A Positive Spin

The apartment hunt has been very stressful & very fast-paced! Our house was sold within a week of putting it on the market. We didn't expect that things would move so quickly, but it's been a huge relief that we wouldn't have the house being shown for months on end. A week was enough to try our nerves! The only thing is that there's a looming deadline over our heads to get me into an apartment.

The thing is, I don't drive. I need to be in a city location so that I have access to public transportation so that once I have a job, I can get myself there! Otherwise I would have the option of moving with my family. However, they're moving way out to the western part of the state & it's just not a viable option for me.

So, the stress of hunting for an apartment in the time frame of a month is full on right now. It's down to two weeks from today that I need to be in a place.

Stressful!

As if the job hunt wasn't enough, right?

Needless to say, I've found myself in need of some stress relief, big time!! I decided to start focusing on the positive, fun aspects of looking for an apartment.

a) I won't be living with my family! Now, don't get me wrong. I love my family. However, after 22 years I'm ready to set out on my own. Um, granted my mom will be paying rent for me until I have a steady income, but ... still. I won't be living with my family & I won't be living in a dorm room. Exciting!

b) DECORATING!!!!! There was a brief amount of time in my life when I wanted to be an interior designer. I was watching a lot of TLC's Trading Spaces (can I just tell you how excited I am that Genevive Gorder is on a design show again? LOVE HER!) & ate it up. I've had a hand in a lot of the redecorating that's gone on in the house. I've moved past wanting to be an interior designer by profession, but it's still a hobby. And now I watch a hell of a lot of HGTV.

The other night, my mom & brother went to pick out a paint color for my brother's room when they move. I asked my mom to pick up some paint samples for me - light hues; greens, blues, yellows. I've been really leaning toward wanting a fresh, calm green palate for my eventual new room.

I'm a big fan of Cucumber Crush from Behr. I'm about 99% positive that (if I can paint) this is the color I'm going to go with.
I've also decided that I want to make prints of some of the photos I've taken & hang them in my room. The first four below I plan to print as 8x10s; the following 5 I plan to print as 5x7s. (I already have a 5x7 print of one of them, actually.)It's probably not smart to plan out where I'll put them based on my current first choice apartment, seeing as I don't know whether or not I'll get that apartment. However, I'm doing it any way. The first two 8x10s will go on one wall; the other two 8x10s will go on the opposite wall. The first two 5x7s will flank a window on one of the other walls. The other three 5x7s will go on the opposite wall, next to the closet door.

Since my mom is moving in with her boyfriend, she isn't really bringing any furniture with her. I have my pick of everything, depending on where I wind up. It's been a bit hard trying to decide what furniture to take for my bedroom, since I don't know how big of a space I'll have. I know that I'm getting one of the queen beds, a big upgrade from my twin bed. I'm bringing my desk, my bureau, & a piece of furniture we have down in the living room that my grandpa made for my dad. Other than that, it all depends. I'll take one of my mom's nightstands most likely & after that, I'm not sure. I'm also getting her TV, which is another big upgrade from my teeny screened TV.

I'm looking forward to having a new space to make my own. Now I just need to find that space!

Spinach Puffs

This is one of my favorite recipes. It's always my go-to when I have to make something for a get-together. (Although, I always double the recipe in that case.)

Ingredients:
one 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup blue cheese dressing
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
one 8 1/2-ounce package corn muffin mixIn a saucepan, combine spinach & onion; cook according to spinach package directions. Drain well, pressing out excess liquid. Combine eggs, cheeses, salad dressing, butter or margarine, & garlic powder. Add spinach mixture & muffin mix; mix well. Cover & chill. (Or, place in a freezer container; seal, label, & freeze.) To serve, place chilled or frozen puffs on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven 'til light brown. Bake chilled puffs for 10-12 minutes; bake frozen puffs for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm. Makes about 60.

Make sure to chill the mixture so that it's easier to put it on the cookie sheets.I've found that if you use a light sheet, it takes about 12 minutes to cook after chilling.
If you use a dark sheet, it only takes about 10 minutes to cook.
It seems to be easier to use a metal spatula, as opposed to a rubber one. They come up quite nicely.While the recipe says that it makes about 60, I've found that I wind up with more like 50 ... I make them a little bigger.(I took this picture after the first two sheets came out of the oven ... they go pretty quick!)

Also, while the recipe says to serve them warm, I think they're also yummy cold. So when you have leftovers, you can either warm them up again in the microwave or enjoy them as they are!

If you use this recipe, let me know what you think!

What's your favorite recipe?

Wordless Wednesday #7

Some photos from my trip to NYC last month.

Central Park
Central Park
Belvidere Castle
Cleopatra's Needle
Central Park
Me at the Alice in Wonderland StatueNew York Supreme Court

These are all straight out of camera. My brother generously let me borrow his Kodak EasyShare M380. (I'm 90% sure it's the 380. I'll check with him later.) I waaaaant a camera like this! It's so much better than the one I have. Although I want to play with a Canon PowerShot before making a decision ... for which one will go on my Christmas list.

Blogathon Pic Post No. 4

Blogathon Pic Post No. 3

Blogathon Pic Post No. 2

Yesterday one of my friends & I went to Barnes & Noble for a while before seeing a movie. We were just browsing & I came across this ...
Now, I love Twilight. You might also love it, you might not get it, doesn't matter. Someone tell me why there is a need for so many Tween magazines with Twilight on the cover?!

And then there were two non-Tween magazines at the check-out counter with Robert Pattinson on the cover, one of him alone & one of him & Kristen Stewart.

I was just amused.

Blogathon Pic Post No. 1

The beginnings of a stormy sky:
I stood under the awning right outside the back door to take this picture as the rain drizzled down. Later we had a full-out thunderstorm.

Wordless Wednesday #6

This week I give you wallpapers I've made for my BlackBerry Curve.The first five are pictures I took myself, the rest are images I found through various searches on Google.

Also, I've decided to extend the contest I started last week ... seeing as I only got one entry (thanks, Heather!). So either leave a comment here or Tweet me here telling me what book you think I should read. On Friday, 17 July at 4pm I will randomly select an entry & borrow the winning book from the library. I know, no snazzy prizes ... maybe once I get a job!

Wordless Wednesday #5

This week I give you some pictures from my graduation/birthday party ...

Nothing spectacular this week. Hopefully the rain will eventually stop & I'll have a chance to get out with my camera!

Wordless Wednesday #4

Here are some pictures from that insane morning I stayed up to watch the sun rise.
All shot with my HP Photosmart M415.

For more, check out my Flickr page.