The Times, They are a Sizzlin'

How many "I'm back!" can one blog have? Apparently one more. Things have certainly been happening in the Woo since December. Some fairly large life events went down so I figure I would give everyone a little update. My last semester as an undergrad had its shaky moments (Je ne parle pas le francais bien) but it went by very quickly and with relative ease. I had my 22nd birthday at the end of March, which really just makes me feel older than dirt. Seriously, a girl in one of my classes was talking about Usher's "Yeah" song and how she was in fourth grade when that hit the scene. Ugh. Like so many men and women my age, as spring approached, I became anxious about what my future might look like. A bunch of my friends are staying at Clark to complete a fifth year masters program they offer here, so it felt like they knew what they were doing (at least for the next year). I hip hopped around the internet looking for any job in the arts since I would hate to be one of the many that gets a degree in liberal arts and doesn't use it. I've also recently become very interested in the auction aspect of art. As luck would have it, Skinner Auction and Appraisers, the largest fine art auction house in New England was looking for Auction Assistants. I applied in the beginning of April, went in for an interview (just to see what it was like) and got the job. All of a sudden, I had an option for the future. I talked to my family, and I decided to stay in Worcester for at least another year, working in Marlborough and trying to figure out what the future of my career might look like. It is only a part-time position so I went on the lookout for another job to supplement the work at Skinner. I went onto www.hireculture.com (which is an amazing site for jobs in the arts in New England) and found a similar position at a different auction house called Altair where they really just need help on auction days. I've already worked one auction there and had a blast. I was beginning to feel like the decisions I was making were the right ones for me.

A blanket that I will probably be working on forever.

I graduated from Clark on May 19th with a major in art history and a minor in history. My whole family came up to celebrate, and it was kind of amazing to have everyone there supporting me. It was really the first time that both sides had been together and I really just appreciated the effort that went from both parties to make it into an amazing, and stress-free weekend. They were also around to help me move into my new apartment!!!! I'll put up pictures soon because I'm kind of in love with the place. It's a one-bedroom apartment that was just renovated in an old church built in 1865. It has so much character and the way I've been decorating it just makes it so personal and quintessentially me. I'm getting used to living alone, but I think I'm going to enjoy it. Between working three days a week, and the occasional weekend, it gives me a place to read, crochet, and hang out with my friends that stayed up here. It also has a bunch of room for people to stay over for a visit (wink wink nudge nudge to the friends to "the South"). I miss PA, but I think this change is a good one for me.

 I'm excited for what comes next, and I'm hoping the blogging regularly is a large part of that. I think it gives me an opportunity to connect with a larger community even while I'm rolling solo. So please, I'm going to try and reach out more and expect the same from anyone who is reading this. Thanks for letting my rant about the update. Anything massive happening in anyone elses' lives? Now I'm off to get ready since I have an auction at Altair today that I'm helping with the internet bids for.

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Yeah, I'm back. And I'm not going to go through the whole "I promise I'll try to write more" schtick. Everyone's heard it before and I really don't need to bore you with excuses.

So what have I been up to? Well my fall semester has finished with relative ease which means that I only have one more semester before I get my degree. What?! How did that happen? It seriously feels like yesterday when I was freaking out about the whole college thing (something Katie's been recently going through and is making me all sorts of stressed all over again). I spent Thanksgiving in New York with my family where we ate good food and spent a snowy day at the Bronx Zoo. Stress-free finals followed and I was on  my way back to Lititz where I've been relaxing and chilling with friends and family. We were lucky enough to have a white Christmas which always adds a bit more magic to the holidays. It was so nice just to be around with family and cozy up with some hot chocolate (and amaretto).

I've been thinking a lot about making lists of goals I have. I've never been much for lists, but I think I just need something different and more directed in my life that I can easily follow. Instead of waiting to make some New Year's Resolutions next week, I thought I would start somewhere more manageable and shorter term and make some goals for this winter break (since it will likely be my last one for some time). So here it is in writing (or type, but you get the drift):

1. Finish at least one book a week. It's only about 4 books, but at least it's something different than all of the academic articles I read for school.
2. Take more pictures. I just need to get in a better habit of documenting everything either with my little point and shoot or my phone.
3. Have tons of Jedark time. That's right, I'm in a Rock Band band and we're called Jedark and we're awesome!!!!!!
4. Have some concrete ideas about what I'm doing for the summer/future. I might have to phone up a few friends and see what they're doing too. Interviews and more research for job/internship opportunities is a must. I think this is the most important thing on my list this break.
5. Have some amazing sister bonding time. We're both going through a transition time in our life and I think we both need the stability.
6. Organize my life a bit. My laundry, DVDs, nail polish: basically everything in my life needs to be more manageable. 
7. Take some time on my nails. I just got these new nail stickers, and I've been having such a fun time making my nails all pretty. I'll have to make sure to put more pictures up of them.
8. Get up the courage to do just one outfit post. It just feels so weird going outside and getting someone to take a bunch of pictures of me. I just need to get over the embarrassment and celebrate my self-confidence. 
9. Work on finishing my chevron afghan. Oh right, I now crochet up a storm by the way. I'll have to write about that later. I'm loving this pattern though and I can't wait 'til it's finished.
10. Brush up on my French. I'm taking a  French course next semester for a language requirement, and I'm getting a bit nervous since it's been four years since my last French class.

So there it is. My first day of classes is January 14 so I'd better get going on some of these. Most of them seem attainable in the time given. I've already finished a book so I'm already off to a fair start. I think writing for this blog really helps me keep focused and organized so I guess blogging more goes along with this list. I already have some recipes and such lined up so keep checking back.

And on that note I hope everyone has a joyful holiday season. And I'll leave you with one of the most awkward Christmas photo ever taken of Katie and me. It wouldn't be Christmas if she and I didn't wear the same men's pajamas and do a half-assed titanic pose in front of a Christmas tree.

Toasty Varm

Today is totally one of those days where you just want to stay inside and cozy up with a blanket and some hot chocolate (with amaretto). For the last few days in Worcester it has been so cold, and today the weather went off the deep end. About an hour ago, it started snowing like crazy. Not pretty graceful snow, but blizarding, windy snow. It's already started to stick to the ground. Luckily, Amanda and I went out and got some groceries before the snow hit, but I am seriously dreading going to class in about 20 min. It just seems like the weather lately won't give us a break. Luckily, we weren't too damaged by Hurricane Sandy, but that doesn't mean we need the constant bombardment.

In going with the idea of staying inside and warm, I have a wonderful soup (which I'll post later) in a crock pot simmering for my dinner tonight and Amanda whipped together some cornbread and just took it out of the oven. Super cozy. I unfortunately finished all of my crocheting projects and need to run out to get more yarn because that would be the perfect activity for a day like this. 

As a little extra, we decided that we can go ahead and skip the charade of Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my family over a large feast and being thankful for all I have. For some reason though this year it seems that once Halloween was over, people went straight into winter holiday mode. What's a girl suppose to do but throw on some Christmas records to occupy the time. I am seriously in such a happy time. The first record I ever bought on my own was John Denver and the Muppet's Christmas album and I have been in some serious states of heaven while listening to it. Between that and the Nutcracker album I have, I'm set for life. I hope everyone stays warm and safe and enjoy basically two months of holiday magical-ness!

P.S~ Can I get some love if you saw the post title as a Robin Hood: Men in Tights reference? Love Mel Brooks!

Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup

Since we are getting into cooler weathers, and this whole Sandy business has made me aching for some home style goodness, I thought I would share a super simple recipe to take the cold out of your bones. This really just reminds me of home because it was one of those meals that everyone in the house loved. It is the season of the squash so you really couldn't get any better. Let's get started shall we!

So for this soup, you will need:

1 butternut squash (I would get the straightest looking squash available just so it's easier to peel and cut)
As many Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken thighs you want (I used a package of 4)
At least 1 yellow onion (you can add more if you want)
Chicken Stock
Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil

That's all that's in it! The hardest thing is actually cutting through the squash. You just want to make sure you peel the skin off, take the seeds and gunk out of the middle bit, and dice the rest of the squash. There are youtube videos of this, but you can probably figure it out. Be warned that butternut squash is one of the hardest vegetables out there, so it will require a little man power. Add this to a cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan if you're fancy). I lined mine with foil just to help with cleanup. Then clean your chicken and season with healthy amounts of salt and pepper. Place those on the sheet and toss everything in olive oil. I then added a sliced onion near the end and mixed everything together to add a different texture and flavor to the soup. Then place your pan of seasoned butternut squash, chicken,and onions in the oven at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. I ended up putting it in for longer because I wanted to make sure the squash was roasted enough. As long as everything remains golden and not burnt (but you can take burnt pieces out later), you're safe.

Once out of the oven, transfer all of your yummy-smelling pieces of squash and onion into either a large stock pot or pasta pot. I got a potato masher and just went to town on the squash. Add a bit of chicken stock at a time until you start to get a thicker soup mixture. It's really up to you if you would prefer a puree or a soup. I think I added about half of a carton of stock to my entire mixture. I also added some water just to thin it out even more without adding more sodium. It really is a personal preference. I've had this both thick and thin and it was delicious nonetheless. Once you get your soup base, head over to your chicken and start tearing pieces of meat off and adding it to the soup. I would probably not add the skin, but to each his own. Again, you have control over the size of chicken pieces you want.

And voila!!! you now have a fairly inexpensive soup that will last you at least a week in leftovers. This can also be frozen and eaten at a later day. This isn't a "real" recipe and I kind of just made it up based on what I remember from home. All I know is that it was delicious and tasted even better a few days after since all of the flavors could meld together better. So let me know if you try it and let me know what you think. Also if you have any questions I will happily answer them. Hope everyone enjoys and stay warm out there.

Riders on the Storm

source

Let's have a report of Hurricane Sandy from Worcester shall we? School closed today, and what do you think Carly did? I sat by the window crocheting and alternating between watching Monty Python's Flying Circus. It was just that kind of day. Who wants to really go outside in Hurricane-like gusts? Not this chikeepoo. I'll probably end this action-packed day with some reading and studying for a midterm I have in two days. I might just paint my nails if I'm feeling saucy enough. Since I cleaned my room and did laundry yesterday, I thought I could treat this day like a mini snow day like back in High School. We in the Massachusetts area are definitely having some heavy storms, but I know that it's nothing compared to what folks back home in PA are dealing with. I just know that the Lancaster area is very prone to floods and I'm hoping that everyone is staying safe and dry.

I hope that everyone affected by Sandy stays safe and smart as we ride out this monster storm together. It's hard to think of anything with the name Sandy as something horrific and disastrous, but that's the name we're given. I definitely think that Frankenstorm fits the bill a bit more.