party menu.

# 131 Spring Chicken Rolls w.Lime Butter Sauce

I was thinking of what to get at the grocery store so I could cook in our new Orlando home when I came across my favorite cook of all time, Rachel Ray. I completely forgot the ingredient list at home so I went to the Neighborhood Walmart and picked up very basic ingredients with the idea of making my own version of Chicken Negimaki (from Tokyo).
This is original recipe: Spring Chicken Roll

Instead, the following is my version:

Chicken Rolls Ingredients:
- very thinly sliced chicken breast
- pepper jack cheese
- pepper blend
- asparagus, blanched in hot water for 2 minutes
- portabello mushrooms, " "
- garlic cloves
- oil

Blanch the asparagus and mushrooms. Heat oil and sauteed minced garlic. Sprinkle pepper blend onto the chicken breast slices, place pepper jack cheese, asparagus, and mushrooms and roll tightly. Place chicken roll with the loose end on skillet so that it keeps its shape. Place all of the chicken rolls on skillet and cook on one side for 4-5 minutes. Cover for a few minutes before flipping the chicken onto the other side. Cook for the next 4-5 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, cook white and yellow saffron rice. At this time, make the simple Lime Butter Sauce. If you can not blend the garlic with the butter, heat up a saucepan, cook the minced garlic in butter, and add a dash of salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of freshly squeeze lime juice towards the end. Mix well. Pour gently over cooked chicken rolls when finished.

MMMMMmmmmMMm.... magnificent!
Review:
Definitely one of the best meals I've ever made and so easy too! The presentation was fantastic(as long as the roll didn't unravel), didn't take too long to prep, and was outstanding. I'll have to try the recipe's sauce one day but was very pleased for my 'invention.' I used the recipe as a base for what I wanted to do since I understood how to cook chicken already. I forgot to get the ingredients for the sauce so I had to work with what I had. Thank goodness for www.SuperCook.com, the best site EVER that finds recipes based on exactly what ingredients you have in the pantry. I've made some awesome dishes in the past, such as my Tilapia w/Mango Salsa.  The Lime Butter Sauce was super easy and was a very nice compliment to the dish.

#130 Married. 6 months, 13 days.

Wow. I completely forgot that we are newlyweds. The wedding seemed like some distant past. I haven't even made a wedding scrapbook/photobook yet! I am now graduated and working on tons of little projects at once. I really would like to start the scrap book process. Wow, what a beautiful time of my life.

#129 We're moved in now!

Our new Orlando house is super cute! I've always wanted a 2-story house- this looks like a little beach cottage in blue. I've already started designing what the interiors will look like. You know, the fun stuff. I've decided to go with a neutral on all of the walls. The look will be influenced by the mid-century modern movement- think Frank Lloyd Wright meet Ikea- oh wait, that's what Ikea really is about anyway. I can't wait to see this little modern piece of love made from traditional materials.