Pressing Onward

For one of my classes this semester I am required to have a blog.  I also had to purchase a domain name and web hosting services too.  My new blog is on WordPress and since I use that quite a bit for class so I decided to move my old posts from Blogger over there.  Come see the new look! http://madebymaura.net/

Wrapping up Resolutions

Well since it is already February I figured I should finish up my final post on my third goal for the not-so-new-anymore year.  So far, I feel pretty good about how I've done working towards this goal during the month of January.  So without further ado, goal number three: pray more often.

I don't discuss it too often with other people, but my faith is one of the most important things in my life.  Faith, to me, is a relationship with God that is always changing and developing.  This year I want to strengthen my faith with a more consistent prayer life.  For some, prayer involves getting down on your knees and reciting prayers like the Our Father or Hail Mary.  I've realized that I prefer writing down my own prayers or listening to uplifting music on my iPod and really reflecting on the lyrics and their meaning. 

This post will be short because like I said, I don't discuss my faith too much with others.  Part of this is because I really don't like when people try and push religion on others so I don't want to do that myself.  Part of it is also because I am still working on getting to a place where discussing my faith feels completely comfortable.  Maybe I should pray about that. : )

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these cookies last week and they were pretty good.  And by pretty good, I really mean that they were delicious and I wish I had some right now.  If you are looking for a true crispy cookie, try making a batch of these.  The recipe doesn't make too many so you won't have to worry about having dozens of cookies to get rid of...although that's really never a problem in this apartment. : )

Just follow this recipe!

I took these photos for one of the Daily Creates last week.  The assignment was to take a photo of a finished product and at least one of its raw materials.

 It's like the ying and yang of baked goods!

The recipe only calls for half of a 12oz bag of chocolate chips (mental math - how many ounces would that be?).  When my darling suitemate asked if she could have some of the leftover chocolate chips I responded with a snappy, "NO!".  Not very polite on my part, but it's for her own good - now I can bake another batch!

Bag of Gold?

            Human beings seek out order in a world of chaos.  Modern civilization is an accumulation of all the ways in which the human race has attempted to order and structure society.  We have a system for everything: education, financial transactions, transportation, etc.  There are so many aspects of our lives that are regulated and ordered.  Why?  Because organization, repetition, and predictability create a sense of security while alleviating a bit of the chaos that ultimately is life.  This “Bag of Gold” that Gardner Campbell speaks of – it’s not part of the current plan.

            I believe it is the fear of the unknown that makes individuals reluctant to accept the Bag.  How do we know that this is the right move for society to make next?  Where are the guarantees?  Where is the evidence that this is all going to work out well?  How do we put our lives online without giving up our privacy?  How do we create personal cyber infrastructures that truly reflect our personalities without becoming jaded or fake or cyber-robots?  These are the questions that make me question how much I want to buy into the idea of creating a personal cyber infrastructure of my own.

            Setting up my own website this semester has made me realize how much I rely on third parties when it comes to how I employ the internet.  It scares me to think of just how much information I have knowingly (and unknowingly) given to sites like Facebook and Blogger.  So I must admit, one of the best advantages of creating a personal cyber infrastructure is that I am in control.  What goes up online and what doesn’t is up to me.

            It’s a double-edged sword though.  Why would I post or publish things that don’t reflect myself in a positive light?  And if I only show the best part of myself online, are you really seeing who I am?  I don’t think so, I don’t think so at all.  That is the problem I have with personal cyber infrastructures.  While they may feed creativity and stimulate productivity, I also feel that they may feed our egos as well. 

            I am intrigued by this whole personal cyber infrastructure idea; I’m just not ready to dive headfirst into anything just yet.  Maybe that is what we all need to do though, proceed with caution.  Fear of the unknown is not a bad thing, we just can’t let it prevent us from advancing and growing, as individuals and as a whole society. 

            These are just a few of the thoughts I have on this topic.  I am excited to read what my classmates have to say about Gardner Campbell’s lecture and essay.  I also predict future posts about how I feel about my own cyber infrastructure.

Resolutions: Part Deux

Well I am back to share with you goal number two of three that I have for 2012.  Drum roll please!  Just kidding, it is not that exciting.  Goal 2: Stop buying clothes just because they are a good deal and start buying clothes that I really love and say something about my own personal style.  Sub-goal: start developing my own personal style.

Here's the thing, I have some unofficial rules about clothing: Jackets and coats should cost $30.  Pants should cost $20.  Shirts should cost $10.  Socks should be free.  I will pay more for shoes because blisters are not fun.  Now along with being cheap frugal, I also want to buy clothing that is well-made and won't fall apart after a few trips through the washing machine.  So basically, I want some bang for my buck.

In the past I think I've done a pretty good job of picking out articles of clothing that are well-made and reasonably priced by shopping mostly on sale racks.  It is not often I pay full-price for clothing.  But now that I am getting older and hanging onto clothing for longer periods of time, I want to get out of the habit of buying things just because they are a good deal.  I want to buy clothes I love because then I know that I will wear them and get a lot of use out of them.  And since the real world is coming up quickly, I also figured I should maybe buy some nicer clothing.  Jeans and sweatshirts might not cut it when it comes to job-hunting.

Over winter break I put in some effort and made some headway on my goal.  It was tough, but I shopped those outlets like it was my job!  Pants, tops, sweaters, shoes, a dress - everything on sale but also ngs I love and know that I will wear often.  Now I actually have things to wear to my internship and a reason to use my iron at school.  And actually, all the pants I bought were $20!

This goal is not super hard and more fun than anything else but still, it's a goal.  Maybe I need to reign myself in a little bit though...I don't exactly have a need for the crushed velvet platform heels that I somehow ended up taking home from Marshalls before break ended...but they're so pretty and they were on clearance!

New Year, New You!

Try saying that title five times fast!  And now, make it your mantra for 2012 - it's mine...in a somewhat sincere but mostly sarcastic kind of way.  It's not that I don't like making resolutions for the new year, it's just that I actually kind of like who I am right now.  I know, you're asking yourself, "Is this girl serious?  Because there is some definite room for improvement!"  And I agree, there's always room for improvement, but I've also come to accept who I am for the most part.  Life is just a whole lot grander when you like who you are and let other people's jealousy of disdain for you just roll off your shoulders.  You can never please everybody, right?

All this being said, I do have three goals I'd like to strive for in 2012.  I will leave you with just one now because honestly, why give it all away in one post when I can stretch it into three!  No, one of my goals is not to post more often, it's just your lucky day (times three!).  So here we go, goal numero uno:

Eat more fruits and vegetables and less processed food.

Yeah, me and everyone else who makes a New Year's resolution, right?  I never said these were going to be unique goals or anything!  Basically I would just like to get into the habit of purchasing more fresh produce, preparing a greater majority of what I eat myself, and slowly (ever so slowly) phasing out things like soda and chips.  There have been brief periods in my life where I've considered completely giving up meat or attempting a vegan diet but I have now accepted that I love McDonald's chicken nuggets (and sweet and sour sauce) and to give up the occasional dollar menu indulgence may help my health but steal my soul in the process.  And when I said brief, I really meant a few hours of pondering a raw diet and then realizing how expensive vegan substitutes are and how difficult that would actually be to do.  Plus, I love me some dairy products!  Everything in moderation is my new view on what I eat.

Now I could end this post here but I'll keep going and tell you a little secret.  I can't think of one female friend I have who, given the option right now, would not opt to be thinner.  And I include myself in this group.  Now let me tell you another little secret.  My friends are beautiful.  Beautiful.  We might not look like the actresses you see in movies or the models gracing the covers of magazines, but go ahead, check us out.  Give us a great pair of jeans and a little mascara and we are good to go.  We're regular people and we look like regular people, just like you.  We're also happy, successful, talented, and attractive people, just like you.

So the other part of goal numero uno is to stop comparing myself to what I see on TV or in Cosmo and thinking that my life would be so much better if only I were taller, thinner, tanner, more "enhanced" shall we say (haha), or fill in the blank, you name it, cause you know what I'm talking about.  Despite whatever messages the media tries to send me daily about how to improve myself, mostly via physical attributes, I know that life gets better when you start doing things you love and surround yourself with good friends who support you and love you, just as your are.

And that is just what I plan on doing in 2012.  Good thing I love eating fruits and veggies - I hope my wonderful friends do too!  Here's to good (physical and mental) health, great friends, and a big ol' "Screw you, misleading photoshoppped images!"

A Year (Sort of...) of Blogging

I have to say "sort of" because there were long stretches of time when I kind of forgot about this blog.  That probably worked out well for you though, I can imagine I get to be a bit boring at times.  Hard to imagine you might not want to read about every little detail going on in my life but I suppose you may have better things to do.

Blogging is such a craze this day.  It seems like almost everyone has one.  I love reading the blogs I follow and I'm always finding new ones to explore.  It is a little weird though that just by reading what someone chooses to publish on the internet I can begin to feel like I actually know them quite well.  I admit, I can be quite the blog stalker.  Perhaps this habit is a bit unhealthy but I figure as long as I don't start actually stalking anyone, I'm okay.

5 Things I learned from blogging for a year:

1. I care a little too much about other people's opinions of me.  There have been many times I have not posted something I've written because I'm afraid of what other people would think of me.  That's kind of lame and something I am hoping to work on in the future (that's right, the blog will live on for at least a little while longer).

2. My blog title is "made by maura" that alone signals that it is kind of all about me and a little self-centered, sorry.

3. When I get a new follower it's like having someone friend request you on facebook - way more validating than it should be.

4. Writing is therapeutic for me.  This year I kept a journal pretty consistently and I've realized that it is an incredible outlet.  Writing down random thoughts, worries, and hopes helps me organize every little idea bouncing around in my mind.  I cringe when I read over things I've written and I would kill anyone who read it without permission, but it is nice to have a little book of my history.  I laughed out loud the other night reading over a short paragraph I wrote about winning a kickball game, but they say life is all about the little things so I guess that's why I chose to journal it.  Also, I'm not the best at telling people out loud what I'm feeling so writing short notes, emails, and letters has become a good way for me to make sure my friends know how much I appreciate them without me having to awkwardly fumble over words or even worse, hug them. : )
So long story short, I enjoy writing and a blog is a great way to fuel this hobby and passion.

5. If I wanted to, I could force myself to blog more regularly or even on some sort of set schedule.  But I don't want to make this a chore.  When I do blog, I really enjoy it and for me, that's enough.  Sorry December, you got zero blog posts - and I'm ok with that.

So there you have it, my first ever blogiversary and 2012's first post.  Thanks for reading!

Thanksgiving, Better Late than Never!

Maybe you're sick of logging onto Facebook and being bombarded with people's statuses about what they are thankful for - but I'm not, so get ready.  I read something online the other day that really made me stop and think for a moment: What if tomorrow you woke up and only had the things you thanked God for yesterday?

Most days I would wake up with nothing.  Why is it that we only give ourselves one day each year to really be aware of just how lucky and blessed we are?  Being home, surrounded by family and friends, has been such a wonderful reminder of just how much I should be thankful for - every single day.

I started making a list of things I was thankful for the night I got home and it has only gotten longer each day.  Of course I was thankful for my mom since she came into Logan at midnight to pick me up from the airport even though she asked me while I sat in four hours of traffic trying to get to the airport if I could please try and get on an earlier flight...  I was thankful that my temper did not get the best of me at the airport McDonald's where they were out of nuggets and Diet Coke.  Really?  Just close up for the night if you don't have the essentials.  I guess I'm thankful they still had sweet and sour sauce - it's the little things in life.

My dog - I hadn't realized just how much I missed her (I mean she is the best dog in the world).  My clothes - I opened my closet to visit some old friends and red wool coat, I've missed you and I'm thankful for you.  My mattress - I am so thankful for the pillow-top cloud I get to sleep on for a few nights before heading back to Fredericksburg.  Mattress at school, you fail.  I am always thankful for a good night's sleep.


The next morning my dad didn't wait long before joking with me at breakfast and messing up my hair.  Dad, I'm thankful that I got your sense of humor, Chump - I mean Champ!  Never gets old, right Dad?  Oh by the way Timmay, all my friends are asking about you.  They want to know how the Big Guy's doing!


Speaking of friends, I'm thankful for my friends back here in MA.  Sometimes it seems like you guys know me better than I know myself.  It always amazes me and makes me insanely happy that despite going months between seeing each other, we can just pick up right where we left off.  What would I do without all of you?


Family.  I have a lot of you and I think we're all a little bit kooky - in a good way.  I'm thankful for every story we shared and the laughter that didn't seem to stop the entire time you were all here for Thanksgiving dinner.  Next year we need more pies though.  Yes, definitely more pie.  Growing up with an extended family like ours is a bit of an anomaly these days and it's one of the things I am most thankful for.  May the "Idiot Wave" live on forever.

So there you have it.  Just a handful of things I am thankful for but enough to warrant a blog post.  Maybe I am sick of all those Facebook statuses after all...they aren't long enough!  What are you thankful for?

Do You Feel that Draft?

I've got eight, count 'em, EIGHT posts sitting as drafts in my good old blogger account.  Bad news: they might stay there for a while.  Good news: this new one is going all the way to "Publish"!  There are lots of things I'd love to blog about but it seems like there are many times when I start writing a post only to suddenly second guess myself and put it on the back burner.  And then this little habit develops, it's called ignoring your blog, which is lame.  I am guilty of this and hanging my head in shame as I type.  Really though, if I'm going to make the assumption that something I write deserves a spot somewhere on the web, shouldn't I actually post something then?

And this brings us to my goal of the week.  That's right, I have a goal of the week.  Don't judge me, maybe that should be your goal of the week.  My roommate (oh hey, Lindsay!) and I are really awesome sometimes like to have little chats before hitting the hay and a few nights ago we decided that we should each pick a small goal to strive for this week.  My goal, can you guess it?  Stop second guessing myself...so much, maybe?  I don't know, should this be my goal - just kidding!  But that's me showing you an example of how I second guess myself.  Really though, the amount of times I stop myself from saying or doing something because I'm afraid of other people's judgment is just silly.  Silly!  It's time to stop all the second guessing.  Now, how am I going to achieve this goal?  Well that little tidbit is still in the works.  Posting this baby is a good way to start though.  Now it's your turn.  What's your goal of the week?  Try out a new recipe?  Talk to the kid beside you in class?  Actually make your bed in the morning?  Actually come up with a goal of the week?  Whatever it is, let's all be goal-setter go-getters!

P.S. - Blogger had some technical issues when I was typing this and logged me out twice.  So this post ended up being saved as a draft...sometimes it's hard to break habits!

Triple Threat

I happen to believe that there is a direct correlation between quantity of butter shown and quality of a post written.  Butter is better - can I get an "Amen, Paula Deen!"?  There's a lot of butter in this post - it might just knock your socks off.  

Exhibit A: Yup, it's confirmed, get ready for an awesome post 

and an even better recipe.

Just in case three sticks of butter wasn't convincing enough, how about a GIANT bowl of milk chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips?  Three kinds of chips = a triple threat.  Get it?

 Oh you weren't sure just how big the bowl of chips was?  Let's compare it with the bowl of cookie dough.  Who doesn't love an equal ratio of dough to chips?!?

(Disclaimer: All that butter in the first picture was not just for one recipe.  I used it to make a huge batch of cookies as well as a small batch of muffins.) 

 Here are some of the finished cookies.  Did you know that muffins and cookies like to hang out on cooling racks together and discuss current events.  

On this particular day they debated about the use of applesauce as an oil substitute in brownie recipes.  They also spent a bit of time talking about the pros and cons of silicone cupcake liners - sure they can be used again and again but they can be a pain to clean!

As good as these cookies look, they tasted about a million times more delicious.  This is one of my new favorite cookie recipes and it came from someone who knows just a bit about baking -

Bakerella - the queen of cake pops!

You should really try her recipe.  I used peanut butter and bittersweet chips instead of white chocolate and butterscotch ones but try whatever combination you want - customize your cookies!

Let Me Break It Down for You

Don't you just love midterms?  They really bring out the best in everyone.  Midterms allow us to see how people deal with stress.  You've got those quiet, withdrawn individuals who spend more time in the library than anywhere else.  There are those people who seem to think they are the only ones in the world with exams to study for and assignments to complete - they also believe complaining is their job and they strive to make sure everyone knows just how much stress they are under.  Let's not forget about the angry people, muttering under their breath between classes and ferociously flipping blue-book pages during tests. 

It doesn't matter how you deal with stress because we're all ultimately working towards one thing.  The end goal of all this stress is Fall Break.  Glorious Fall Break.  That two day hiatus from class that might not seem like much to others but for students, it is the ticket to sanity.

For me, breaks are always perfectly timed with when I'm really starting to get sick of the whole school deal.  I'm tired of coming back and finding that the door to Eagle Landing is broken (again) and I have to walk around to the other side.  Yes, this is making a mountain out of a molehill, but when you're late for a meeting and you need to grab something from you're apartment, it's an annoyance.  I'm tired of eating a naked burrito (no tortilla, por favor) every Monday and Wednesday at Seacobeck.  Sure Friday breakfast sandwiches add a bit of variety to my lunchtime fare, but sometimes the biscuits are dry and as a biscuit-enthusiast this is incredibly upsetting  I'm tired of setting my alarm early so I can complete a reading assignment before class only to hit snooze six times and annoy the heck out of my roommate.  I'm even tired of logging onto Facebook to procrastinate doing homework - thank goodness I have blogs to follow and Pinterest to keep me distracted and unproductive!  Now I'm sure you are tired of hearing me complain.  This only strengthens my point - it's time for break, people so let's just power through the next two days!  Good luck on your exams, assignments, etc. and I hope your Facebook newsfeed is more entertaining and distracting than mine.

Minor Details

On Sunday I bid a sad farewell to my math minor.  After going back and forth for days about what to do about my courses this semester I finally came to a set decision.  My math course just had to go.  Dropping it meant I would not be able to fulfill the requirements for a math minor before graduation, but it also meant not taking six courses this semester/preserving at least some degree of sanity.

The thinking process I went through to get to my decision varied.  There were moments of panic and irrationality where I questioned just what kind of impact not having a math minor would have on my life.  Some thoughts I had were, "WHAT IF I CAN NEVER GET A JOB WITHOUT IT?!?", "WHAT IF I DECIDE I ACTUALLY DO WANT TO GO TO GRAD SCHOOL (I don't want to go, I mean, I really don't want to go) AND THEY WON'T ADMIT ME?!?", "WHAT IF THIS MEANS I'LL BECOME A LONELY OLD WOMAN WHOSE ONLY COMPANY IS CATS?!?" - I was not kidding when I said irrational...

And then there was a moment of clarity, dare I say an Oprah-worthy "aha!" moment - on second thought, I don't dare, it's great that Oprah gives away cars and stuff but sometimes she can be a bit much.  Anyways, the point is, I will survive without a math minor.  I will survive, find a job, go to grad school if I end up changing my mind, and hopefully I will not become a crazy old cat lady (I prefer dogs, so really there's a larger chance of me becoming a crazy old dog lady).  I will survive and gosh darnit, I just might thrive!

The stress that came with my decision reminded me of my senior year of high school.  Remember that time when every quiz/test/project/assignment appeared to be the most pivotal event of your life.  College applications and the acceptance/rejection letters that followed really brought out the crazy in people.  One of my teachers senior year gave us this advice, "Girls, just don't stress about it."  Well that's helpful...not.  Another teacher decided to postpone a lecture and share some words of wisdom.  She reassured us that while high school is an important time in one's life, it is certainly not the most important time in one's life.  She sympathized with the stress we were feeling but also reminded us that one assignment would not make or break our academic careers and although rejection letters can be real Debbie-Downers, one acceptance letter is really all you need.  Basically she reminded us that there was more to life than a high school GPA - sometimes at an all-girls Catholic high school, you need to be reminded of the obvious.  Guess whose advice made more of an impact?

So this weekend, when I was contemplating my future, I just tweaked my history teacher's advice and realized that my life will not be solely determined by the minor degree I earn, or fail to earn, during four years in college - as long as I complete my major, right Mom and Dad?  Sure, it would be great if we could all "not stress" but, that's not feasible.  Instead we can choose to step back and take a closer look at what truly matters - hint, it is not your high school GPA.

That's the Way the (Fortune) Cookie Crumbles

Tonight, my fortune cookie at dinner read, "It's time to break out of your routine and try something new."  Maybe my fortune cookie was trying to say, "Hey, why don't you snap out of this routine of having a blog but not posting to it, you ninny!" 

So here I am, posting after a long hiatus.  Blogging is a great thing to do if you're procrastinating school work, not if you're enjoying the dog days of summer.  There must be something about the dim light of a college dorm room that gets my creative juices flowing and my blog posts a-typin'.

Tomorrow is the first day of classes for my senior year of college - woot woot.  Is it weird that for the past three years, I've worn the same tank top on the first day of classes.  Freshman year I planned my outfit and the shirt was relatively new.  Sophomore year I think it was just a strange coincidence.  Then Junior year rolled around and it just seemed silly to wear something else.  So yes, I've worn the same shirt all three years and tomorrow should be no different, right?  But what about this fortune cookie message?  Those things are always right, just ignore the occasional grammar error.  Is it time to change my routine and switch up my "first day of class" outfit?

While this fortune cookie might appear to be fitting for the start of a new school year, I honestly think it would be more appropriate a few months from now - when exams are over and my diploma is in my hand.  Then it will really be time for a new routine.  I'll join a group of new graduates trying to figure out where their life is headed and if it's actually the direction they want to go in.  It will be scary and exciting, filled with challenges and rewarding experiences.  The routine of college will shift (hopefully) into the routine of full-time jobs and a whole new set of responsibilities.  Next year will be all about trying something new.

That being said, for now I choose to ignore my little fortune cookie scrap of wisdom.  I like routines and habits and schedules.  I like being organized and knowing what is coming next.  I especially like my favorite blue tank top and yes, it will make an appearance on my first day of classes.

Back on the Blog

Don't you hate those people who start blogs and then go on to just ignore them and neglect posting anything for weeks!  I guess I really got into the whole summer mode...

I've tried writing different posts but for some reason I just could not get into the swing of things and always ended up departing the blogosphere long before completing a post.  Hopefully this one will make it all the way to the "publish post" button! 

Since I've been home from school, I've caught up with many old friends and a topic of conversation that keeps coming up is this whole impending adulthood thing.  Apparently we are actually growing up, despite all of our efforts to forget that the real world is just around the corner.  I'm talking about the real world that consists of full-time jobs, committed relationships, worries about the future of our country, and decisions of what health insurance plan is best.  I'm not talking about The Real World: Las Vegas - I mean, there's a lot to talk about there, but just not for this post.

A friend of mine described "young adulthood" as the time when we've lost our place at the kids' table but haven't carved out a place at the adults' table yet...a bit of an in-between stage.  I'd say that's pretty accurate.  One of the first days I was back at home from school, I came into the house and asked my mom if I could go out that night with a friend.  Her response was pretty much, "Maura, you're 21.  You don't really need to ask permission for things like that anymore."  Oh.  I guess I didn't realize that.  Obviously I can't do whatever I want, but it makes sense that there are certain things I no longer need permission for.  It was one of the first times I realized my childhood had officially left the building.  I'm still not sure of how I feel about this.

Maybe I would feel more adult-like if I had a fancy-shmancy internship in Boston like some people I know.  Maybe I would feel more adult-like if when I bought beer the guy working behind the counter didn't say I looked like I was fifteen.   Maybe I would feel more adult-like if I found a summer job that was more suited to my major of economics than babysitting is.

But then again...

Maybe I'm ok with foregoing a commute into the city five days a week for an internship that might look great on a resume but bores the heck out of me.  Maybe I'm ok with looking like a high school freshman now, because perhaps my "youthful" look will resonate well into old age.  Maybe I'm ok with playing working with kids people who enjoy crayons, glitter glue, and pancakes just as much as I do.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want to hold onto this in-between stage for a little bit longer.  There will be plenty of time for resume-building, forty hour work weeks, car payments, apartment rental fees, and every other little thing that comes with this whole impending adulthood thing.  For now, I am going to soak in my last (fingers-crossed since this job market sucks), real summer vacation. 
Babysitting two days a week can be rough and of course finding enough activities to fill my five day weekends is exhausting, but somebody has to do it and it might as well be me.  This whole in-between stage might not be so bad after all...

Look at that, I made it to that little orange button. 

Cupcakes, Cupcakes, Cupcakes!

I think we should rename cupcakes.  They should really be called cutecakes.  I went a little cupcake crazy these past two days.  Baking the real deal and jazzing up some plain ol' greeting cards.  

Let's start with the cards.

 The cupcake cutout stamp is by Martha Stewart (I hate to love her...) and I got it at Michael's along with the stamp.  The ink pad and photo mounting squares I already had thanks to previous (s)crapbooking endeavors.  I had pain white cards with a colored border and plain solid red cards.  With some bright colored/patterned paper I already had and a little bit of time, presto - cutecakes on cute cards!

 I just had a birthday so I need to write some thank you notes.

 

I might like gingham...a lot.

 With the all the red and yellow going on I feel like I should write to Ronald McDonald.

 What's better than one cupcake?  Three.  Duh.

 What's better than one cupcake?  Two gingham cupcakes!

...

What's better than cupcake cards?  Real cupcakes.  Duh.

I have learned this lesson the hard way: make sure you have all the ingredients before you start to measure or mix anything!

 Don't forget the cupcake underwears!

 This recipe called for melted, but slightly cooled, butter.  Which is great because I hate having to wait for butter to sit out and soften.  Yeah yeah, just soften it in the microwave, but I feel like that's cheating.

 The recipe for these pumpkin bad boys said the batter would be thick but that was an understatement...

  Nom nom nom.  Oh wait, we need frosting.

 Those look better!  A little cream cheese frosting never hurt anything.  And by a little, I really mean a rather generous amount.

 

 You could eat your cupcake like this...

 ...or you could make it a cupcake sandwich - easy to eat and frosting in every bite!

So there you go, something actually made by maura!  I'm still looking for that bakery job somewhere though...

I didn't feel like posting the recipe I used since this post is already pretty lengthy.  It is the "Spiderweb Pumpkin Ginger Cupcake" recipe from the collection of recipes in The Cupcake Deck by Elinor Klivans.  My cupcakes did not have any crystallized ginger in them like the recipe originally includes and I also did not do the spiderweb design on the frosting.  It's weird enough I made pumpkin cupcakes in May, I'm not going to go decorate them for Halloween on top of that!

Love Letters

I love letters, postcards, notes, greeting cards, smoke signals, Morse code beeps, carrier pigeon messages, etc.  Are you getting the point?  I love letter-writing and letter-receiving.  It's an art form.

Stationary - you can never have enough stationary.  You might think you have plenty, but then you'll see a pack of note cards and realize, "I don't have any cards with cupcakes, dinosaurs, stars, dinosaurs-eating-cupcakes-under-the-stars, fill in the blank, therefore, I need this pack of thirty note cards..."  Believe me, I face realizations like this all too often.  The lesson is: buy the darn note cards.  Especially if they are on sale for cheapsies at Marshall's, have cupcakes on the cards, and sprinkles on the matching envelopes.  Come on people, sprinkles on the evelopes, how adorable?!?!  Why did I not purchase those...

Return Address - I have a personalized return-address stamp - and.I.love.it.  Don't forget your return address.  If you're like me, you can mail something from school (Virginia), remember to put down your return address (Massachusetts), and forget a stamp...oops.  But hot-diggity-dog, it is "returned to sender" and makes it all they way from VA to MA.  It's just a few streets away from its intended final destination.  This is when you think you've accidentally cheated the U.S. Postal Service and your mother will just drop it off at your friend's house, but no, Mom is honest.  She slaps a forty-two cent stamp on that sucker and sends it back on its merry, snail-mail way.  I guess I still saved myself forty-two cents...

Wax Seal - I also have a personalized wax seal and stamper kit.  It is awesome.  Another wonderful birthday gift from my sister.  She's a really good gift-giver, you should get in on that if you can.  But about this wax seal thing, you might suffer a minor burn or potentially set fire to your apartment - it doesn't matter.  A letter sent in an envelope with a wax seal might as well have EPIC written all over it.

Stamps -Don't forget a stamp.  Sometimes I do.

So what brought about my post about the post (ha. ha.)?  In my attempt to unpack all my shizzit from school, I sat down to go through....drum roll, please...the birthday box.  Behold:

 It came with yummy cookies inside.

The cookies are long gone.

It plays "Happy Birthday" when you open it.

And it is full of treasures.

Those are just some of its treasures.

It looks like a bunch of trash paper recycling.

Don't be fooled.

Oh yeah, it also holds practical things.

Things your roommate gives to you,

because she knows you won't lose them. 

Like housing assignment forms.  

As you can see, I successfully kept sophomore year's form.

And I am now responsible for senior year's form.

Why did I save a bill from the University of Mary Washington?

Oh right, because the bill was for twenty-six cents...ridiculous.

 I love quotable cards.  

They are amazing and I want them all. 

You can't read them when they're in the box.

They were promoted to the bulletin board.

For some reason I only like running in races

that take place around St. Patrick's Day.  

Also, those fish are in love.  

You can tell because they're blowing bubbles - 

with hearts in them.  

That's a sign you're in love. 

Check your bubbles, folks!

 If someone sends you a handmade Valentine,

you should check their bubbles.  

The only thing cuter than a cupcake card, 

is a miniature cupcake card.

A roommate loves you when she leaves you one note,

telling you to meet her for breakfast (not shown).  

And then adds another note, with the temperature.  

That way you'll know it's fricker-frack-freezing outside

and you can dress accordingly.

The Birthday Box has tatz - win.

 

You thought Mom sent you a cute Halloween card last year...

...Then this year's card had finger puppets.

He does not look so sure about the whole

"follow a rainbow" thing...

The Birthday Box is awesome and it just reminded me tonight of how much I love getting mail.  Hint hint.  Just kidding!  I'll send you some though if you'd like!  Really, how else will I get rid of all my note cards featuring dinosaurs eating cupcakes under the stars?  I really wish I had note cards like that...

So to sum up a super long post - snail mail rocks my socks.

Under Construction

Things look a little different around here!  I have been trying my best to refresh the look of this ol' blog but I am having a few technical difficulties. 

Why is the picture at the top just not willing to be centered? 

Yes, I've noticed that the blue font color of the title doesn't exactly match the blues in the background pattern. 

How do I decide where I place my gadgets?  They seem sad stuffed down at the bottom of the page. 

Oh well, things are going to stay like this for the time being.  At least it's brighter and more cheerful than the old layout - perfect for spring and summer.  The picture at the top needs a little work.  I did my best in iPhoto boosting its color and trying to make it look real purrty but I'm no expert at photo-editing, like you couldn't tell already...

The good news is, school is out for the summer so I've got four months to really work on this blog layout thing.  Let's call it my summer project.  I need some input though, is the music nice or just terribly annoying?  That's all for now since I've been on blogger way too long today...

You Know It's Exam Week When...

...You have legitimate anxiety about blue books - How many?!? For what exams?!? Did I put them in my backpack this morning?!?

...Anytime you walk on campus you hear more than one person saying, "I just decided not to study."

...Anytime you walk on campus you hear more than one person saying, "I just decided to study all night."

...It is acceptable to look like a slob, you need to be comfortable when taking an exam.

...It is acceptable (though I question these people) to actually look cute, you need to feel put-together when taking an exam.

...The Nest is out of turkey, ham, roast beef, and tomatoes - but they do have plenty of egg salad!

...You either have 97 meals left or you've been out of meals for two weeks.

...You see people walking back from Giant with "clinking" groceries and get jealous that they're done with exams already.

...Before your math exam more than one person admits their greatest fear in life is having calculator batteries die during a test.

...You decide writing a blog post is a way better use of time than studying for your afternoon exam.

...You "share" your post on facebook because Lord knows everyone studying is really just looking for another way to procrastinate.

Good luck on exams everyone!

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Here's the story - The summer after my freshman year of college my Grammy (Mom's mom) passed away.   . After she died, my mom started to find pennies quite frequently.  I remember she told me that one day she found one while she was golfing and thinking it was someone's ball-marker, she asked the ladies she was with if it was one of theirs.  It didn't belong to anyone.  Sure, maybe a previous golfer had forgotten about it, but I prefer believing in what one of my mom's golf buddies told her.  Pennies are little reminders from someone up in Heaven that they are thinking about us.

After that, my mom continued to find pennies.  She would find them after visiting my Grammy's grave and leaving flowers or going by my Grampa's house to bring him some soup she'd made or his laundry that she'd done.  I remember when we found a penny together over the summer.  My mom and I had gone to BJ's and decided that we would surprise my Grampa with a new computer monitor.  We took our time deciding which one would be best for him and once we were done with our shopping, as we rolled our cart through the parking lot, what do we find - of course, a penny!

My mom moved me into school this year and what should we find on the floor of the brand new, never-been-lived-in apartment - of course, a penny!  A few weeks ago I was meeting some girls I had only met once before for dinner.  I was really anxious about it for some reason and the whole way there I tried to give myself a little pep-talk about not worrying so much about meeting new people.  When I arrived at my destination and went to sit down in the only remaining empty seat, what should be sitting right right there for me to find - of course, a penny!  And just today, after playing a little game of phone tag with my Grampa, he called me and left a voice message, I called him back and left a voice message, I sat down at the library and what is beside me on the floor - of course, a penny! 

Maybe the point of this story is that I am just frugal and always looking for an extra penny.  If you'd like to think that, go right ahead.  I am frugal, but I also think that someone up in Heaven is keeping her eye on me and the rest of my family.  "Find a penny, pick it up.  All day long you'll have good luck!"
 
By the way, the penny doesn't have to be heads up.

Rainy Days

Dear Rainy Days: You are perfect for sleeping in, eating pancakes, drinking coffee, and cranking out homework assignments.

Dear Tornado Warnings: You don't scare me!  But please just remain as a warning and not an actual tornado...cause than I might be scared.

Dear New Haircut: You are growing on me.  You make for some pretty epic bedhead which is always amusing.  I worry though, that without regular trims, you might start looking like a mullet - not.cute.

Dear Yesterday's Runners: That was more man-thigh than I ever needed to see...

Dear Target: I cannot believe I made it out without purchasing anything, not even a dollar section item!

Dear Blog: You have over 1,000 views.  That's really great and all, but don't get cocky.

Dear Reader: Happy Weekend!