tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61225002012-01-30T09:58:30.219-07:00Lorennoreply@blogger.comBlogger8771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-55584578267201158602012-01-29T22:01:00.003-07:002012-01-29T22:15:23.281-07:00

1. I'm still enjoying The West Wing, probably more than I did last week. We're still working through the first season.2. Adam got two free tickets to an Avalanche game, which were club level and included $20 for food or souvenirs. We had a lot of fun, even though the Avs lost. (Which has happened literally every time I have ever gone to see them play. Actually Adam is now correcting me that they

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-70055096401556268532012-01-22T15:36:00.002-07:002012-01-22T16:06:00.457-07:00

Some good things that happened this week:I renewed my passport, and I had to do it in-person because I had let it expire and originally got it when I was 15. I had the nicest person help me with it, so it was kind of fun (I mean as fun as anything at a government agency can be).Yesterday Adam and I started watching The West Wing, which I had never seen before. We got through a few episodes and I

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-16069182749000745692012-01-16T20:18:00.002-07:002012-01-16T20:35:45.115-07:00

Adam and I are thinking of going on an Alaskan cruise for our honeymoon. I say "thinking of" because we don't have enough vacation time to go on a very extravagant honeymoon right after the wedding, so we're planning on taking a big vacation sometime in 2013 and calling it a belated honeymoon. So basically, we have plenty of time to change our minds, but the plan for now is Alaskan

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-7864350477963101042012-01-14T17:02:00.003-07:002012-01-14T18:25:52.315-07:00

I was listening to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast earlier this week, and I realized how much I enjoy the idea of a segment they do in every episode, What's Making Me Happy This Week. Every time I listen, I try to figure out what I'd say if I had to share something. So I thought I'd start sharing my ideas here, because I can always use an excuse to be more positive and maybe it will keep me

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-66407683557026799962012-01-08T17:25:00.001-07:002012-01-08T17:42:18.535-07:00

I typically loathe the idea of new year's resolutions, mostly because I find that I take them too seriously and start to dwell on all the things I don't like about myself. One year I made my list of resolutions only to find one from a few years earlier that was EXACTLY THE SAME. Screw this, I thought.That was in college, and I didn't make another resolution until last year, which was simply,

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-65024167979488544712011-12-17T17:21:00.001-07:002011-12-17T17:23:54.782-07:00

[via MightyGirl]

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-90968495842217355592011-12-16T18:44:00.003-07:002011-12-16T18:48:02.071-07:00

It's no secret that when Adam proposed, all I wanted to do was elope. Then I found out that Adam's idea of a wedding wasn't just something small for our immediate families and closest friends, but a huge party including every friend he has. (I like to joke that this includes every friend he has EVER had, and a plus one for each of those.) The thought of that was (and secretly? still is, a little

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-8084205681114221832011-11-16T18:57:00.001-07:002011-11-16T18:58:57.092-07:00

I guess I'm double-dipping today, but I posted about my Birchbox on my blog with Brendan. (It was getting a little lonely over there.) You can go see it here.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-83899930814929399602011-11-15T19:51:00.004-07:002011-11-15T20:04:08.162-07:00

Well folks, it only took 11 months but I finally finished my granny square blanket:I'm happy that I actually followed through on it (credit must go to Mary, who recently finished hers and inspired me to keep going!), but there are a few things I wish I'd done differently. In fact I'm sort of inspired to make another one just so I can do it the right way.If you happen to be interested in making

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-24632351264804296062011-11-14T21:29:00.002-07:002011-11-14T21:30:54.537-07:00

why I am still awake, even though I was appalled by the dark circles under my eyes in the mirror this morning, and spent the entire afternoon yawning?I'm not even doing anything fun! I'm watching Jurassic Park 3 and I don't even really care about the Jurassic Park franchise.**Sorry, every single person I grew up with. It's true.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-84061445778765705422011-11-13T18:31:00.000-07:002011-11-13T20:02:12.274-07:00

Sorry guys, I blew NaBloPoMo by spending the weekend in a cabin in Estes Park. I had a great time so I think it was worth it.Anyway, here are some links to entertain you, since clearly I'm not up to the challenge.Good advice on what to do in your 20s and 30s to be happy (she says "fierce," which, eh) at 50. [via This Confetti Life]Why is Angry Birds so addictive? (Or, why aren't you playing this

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-28915170116139968612011-11-11T16:15:00.000-07:002011-11-11T16:16:19.508-07:00

Adam is deathly afraid of spiders, so the traditional spider handling role on our relationship is flipped and belongs to me. That's fine with me as long as we're never faced with anything too big, at which point we will probably have to just cut our losses and move out of our house taking only the items not in the room with the spider. Anyway, I guess I'm used to Adam being the one who

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-58057854896811749022011-11-10T22:35:00.001-07:002011-11-11T06:36:46.249-07:00

Today I listened to the Middle School episode of This American Life. I had a relatively good experience in junior high. I mean, no one looks back fondly on that awkward stage in life, but I don't remember dreading leaving the house every morning. So it was fun to listen to these stories and look back - from a VERY safe distance of 14 years - at what it's like to be barely a teenager.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-87169470842532735282011-11-09T18:09:00.004-07:002011-11-09T18:11:58.362-07:00

We can't play Angry Birds in my house with the sound on, because the birds' squawking drives Francie nuts, which in turn drives me nuts. So when I saw this toy at the store the other day, I had to buy it for her, just so she can get some sweet revenge on the bird with the sound she hates the most:

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-85213983396492761982011-11-08T19:03:00.003-07:002011-11-08T19:17:22.917-07:00

I read a lot of young adult literature this year, mostly by chance but also because it was easy to get through on top of all the other reading I was doing for school. If you're looking for some easy reading, here are the books I've read along with what I thought of them.1. The Hunger Games Trilogy - My friend Marie suggested these books, and they didn't disappoint. I mean, they're books for young

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-18832812480192165022011-11-07T18:16:00.002-07:002011-11-07T18:21:42.875-07:00

The Miracle of Today's Internet I was listening to NPR's Culturetopia podcast today, and they did an interview with the director of Michael Jackson's Thriller video. Of course, as soon as it was over, my first instinct was to find the video online and watch it.See how easy that was? Ridiculously easy. But I have a distinct memory of sitting in my parents' house in 2004, searching the

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-64123307797721257012011-11-06T12:29:00.000-07:002011-11-06T12:29:00.561-07:00

To be honest, this whole wedding thing has been pretty stressful to me. I am so excited to get married, but the planning part is unpleasant. It seems like the things I love, Adam is strongly against, and vice versa. Or people think my ideas are strange. And everything is expensive. So as you can see, it's been really easy for me to focus on the negative, less fun parts of getting married.As I

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-5081907466108482342011-11-05T18:59:00.004-06:002011-11-05T20:28:43.406-06:00

Brendan is selling buttons at a craft fair next weekend and he asked me to make some crocheted pies for him to use as decorations. (I'm a little fuzzy on the details of the event, but it is somehow pie-themed.) In my normal fashion I waited until the very last minute and made these little guys this week. Last night as I entered my third straight hour of crocheting, my hand hurt so badly I thought

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-80498677787531416142011-11-04T21:38:00.003-06:002011-11-05T06:43:10.065-06:00

Last month I was in Chicago for a weekend, and I took this photo of Lincoln Park from my friend's hotel room. We don't really have the same kind of Fall in Denver as they do in the Midwest. Sometimes I really miss it.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-64009695948813877182011-11-03T18:12:00.002-06:002011-11-03T18:14:06.212-06:00

Last night Adam and I went to the Pepsi Center for an Avalanche game. I have to admit, I still get a little thrill from living in the city. Growing up hours from the nearest live theater or sports venue, it was always a to-do to get to a big city event. And now! I can just hop on down to see my favorite band whenever they're in town or decide on a whim to go to a baseball game. It's pretty

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-86521261385232170952011-11-02T17:32:00.002-06:002011-11-02T17:43:33.537-06:00

We had a little snowstorm this morning, so I took Francie outside to play in the snow before I left for work, which is one of her most favorite things in the world. It's pretty surprising to me that she loves it so much, because she is afraid of almost everything else in the entire world. In fact, I'd say she's always loved it.I'm glad it's one of her favorite things, because watching her burrow

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-47430555654821249542011-11-01T20:26:00.000-06:002011-11-01T20:31:24.614-06:00

Coming off six weeks of neglecting this site, I decided to jump back into blogging by participating in NaBloPoMo again this year. Partially this is because I attempt it every year, and partially because I need a distraction from wedding planning so I don't drive myself insane. I had huge plans for my post-graduate school life. I lined up a huge list of books to read. I was going to finish

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-37587267184394906532011-10-31T19:08:00.003-06:002011-10-31T19:11:07.299-06:00

I don't think I've ever gone an entire calendar month without posting anything, so this is coming to you at the very last minute. Behold, my brilliantly easy Halloween costume idea:For those of you as addicted to television as I am, you may recognize us as Party Down caterers. Or you may not, since that show was only on for two seasons and ended over a year ago. Regardless, my friends who knew

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-17430705370681051322011-09-18T10:38:00.005-06:002011-09-20T17:30:01.724-06:00

So! Adam and I are engaged. It's all very exciting, especially when you factor in the amount of energy I've exerted trying to convince Adam that we should just hop on a plane to Vegas (it's extremely cheap from Denver!) and be done with the whole wedding ordeal. But nooooooooo. Someone in this relationship wants a big fancy party. And it isn't me! Can you believe it?*Anyway, we've already paid

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-42042597165462932322011-08-07T22:27:00.001-06:002011-08-07T22:29:42.532-06:00

Me: "I got you a present! I got you a present! I am so excited to give it to you! Here it is! One week early! Here is your present!"Adam (on the appropriate day for giving a present): "I got you this."

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-34408599852795899192011-07-31T14:26:00.003-06:002011-07-31T14:55:33.921-06:00

A few months ago I got into my head that I should climb a fourteener, and it made it onto the list of things I wanted to accomplish this summer. Adam, however, did not believe that I am capable of such a feat, so he suggested that to work up to a climb involving an elevation gain of over 3,000 feet by trying out some less challenging hikes.Let's just say he still doesn't believe I can do it. (To

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-78605777597138649742011-06-26T18:30:00.001-06:002011-07-31T14:55:06.463-06:00

Last year, I decided I wanted to bake a cake from scratch and conveniently, Adam's birthday was just around the corner. I whipped up a yummy chocolate cake:Also conveniently, my birthday was six weeks later. I say it was convenient because Adam did not have time to forget how much he liked that cake I baked, and said he'd make one for me. I requested cupcakes, which turned out to also be quite

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-48793762146595082222011-06-11T17:59:00.010-06:002011-06-11T18:14:09.832-06:00

I'm studying for my comprehensive exam today (it's on Friday), which is the big, final exam I have to sit for to graduate with my MLIS. I decided to work my way through my collection of notes from all of my classes, and it was pretty helpful until I got to a class I took last spring, when all I had written was about a page of notes (mostly "just look at the PowerPoint"), and then for the last

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-85019771934826116492011-05-28T09:00:00.000-06:002011-05-28T09:40:13.669-06:00

It's been a big week around here for both me and Adam, and in some really great ways. First, on Tuesday, I went to my very last graduate school class meeting ever. I'm graduating in August, so I still have to take my final comprehensive exams and do a little independent study project, but then I will have an MLIS degree and be done with homework. This is very exciting, because the cloud of

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-57386232889332038362011-04-28T08:27:00.004-06:002011-04-28T08:41:53.986-06:00

The blog Suburban Bliss has this funny little series called, "Did They Eat It?," where Melissa, who is married to a picky eater and mother of two, tries to find recipes that her family will actually eat. I thankfully don't have this problem, but I've found that she has pretty good taste when it comes to choosing recipes, plus she doesn't make anything too difficult or time consuming, which is

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-65008339033086815862011-04-12T20:16:00.000-06:002011-04-12T20:23:12.071-06:00

ALL of which Adam has VETOED (he is so unfair):A baby bearMultiple baby bearsMiniature goatsBaby deerBees and a beehiveA baby giraffeOne of a number of large dogs (Samoyeds, German Shepherds, Huskies, etc.)

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-2442399745306632682011-03-13T21:50:00.005-06:002011-03-13T22:15:39.094-06:00

Spring break started this weekend, so I have spent the last day and a half doing all the fun things I've been putting off all quarter. Because of that, I've found lots of great stuff online. Yay!If I ever move back to the gloomy Midwest, I'm buying myself some bright blue Wellies to deal with the depressing weather. (via Mighty Goods)Adam has a new niece, so I'm making this blanket in

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-65821643845591987902011-03-02T18:31:00.000-07:002011-03-02T18:42:10.193-07:00

I'm taking a class called History of the Book this quarter. Since I'm nearly finished with my degree, I thought it would be a nice departure from the classes I typically take, which are more focused on the technical side of organizing information. WAIT! Don't fall asleep yet. This is not going to be boring. Actually, it probably is.So, here's the thing about this History of the Book class: it is

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-88117794658009651292011-02-17T17:39:00.002-07:002011-02-17T17:57:52.121-07:00

I found out through one of my library science classes that DU has a subscription to a fancy ancestry.com database. I'm not sure what you can see without a subscription, but through the school you can see digital images of all the census records through 1930. My maternal grandmother was born that year, so it sparked my interest and I decided it would be fun to look her up. That led to a

Lorennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-50766206535761171142011-02-06T22:55:00.002-07:002011-02-06T22:58:18.646-07:00

What does it mean that I got home from my hair appointment Friday night only to take a closer look and realize that my new style is essentially the same as my mother's?(I am not exaggerating. I looked in the mirror and thought, "this is my mom's haircut!" Then yesterday morning I asked Adam how he thought it looked, because I was having second thoughts. He said, "why? Because you look like your

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-20466479074565161392011-01-30T11:17:00.000-07:002011-01-30T15:30:41.063-07:00

I don't really feel like writing anything right now, so here are some good things I've found online recently (because God knows there's always time for putzing around the internet, am I right?):The Mental Floss tumblr has a great little post about howMr. Rogers was a super guy.Best gift for a little nerd in your life: the little librarian playset.Here is a story about how, during Prohibition, the

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-51168214654215375662011-01-19T13:54:00.001-07:002011-01-19T13:54:00.507-07:00

Ever since I moved away from my family, I've been trying to hone my cooking skills. Sometimes this requires calling my mom or dad and asking for a recipe, but usually I just Google something and hope for the best.Anyway, right after we moved to Denver, Adam asked his mom for her meatloaf recipe and I asked my dad for his. It turned out I never used either of them, and actually along the way I

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-7450776696881425142011-01-15T09:42:00.003-07:002011-01-15T09:45:36.146-07:00

(Image via here; I noticed this book on the Weird & Wonderful page at abebooks.com)

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-80097448106855968362011-01-11T19:17:00.002-07:002011-01-11T19:17:00.220-07:00

My friend Mary is both an eternal optimist and a crafter. Because of this, she is always certain that she can recreate anything she sees online. For example, she made this adorable pillow dollhouse for her niece, and I believe she did it with no pattern or anything.Anyway, Mary saw this blanket and decided that she and I should both make one for ourselves. I wasn't sure at first, but Mary's

Lorennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-11881758341772718852011-01-06T19:51:00.000-07:002011-01-09T20:15:29.551-07:00

Even after any of my siblings were too old to watch it, my parents used Nickelodeon as sort of "background" tv in their living room. Drake & Josh was a particular favorite, and eventually iCarly made it into rotation. It was then that my love affair began.I really, really enjoy iCarly, not so much for the riveting storylines or phenomenal acting (both of which are actually lacking) but for its

Lorennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-83891993736595883132011-01-02T19:29:00.002-07:002011-01-09T20:15:37.681-07:00

Happy New Year, everyone! One of my resolutions for this year was to return to blogging more regularly. Of course, my other one is to finish graduate school, so there may be some competition for my time. Still, let's see what happens. Here's to a fantastic 2011.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-73178273962972863142010-12-04T17:31:00.002-07:002010-12-06T22:02:19.126-07:00

Did you know that students with a .edu email address get a year of free Amazon Prime? My friend told me this the other day, and for my first free two-day shipping item I chose to order a book about baseball for one of Adam's Christmas gifts. I was very excited to be cutting out so much of the waiting period that accompanies online shopping, so obviously you know that something was going to go

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-48456383495333593292010-11-02T17:36:00.000-06:002011-01-09T20:15:47.827-07:00

Adam was not brought up the way I was, i.e., carving extravagant pumpkins for Halloween. So for the last few years, I've made him abandon his triangle-faced designs in favor of something more complex. This year, my template (the mummy) came from Hersheys and his (the witch) came from HGTV.Pretty good, huh?

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-53231208346851917582010-10-02T19:45:00.011-06:002010-10-02T21:24:08.123-06:00

I spent a lot of time window shopping (and whatever the internet equivalent is) (especially the internet equivalent) when we moved, trying to find inspiring color schemes, decorating ideas, and stuff to put on the walls. Of course, I ended up finding about a zillion things I loved that I couldn't exactly use, so here are a few that I wanted to share.I think what I like about these chalkboards is

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-90761991868252116742010-09-20T21:45:00.005-06:002010-09-21T21:37:25.178-06:00

Summer is over and that is a total drag. My final year of grad school started last week, and the leaves are starting to change color and everyone keeps reminding me that Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks. Okay so the only thing on that list that's a true drag is that school has started.And actually, that wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that I'm currently trying to do all my

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-45724164179696601382010-08-08T00:10:00.006-06:002010-08-08T09:19:19.483-06:00

(By the way, all the links in this post are links to photos.)Oh man, guys. This summer has gone by fast. It's already only a month until I start school again, and I feel like I've spent the last two months either traveling or preparing for visitors or hosting said visitors. In fact, yesterday was the first day in two weeks that I actually had any desire to do any sort of housework.Anyway, here is

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-73748426887051671172010-07-29T17:24:00.001-06:002010-08-08T09:19:31.646-06:00

For those of you who laughed at my dead rose bush, I thought I'd let you know that I completely stopped watering the ones that were still sort of alive, and look what I finally have:

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-290607625413078352010-06-20T16:05:00.002-06:002010-08-08T09:19:42.533-06:00

I have never claimed to have a green thumb. I don't have a knack for knowing when something needs to be watered, or when pruning is called for, or what happens when a plant has been nearly drowned. Unfortunately, the new house did not come with a beautiful yard, so we're slowly fixing it up and making plans to change things up a bit.To see how much I need to learn, I planted a small variety of

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-83936344622105046602010-06-01T10:21:00.003-06:002010-08-08T09:19:53.705-06:00

Sometime before we even moved into the new house, Adam and I decided to go camping in the Black Hills over Memorial Day weekend. This was good, because my Winter and Spring quarters were back to back with only a week off in between (the week we moved!) and having a little vacation to look forward to at the end of all that work was a big motivation.Anyway, finally, FINALLY at 9:30 on Thursday

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-84936759669858227412010-05-25T08:57:00.003-06:002010-08-08T09:20:05.570-06:00

The end of the quarter is upon me (well, on Thursday), and as a little gift to myself for surviving 27 graduate-level credit hours, I splurged on some books. I haven't done any leisure reading since last summer, and to be perfectly honest I can't even remember what it was I read. If anyone at DU finds out about this, I may very well be kicked out of library school.So, here is my summer reading

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-75070876222230026512010-05-11T10:06:00.003-06:002010-05-11T10:15:29.308-06:00

I don't know if it's because I just moved into a house or what, but lately I have really enjoyed being a grown-up. My dad told me, "be good!" as we were saying goodbye on the phone the other day, and after we hung up I thought, okay but only if I want to.I also recently made myself a gin & tonic with an umbrella in it just because I could. It was delightful.But the best thing I have been able to

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-68380086418043165452010-04-22T11:54:00.003-06:002010-05-13T19:53:19.395-06:00

Last year when I was in Phoenix, my friend Brendan and I decided to start a blog where we'd post a photo a day, just as a way to keep up with each other. Apparently, Brendan runs with the hip artsy crowd down there, because not only did his workplace feature our blog, but just the other day, we were featured as a "blog that makes us happy" on the Phoenix New Times culture blog!Guess I'm going to

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-51519945725703899632010-04-06T18:50:00.003-06:002010-04-06T18:56:42.410-06:00

When I was little, my grandparents had a dog, and I vividly remember only two things about her. 1. Her name was Zelda. My mom named her after Zelda Fitzgerald, which I think is incredibly cool of her (my mom, not the notable author's wife). 2. If you made a gun with your hand and said, "bang!" she would roll over and stick her paws in the air. She was pretty old, so she couldn't hear very well,

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-27430482943679851502010-04-01T21:02:00.002-06:002010-04-01T21:09:16.330-06:00

One note to myself, dated Sept. 14, 2008, reading, "I need to remember that I really like Burger King crowns."Probably would have been more helpful if I'd also written down why I need to remember that.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-43670612576059999672010-03-11T16:21:00.000-07:002010-03-11T17:41:03.783-07:00

An email exchange (paraphrased, but not by much):To: meForwarded message: "Thanks for your ticketmaster order, two tickets for Conan O'Brien's tour, Sunday May 9, 8pm, Boulder, CO"To: AdamThanks! I was so surprised to see you got those! And also thanks for getting the Sunday tickets in Boulder.To: meBoulder is the only show he's doing in Colorado.To: AdamNo, he'll be in Denver on Monday, but I

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-47014611568490580232010-03-09T17:37:00.002-07:002010-03-09T17:45:15.774-07:00

Because today, I took this:(Don't forget, those are all empty cupboards. And also, add enough boxes to completely cover the floor and the rest of the counter space.)And I turned it into this:We still have a few things left in the apartment (hence the empty space), but hey. Progress, right? Only six rooms left!

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-33301660494924469472010-02-28T16:20:00.001-07:002011-01-09T20:17:16.502-07:00

I'm moving in about two weeks, into this lovely little house:So that's exciting! Unfortunately, I turn packing into an extremely intensive organizational nightmare, which is not exciting. For example: When we started packing our books (which by the way were shelved in alphabetical order by author's last name), I stood in front of the bookshelf, empty box in my hand, torturing myself: should I

Lorennoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-57067739191216256422010-02-16T20:09:00.006-07:002011-06-11T18:17:55.085-06:00

Delicious things people in my class are eating right now:a pint of Hagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream (yes! an ENTIRE pint!)chocolate-covered pretzelsStarburst candiessome kind of chicken stir-frysome kind of chocolate-peanut butter granola barThis is kind of outrageous, yes?

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-82718375598169982052010-01-17T21:57:00.003-07:002010-01-17T22:04:55.328-07:00

"There's a crazy wreck at the intersection in front of our apartment. There's like, a car flipped on its side.""Oh wow.""Yeah, there are a bunch of people from our building out there, I was going to go stop and talk to them but I have to get the pizza.""Well maybe when you get back.""Or you could go out there and see if they know anything.""Yeah, I don't really feel like going out there and being

Lorennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-29912058409288321312009-12-21T19:30:00.004-07:002009-12-21T19:48:30.678-07:00

Tomorrow I'm heading to Ohio for Christmas. Last year, I flew my dog with me, and she was a good little traveler but it was expensive to bring her along. So this year, I'm boarding her. My boyfriend is also boarding the kitten, so tomorrow I have to take the two of them to the boarder.And you know, it's like they know. Francie has been charming the last few days, but the kitten is really just

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-31784362363020824592009-12-17T21:24:00.003-07:002009-12-17T21:45:58.669-07:00

When I was in high school, I had the brilliant idea to build a gingerbread house. I only vaguely remember it, and I'm afraid no photographic record exists. What I do remember is completely wrecking my parents' kitchen for an entire weekend and making a thatched roof out of Frosted Mini-Wheats.And then three years later, I decided that I wanted to tackle another gingerbread project. Except, a

Lorennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-8965356182633218662009-11-27T14:30:00.002-07:002009-11-27T14:34:12.231-07:00

Nothing really takes me out of the Christmas spirit like trying to do a Christmas project:I can't tell you how many swear words and torn out seams went into those stockings (especially the one on the left). Somebody better get me something nice to put in them.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-8150993968693805152009-11-26T19:59:00.002-07:002009-11-26T20:08:58.034-07:00

Did I tell you all that my boyfriend shot a turkey last month? It's been sitting in our freezer just waiting for today. Well, actually, just the breast and drumsticks, because (thankfully) he dressed it before he brought it back to our apartment. Today it looked like this:(That's after I attacked it with a knife.)There were seven people at my apartment today, and we had a great Thanksgiving,

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-78495019074714215912009-11-25T21:58:00.000-07:002010-02-20T11:23:57.953-07:00

Ahh! Preparing to have a bunch of friends over for Thanksgiving tomorrow is making me exhausted.Have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-50445010122772271462009-11-24T21:50:00.002-07:002010-02-20T11:24:24.004-07:00

My boyfriend won some free tickets, and they came with $20 toward basically anything sold in the whole building, so I had a hot dog, a beer, club level seats, and a sweet Nuggets t-shirt with this guy on it all for only $10. (It was the shirt that put me over my $20 limit.)

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-73691534383384672442009-11-23T18:02:00.003-07:002009-11-23T18:05:08.135-07:00

I bought myself some pretty new makeup brushes and scored a free clutch in the deal. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be standing at the bathroom sink, swooning over how pretty all my new girly stuff is.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-61167993999015619402009-11-22T10:42:00.002-07:002009-11-22T10:46:20.547-07:00

So yesterday I took a few minutes to make the kitten some new catnip toys:And you know what? She was so grateful, she made something for me while I was sleeping last night:

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-88411224562872342932009-11-21T22:41:00.000-07:002009-11-22T10:42:54.072-07:00

I spent about 8 hours today making this:And I'm (obviously) still not done.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-66436871912899587382009-11-20T21:06:00.003-07:002009-11-20T21:07:28.151-07:00

I'm going to turn all of this:into something that will end up being awesome, or totally terrible.We'll find out tomorrow.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-44597278221097409232009-11-19T13:20:00.001-07:002009-11-19T13:20:55.236-07:00

I don't know what was going on, but I remember being in second grade, standing outside my elementary school with all the other students because of something to do with the flag. We were supposed to be watching some Boy Scouts raise it, but when I looked at the top of the pole, the sun was in my eyes. So I put my hand up to block it out, and as I'm standing there my teacher comes over and puts her

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-3941939387264379402009-11-18T22:35:00.001-07:002009-11-18T22:36:35.612-07:00

if I should be concerned that my roommate is building a Kitty City?I'm thinking yes.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-17808798441057761382009-11-17T23:53:00.001-07:002009-11-18T09:11:18.752-07:00

It's my last week of class for the quarter, so things are a little crazy right now, hence this terrible post:I spent this afternoon at home working on a presentation. My roommate spent the day home sick, so while I worked away at notecards and powerpoint slides, there were movies playing in the background. Let me tell you what I watched:The terribly unfunny Paul Blart: Mall Cop.The

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-89057030343774057132009-11-16T15:43:00.004-07:002009-11-16T15:45:26.360-07:00

if I should feel weird about sitting here emailing and texting the same person at the same time, despite the fact that we're talking about two very different things.My gut reaction is YES.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-83065922694164628902009-11-15T22:27:00.004-07:002009-11-15T22:41:20.561-07:00

We went to a lot of Rockies games this summer and one day as a joke I asked my roommate to buy me a foam finger. He said that was ridiculous, no, but I was persistent and he finally said that if the Rockies made it to the playoffs he'd buy me one.And then! They DID!I've always sort of wanted a foam finger, so that was exciting. Look how happy I was, and the Rockies didn't even win! I know that

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-59719515129712177772009-11-14T14:22:00.001-07:002009-11-14T14:22:56.474-07:00

We're coming up on my last week of classes, so let's revisit this moment from my days as an undergraduate and let me tell you what my weekend is going to look like:On the bright side, yay! I'm about to finish my first quarter of graduate school, and I think I'm going to survive.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-25050185478513693282009-11-13T16:07:00.002-07:002009-11-13T16:35:15.266-07:00

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-27157951270182241962009-11-12T16:48:00.003-07:002009-11-12T17:41:21.910-07:00

Should I tell you all that my roommate is now actually also my boyfriend? I probably should. I don't really know what I should call him, so I will continue to use boyfriend and roommate interchangeably.We started dating in August. His mom didn't believe him when he told her - she asked multiple times if he was joking. My mom said, "well it's about time," as did most of our friends. Apparently,

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-87399175158921618052009-11-11T15:40:00.004-07:002009-11-11T15:57:14.228-07:00

Remember these? They fell down about six months ago, and since my roommate was afraid to put any more holes in the wall, they were retired. We had a big empty space on our dining room wall, though, and it was kind of depressing.Then we went to Phoenix in August, and I basically bought out Ikea. It was heavenly. So heavenly that we went twice, because after we got home from the first trip I was

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-27040770338840442252009-11-10T17:35:00.002-07:002009-11-11T15:24:26.253-07:00

"I'm starting to think that the two ways to a man's heart are food and little techie gadgets.""Well, there's a third way but yeah you've pretty much got it covered."

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-6783162697847967532009-11-09T12:32:00.000-07:002009-11-11T15:24:26.253-07:00

"What are you drinking?""It's called Obamanator.""How is it?""Socialist...I mean, so delicious."*I wracked my brain ALL DAY yesterday trying to remember what funny thing I'd heard on Saturday, and probably ten minutes after I posted all those lame links (NaBloPoMo is about quantity, not quality, you know) my boyfriend said something about Obama and I was like, YES! Tomorrow's post will be so easy

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-12346768740148866602009-11-08T11:55:00.005-07:002009-11-08T16:50:22.985-07:00

I'm still posting a photo of our farm share vegetables every week in my Flickr account.Also, I post a photo every single day over here. And so does one of my best friends, who lives in Phoenix. We don't necessarily post them everyday, but we post a photo for everyday, so usually we're behind but we always get caught up eventually.I'm also on Twitter (since I got rid of the sidebar link and

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-7907113111875543612009-11-07T18:16:00.006-07:002009-11-07T21:07:55.659-07:00

Last night I saw Paranormal Activity with a big group of friends. I knew I was going to be scared by this movie - I lost sleep over the trailer.* So I made my boyfriend sleep in my room with me last night. Not that that was much of a comfort, because he has nightmares pretty regularly, and wakes up terrified in the middle of the night. Which happens to be something that happens in this movie.So

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-12519116755288759792009-11-06T17:35:00.002-07:002009-11-06T17:37:34.512-07:00

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-3806583726534626582009-11-05T19:00:00.005-07:002009-11-05T21:14:32.333-07:00

In an effort to save money, my roommate and I not eating out for the entire month of November. Oh except actually we have four times to eat out, because the last three months we tried to do this (March, April, and May), we failed. So we set ourselves up for the failure ahead of time, so next week when we want burritos, we don't totally give up.Anyway, I have made dinner the last three nights, so

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-32555363394545748792009-11-04T16:39:00.003-07:002011-04-12T20:23:12.072-06:00

Things I'd rather do than write a paper that's due tonight at midnight:Clean my bathroom.Organize the pantry.Give the dog a bath.Go to the dentist.Drink an entire bottle of wine by myself.Watch the episode of Mad Men I dvr'ed Sunday but haven't been able to watch because of classes and work.Ditto for Flash Forward.Take a nap.Things I would not rather do:Get a 0% for not turning anything in.Guess

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-50941844304837523082009-11-03T22:15:00.002-07:002009-11-03T22:17:42.338-07:00

This video never, ever fails to make me smile. I love it.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-50214249468544007242009-11-02T11:25:00.002-07:002009-11-02T12:06:43.439-07:00

Okay, I know Halloween is over, but here is how I made my Halloween pretty awesome:I took Ghosts in the Graveyard Dessert and Pumpkin Cookies to a party at my friends' apartment. (I was dressed as a witch, but it was nothing special.)Before the party, we tried to make this Paper Crave Halloween Garland, but we ran out of time. Maybe next year I will just buy this one on Etsy and call it a day. Or

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-46833227161818362472009-11-01T11:35:00.000-07:002009-11-02T12:06:26.042-07:00

Last Tuesday night, it started snowing. And it kept snowing until Thursday at about 5pm.So that was crazy.Both work and school were closed Wednesday and Thursday, so I stayed holed up inside both days working on a paper. (The timing of this snowstorm was truly excellent.) Wednesday my roommate had to brave the storm and go to work, but Thursday his car was stuck in the parking lot, so I spent the

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-39748270370255299482009-10-28T08:46:00.004-06:002009-10-28T09:10:00.299-06:00

So guys, grad school and a nearly-full-time job is a lot of work, especially when I also have a new boyfriend and all I want to do is bake him cookies and be taken out on dates. (It's a real tough life I lead, I know.) I don't have time for the internet, except for when I am procrastinating and not writing a paper (for example: right now).Luckily, I have had some really great coincidences that

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-61495309277376715252009-09-23T22:06:00.004-06:002009-09-23T22:11:33.707-06:00

Oh, the Internet simply must exist so I can find kindred spirits like this guy.You know, kindred spirits who can explain why I dislike reading Dan Brown's books in a far more eloquent way than I ever could.[link via Kottke, who even explains the link more eloquently than I do.]

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-64183961018331939182009-09-02T17:45:00.003-06:002009-09-02T19:02:40.943-06:00

So. I'm signed up for the Denver Race for the Cure. This was my roommate's brainchild, and for the life of me I'm not sure how he and one of my other friends talked me into it.Anyway, his t-shirt and race number (race number! I am going to have a number attached to me! Like a real runner! this is RIDICULOUS.) came in the mail today, and so in about thirty seconds I am going to make him go for a

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-51909251653192813252009-08-27T17:07:00.004-06:002009-08-27T17:10:01.486-06:00

Here's what happens, I get home from work with every intention to sit down at my computer just for one second to turn on something to listen to while I clean my messy apartment. And instead of clicking the iTunes icon, my mouse clicks the Firefox button, and then the kitten hops into my lap and starts purring.And then suddenly my roommate is home, changed out of his work clothes and asking me if

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-1542561103240632802009-08-13T20:14:00.000-06:002009-08-13T20:15:34.069-06:00

I really, really love this.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-67922500887726617192009-07-08T17:26:00.002-06:002009-07-08T21:02:33.378-06:00

My summer has basically been a blur. June was consumed by a Midwestern vacation, during which I drove directly from Denver to a wedding in Ohio, made it to my hometown, visited my family, complained about the humidity, went to a Cubs game in Chicago, and saw a Phish concert in Wisconsin. Then I drove home, and five short days later I spent the weekend camping at the Sand Dunes. Then suddenly June

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-59184978517258027812009-06-06T10:59:00.003-06:002009-06-06T11:02:54.907-06:00

if I'm going to be able to run an entire 5k* and drink everyone under the table when I'm visiting Ohio next week after all this high-altitude training** I've been doing.*my goals are not lofty, people.**yes, training to run AND drink.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-54577037407916749962009-05-20T19:23:00.005-06:002009-05-20T20:09:23.279-06:00

This morning at work, we had a safety meeting. Normally we talk about tripping, or what to do if there is a fire, but today a physical therapist came and talked about ergonomics. I guess before I tell you what happened, you should know a few things:a. I work with a bunch of geologists who are often working outside or with rocks or chemicals, so our dress code is super-casual.b. I also work at a

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-29850332737222390172009-05-13T19:52:00.000-06:002011-04-12T20:23:12.073-06:00

I was recently rummaging around in the Que Sera Sera archives, and found this Top Five List of Fears, so here are mine (in no particular order):1. Zombie Apocalypse (aka Zombocalypse) (it's totally possible, you guys)2. Falling3. 3-D movies (especially the ones at, like, Universal Studios? Where they have stuff like bubbles and fans under the seat? OMG HATE HATE HATE.)4. Failure5. Large flocks of

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-26504833187277206942009-04-12T23:29:00.004-06:002009-11-11T15:24:26.254-07:00

"My parents sent my Easter basket earlier this week. It was in a package with the gifts I couldn't fit in my suitcase when I came home for Christmas.""Nice. That's like a SUPER Easter basket.""Yeah, it was like one big celebration of Jesus.""Birth, death, and resurrection all in one neat package. Awesome."

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-66451888116526416072009-04-02T22:05:00.002-06:002009-11-11T15:24:26.254-07:00

"I think you better do a test run of that new cookie recipe before you make them for my parents' visit next weekend. You know. With the high altitude* and everything.""Oh, that's true. But I don't have any Easter cookie cutters. I only have, like, these Valentine hearts and some Autumn ones. A turkey and a maple leaf and a ghost.""Perfect. Ghosts work for Easter, right?""I can't believe you just

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122500.post-26378374682396012652009-03-23T20:58:00.000-06:002009-03-23T21:13:44.083-06:00

1. lovelypackage.com - I really appreciate it when people go the extra mile to make everyday things a little bit nicer, and this website is all about that. Like you can have a milk carton that looks like this, or you can reimagine it to look like this. Most of the wine bottles they've featured are creative and gorgeous and make me wish I had the skills to be a graphic designer.2. Battlestar

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0