"Feeling so fly like a G-6."

Like a G-6 - Far East Movement

Why is this song so addicting?

Wow, these have been long [but wonderful] few days, but step by step I shall catch you guys up...

Starting later.

It's kind of late right now.

But basically, I've been sitting at home knitting and playing Sims 2: Open for Business. 

[My Sims are far more successful than I am.]

Also, I'm getting my hair done tomorrow. 

Is there any better feeling than getting your hair done? Really?

[The answer is no. There isn't.]

My mother really likes it when I'm really blonde, so I'm getting it dyed and highlighted...again. Anything to keep her happy. I am not going to be Playboy bunny blonde though.

[Not again. Never again. Long story. Long, traumatizing story. *shudder*]

We'll see how this goes.

[Tune this next part out if you hate crafty stuff.]

[Who am I kidding? Leave if you hate crafty stuff. We don't take your kind here.]

I've been knitting up a storm. Mom bought me a headband type deal with a flower on it that I have already successfully recreated. I am such a nerd so awesome. I'm now working on another one to give to a friend for Christmas.

Wait, Christmas has already passed? Shit. I'm behind.

In other news, I'm serious about this Denmark fanbase. I looked at my stats today and more Demark...people [Denmarkish? Denmarkian? Denmarkese?] than Americans have looked at my blog this week. What? If you're from Denmark, comment! It's entirely exciting.

Alright. I'm off to watch some more How I Met Your Mother...I mean, do something productive.

May the force be with y'all.

"Life is a mystery."

Like a Prayer -- Glee Cast Version

Sooooo I'm bored, so I'm doing one of those lame myspace-esque surveys.

[Also, I've been noticing lately that I tend to add esque onto the end of nouns to make them adjectives...Is that allowed?]

[Do I care, really?]

DB's 2010:

JANUARY:

Who kissed you on New Year's?

My most recent ex. It was really quick though because my mom, sister, his brother, his best friend, and Caleb were in the room. We didn't have the balls or the indecency to have a full make out session or anything. 

Did you have a New Year's Resolution this year?

To do all of my homework, get all As, and get into college.

Um, yeah. All  Most of my homework got done, I've only gotten two Bs [AP classes. Get off my butt.], and I've gotten into not one, but TWO colleges. I think it counts as a success. 

Does it snow where you live?

No, thank god. I'm such a snow party pooper.

FEBRUARY:

Who was your Valentine?

Said ex that I was dating on NYE. But we broke up on the 15th, so does that even count? I think not. 

When you were little did you buy Valentine's for the whole class?

Um, yes, and they were ballin' outrageous. I also got Christmas presents for half the class because everyone did.

What did you receive for valentine's day?

Nothing. I haven't gotten anything since elementary school. 

MARCH:

Are you Irish?

Yeah, man. My name means "pure Irish girl".

 APRIL:

Do you like the rain?

I LOVE rain. Like, I have a reputation for going out and playing in it like an 8 year old. Thankfully, Caroline is the same way, and we feel free to act however we want to. :)

MAY:

What is your favorite flower?

I don't have one. Does that make me a terrible girl? I have a nasty feeling that it does.

What about a favorite tree? Does that count?

I love willow trees. They are my absolute favorite. I feel like all of them are like the wise one in Pocahontas.

Does that make me seem weird? No...Of course it doesn't....:)

Is May anything special to you?

I'm graduating from high school in May! That is very much special to me!

Oh, and Q's birthday.

  

JUNE:

Did you do anything fun during this Month?

I was a VBS councilor! :) I know that sounds extremely nerdy, but I love it so so so much! 

The kids are adorable, and I just love getting to know them.

JULY:

What did you do on the 4th of July?

I adore 4th of July. Every year, a couple of my closest friends and I go to our local symphony orchestra's outdoor concert and the fire works. I bring a quilt, and we all sit in the back talking to each other and seeing everyone who we know there. It is always a blast, and I love it.

AUGUST:

Did you go to the pool a lot?

Well, my sister was dating a guy with a pool at the time.

[I got so mad when she dumped him. What was she thinking? Where was I going to go swimming then? How could she be so selfish...? Hahaha.]

SEPTEMBER:

Do you like fall better than summer?

As much as I complain about band, I really do love band and football season. I spend a lot of time with my closest friends, and there is nothing like the smell of fall. I can always smell it before I can feel it, and it is such an exciting experience!

OCTOBER:

What's your favorite candy?

I don't like candy, really.

What were you for Halloween?

Nothing, this year! :( It was so sad. Halloween is definitely my favorite holiday! I've always gone all out for it. 

I just had nothing to do this year. Nowhere to go. Man, my life is lame.

NOVEMBER:

Whose house do you go to for Thanksgiving?

My cousins'. 

They live ten minutes away, so it was no big exodus, really.

DECEMBER:

Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes. Oh man.

You should see our tree right now. My mom went all out. Because she feels bad about money being tight, she has wrapped each thing separately, so there are presents everywhere.

Not only that, but they all look professionally wrapped. Huge bows, flowers, ornaments....Like she really went all out. 

I'll post pictures eventually.

Have you ever been kissed under the mistletoe?

Nope!

  

What do you love most about December?

Everyone is always in such a loving and giving mood!

Oh, and the sweaters. I love sweaters.

I really want a sweater vest. 

[You hear that, Santa?]

RANDOMS:

Did you learn Anything New?

I did, actually. After a nasty breakup, I had a pretty low period in which I felt like I had no one. But slowly, I came out of that, and I've become so much closer to all of my friends that I've had all along.

I was like, I had a year to stray from them, but then when I came back, our friendships have all become so much stronger. I love all of them so much. I have trust issues by nature, but I can easily say that I trust and love them with all my might.

It'll be so hard to leave all of them next year, but I know that out relationships are strong enough to last.

Near Death Experience?

Does Q's driving count?

I think it counts.

  

Lost Some Friends?

Yeah, but that's part of growing up, I think. As we change, relationships change. Sometimes, shit happens. It's better to remember the good times and move on than to keep creating bad ones. Sometimes, you have to man up and move on.

Oh looky there! Another lesson!

That was my year.

It wasn't as boring as that survey, that's for sure. ;)

Btw, I've been knitting for so long today, that I'm pretty sure that I'm going to have claws in the morning. 

Totally worth it...I'm making socks.

Damn straight.

May the force be with y'all.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere we go."

Jessie: Mom, you're just jealous because you can't speak Spanish like Katie and me!

Mom: You wouldn't be able to either if you had my high school teacher! Evil Cuban lady....She used to throw erasers at me!

Jessie: Did you just say razors? She threw razors at you?

Mom: E-RASE-ORS.

Jessie: Well, then why are you complaining? I mean, if she had thrown razors at you like I thought you said, she would have really been evil!

Mom: ...Where did I go wrong with you?

Haha. Ha. Ha.

My family is weird.

Also, victory of the day:

Q likes to embarrass me with PDA as much as possible.

I really dig it when it backfires on him.

Faces and names were blacked out to protect the innocent and the not so innocent.

BOOYAH!

Also, apparently I have a decent fan base in Denmark! Who knew!

Hello over there!

Got my final Christmas shopping done today. I did all my shopping with my cursed $50 Bath and Body Works giftcard.

Which, btw, still ticks me off!

Was it a gift? No. It was my pay check.

Every year, I do spotlight for my high school's drama production. Our drama department is a huge deal. In fact, they built a huge state-of-the-art auditorium for it last year.

Usually, plays have two spotlights. But in order to avoid training someone new, I'm the only one. I do all the parts.

[I consider it my yearly workout.]

They have a spotlight salary of $50 every year, so I always get paid $50.

When it came to the last night of the production last year, the assistant director came up to my booth with my pay....in the form of a $50 Bath and Body Works gift card.

I was ticked.

To begin with, I don't wear scented stuff, and besides, what am I going to do with fifty bucks worth of lotion, soap, and candles?

So, guess what my cousins are getting for Christmas!

:)

May the force be with y'all!

"I don't want a lot for Christmas; there is just one thing I need."

All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey

Definitely one of my preferred Christmas songs. Don't look at me like that. You know you love it too!

When it came on the radio before school the other day:

Jessie: Stop!

[I freeze and stare at her like she's crazy.]

Jessie: No one leaves this car until this song is over!

[Proceeds to reach forward and turn it all the way up.]

We just sat in the parking lot dancing and singing along to it like lunatics. Gotta love sisterly bonding.

One of my friends walked by, stood and stared at us for a second, and then started dancing along in front of our car. Haha. That's when you know that a friendship is meant to be. 

But yes. Q is gone back home to the islands for Christmas break and Caroline is leaving for Florida in a couple of days. I'm going to be so lonely!

But anyway. I deal. I've been working on putting a dent in my AP Chem homework, but instead, I've gotten distracted and am putting a dent in our yarn collection instead. 

[Not that I ever will. You don't understand. It takes up half the living room. It is everywhere.]

So far, I've gotten two squares done for the quilt-esque afghan that I've been working on for mom, a scarf for Q, and on and a half gloves for my friend Patty. And I still have to do gloves for Caroline. 

[I'm beginning to see defined muscles in my fingers.]

Caroline and I have a Christmas present system every year. In order to avoid the awkwardness of buying something that the other doesn't like, we prearrange what we're giving. Since we are both nerdy old ladies decently adept at both knitting and sewing, we pick something that we are both going to make and then have at it. 

This year it's gloves. Last year, we made hats.

You can kind of see the hat that she gave me.  It has kind of a snowflake-y lace pattern on the back.
The one I gave her is light blue, and it has vertical ribbing up it with flower off centered on the front. It looks like a 1920s hat, kind of, which is totally her vibe.

We don't know what color or pattern or type of yarn that the other one is using, though, so there is still that element of surprise when we open them. It makes life sooooo much easier.

Do any of y'all have holiday traditions with your friends?

May the force be with y'all.

"Yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got love in my tummy."

So. I made the most amazing appetizer today for my Spanish final.

[Thank you, Sandra Lee. You are my hero.]

Now all I need is a cocktail and a table scape.

[Anyone? Anyone? Food Network, people.]

I made empanadas tonight.

Keep in mind that I'm not a cook. Like, at all. In fact, mom has decided that I watch the Food Network so often because I like to live vicariously through them while I lounge on the couch eating Cheetos.

[Yum.]

Now, when I tell you what is in them, don't jump to conclusions. It really doesn't sound like too great of a combination. But I'm a green bean casserole addict, so, naturally, I had to try it at least once.

[Well, you know. Only cause I had to.]

We're on a food unit in Spanish, so our final is to present a recipe that we like, en espanol, and then pass around the food and let everyone try it.

[It's tomorrow morning...Wish me luck.]

Everyone in there has exempted it but me and six other people, so we're having ourselves a regular little fiesta.

These are really good to make after Christmas or Thanksgiving when you have leftover green bean casserole [I make mine without the soy sauce and pepper, but whatever floats your boat.] and mashed potatoes. Or, you can just go ahead and make them first, like I did tonight. Super super easy. It took me about 20 mins to do both of them beforehand.

Yum yum yum. My favorite thing ever. And NO. That was not all me. My sister ate some too. :)

 
The added bonus is that you can be a fatty like me and stand at the kitchen counter eating the casserole straight out of the pan.

This is the way to do things. Don't be a square.

But anyway, Here's my Sandra Lee's empanada recipe. (And I'll even put it in English, unlike my copy.):

Equal parts excitement and frustration.

I used mild, but you can go as spicy as you'd like.

Makes 20 [ish] empenadas [turnovers]

1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
1/2 cup of green bean casserole
1 teaspoon of taco seasoning
1 cup of Mexican shredded cheese
1 box of refrigerated pie crust (Pillsbury recommended)
1 huevo








1.   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2.   Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (Yeah. I definitely just used Pam and only one baking sheet. But hey. Depends on the person.)
3.   Combine the potatoes and the casserole in a bowl. Mix in the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of cheese.

4.   Unroll the pie crust and use a 3 inch biscuit cutter [or a juice glass, like I did.] to cut as many circles out as possible. Do this with both crusts.
5.   Put a teaspoon of the potato mixture on each circle. I found that you really don't need all that much. If you overfill it, they won't close properly.

6.   Use a fork or knife to fold the dough in half and pinch the edges with your fingers.
7.   Use a fork to seal the edges and make them look pretty.

8.   Beat an egg, and brush the egg over the pastries [only do a few at a time].
9.   Sprinkle cheese over the top of the pastries.

10. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

That's it!

Believe me. If I can do it, you can.

Yummy AND healthy. [If my sister was willing to eat it, you know it's healthy. She's a veggiesaurus health nut.]

Hope this food break perked y'all up from your finals drag.

May the force be with y'all!

"Feliz navidad. Prospero ano felizidad."

Feliz Navidad 

I am the best sister ever. Have I ever told you that? I am.

I just got my sister's Christmas present, and it cost me...dun dun dun....$70.

Gasp.

It kind of pains me to say it.

[Keep in mind that I have no income....At all. This is babysitting money from like June.]

But she'll really like it. And I'd rather spend that much on something that she'll use instead of something that she'll just say "Uh huh, thanks." and then toss them aside, you know?

Anyway, my sister has a serious mental deficiency is really into running. Like really into running.

She runs at least 5 miles a day.

[No, it's okay. I don't understand it either.]

So I got her this:

You can get them here.

They aren't really my style at all, but she really likes running tights with bright color blocked patterns. And they really aren't all that easy to find, as you might imagine.

She saw some similar ones in her magazine that she loved, so....hopefully.

Fingers crossed!

May the force be with y'all.

"I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind."

I'm So Tired -- The Beatles

Have you ever had days in which you start thinking about old friends and missing them unbearably?

This is especially bad when there is bad blood between you and you don't even speak anymore.

I just...I don't know. It sucks to lose a best friend. In less than a year, we've gone from inseparable to fighting whenever there is any contact at all.

But that's life, I guess. I can't sit here and whine because it is just as much my fault as it is theirs. It would be so much easier just to pin all of the blame on them, but I can't, in good conscience, do that.

Sorry for the emo post. I don't know what's up with me.

I think I'm just exhausted.

Anyways. Football game tomorrow. State championships, to be exact! I'm excited for our boys, two of them being my cousins. Band practice in the morning beforehand, but after that, I should have a good time. :)

And now, in exchange for you reading the whiny bit, here are some things that I found amusing.

This was in my study guide for the standardized test that I had to read. It amused me, which was step up from the snoring that the rest of it caused me to do.

This says it all.

Nothing like the misfortune of others to make one feel good about their own lives.

...I'm just kidding. I'm really not a terrible person.

Well, maybe a little bit.

May the force be with y'all.

"Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade? I'll march my band out; I'll beat my drum."

Don't Rain on My Parade - Lea Michelle

This was originally sung by Barbra Streisand, but I really really love this cover. It is the perfect feel good, belt it out song.

Well, today was the last Christmas parade that I have to march in this season EVER!

[Insert a break for me to dance around the room cheering like a maniac.]

[I hate parades.]

Well, no. They are okay when you're watching them or are riding on a float. Hell, you could be walking behind a float, and they are still kind of fun. But when you are marching in a band uniform? Hells to the no.

Um, yeah, so my bestie Matty and I? We're super cool. Same iPod, synchronized song? Ballin'. 

Also, my high school is up for the state championship in football!

[There would be another squealing fit here, but I took an energy shot on a dare at 7:30 this morning, so the crash? It's visiting DB town. ZZZzzzzzzz.......]

Believe me; it is a great end to my high school band career. I don't think that I'll cry at my last game next week, but I also don't think that it'll it me then.

Except maybe when everyone else starts crying. That may set me off. That always sets me off.

Sigh.

Anywho. I'm sure you'd all be glad to know that I have gotten more complements on my knitted Santa hat than I have on all of my carefully planned outfits put together. You never know what people will be into.

Speaking of outfits, I was cute this week.:

Admittedly, it was cuter in person than it really is in these pictures. It had a sort of cute but boho feel. You can't tell from the pictures, but the skirt is lace.

The skirt? My sister's. The vest? Mom's from the 80s. Oh yeah.

I dig how big the vest is. I don't know why. I just do.

It was lovely. Don't you love days like that?

May the force be with y'all!

"Pasa la noche conmigo, bonita."

Bonita -- Andres Cabas

Even if you don't speak Spanish, check this song out. It is pretty fantastico, if I do say so myself.

So excited!

Great news you guys! Yesterday, I bought.... [wait for it...wait for it...].....the best sweatshirt ever!

I mean, it's nothing special to look at because it is just a plain dusty pink color, but it is amazingly soft. And warm. The outside is a really soft sweatshirt material and the inside has the faux sheep skin stuff that keeps you toasty and is fun to sit there and pet all day.

[No, like seriously. I get weird looks in the hallways, but it's all worth it.]

Soooo fuzzyyyyy.....

[Q is excited. He has a very similar one from his college visit, and I steal it at least once a week. He won't have to freeze anymore!]

[But seriously. What else are boyfriends for? :) Duh.]

[So I'm a klepto. Stop judging.]

It set me back $20, but so so worth it.

Merry Christmas to me! 

Note the hand knitted Santa hat. You wish you were this cool.

May the force be with y'all.