Troublemaker

In my last post, I released the list of songs that I'm currently obsessed with, which I had turned into a mix CD. I have the disc on constant repeat in my car with the volume cranked. The choices are 1. Loud, with the windows rolled up or 2. LOUDER, with the windows rolled down. YEAH!

So, yesterday, I was in my apartment, trying to complete a to-do list that was a mile long. I had cooking and cleaning projects, along with some work work to do. The mix CD was in the car, my I-Pod isn't updated, so I turned on the radio for what was actually the first time in days. And what do I hear?

That's right, Troublemaker by Olly Murs. Why didn't I download this song over the weekend? I haven't a clue! Was it on my list of songs to download? You betcha. There were other songs I considered adding to the collection, though I ultimately cut them from the list because of budgetary concerns. This song is a troublemaker! I've now corrected the problem, so all I have to do is quickly burn the CD once more.

In other news, I have some neat things I'm looking forward to sharing here on the blog, but I've been running short on time lately. I'm hoping that I'll have the chance to get caught up some day, but in the meantime, hopefully you enjoy this!

After Christmas, I had some Christmas-themed marshmallow Peeps left over. I'd bought them for a party, where they were not a particularly big hit. In my rushed clean-up, I shoved them into a ziploc bag and shoved the bag into the liquor cabinet. A while ago, I ran across them when I randomly opened the liquor cabinet. What does a person do with Christmas-themed Peeps in June?

Ummm... duh! Make S'mores in the microwave. I decided that, in honor of these little leftover guys, they should be called Snow-Mores.

YUM! This Snow-More features 2 snowmen microwaved Peeps on top of dark chocolate chips sandwiched between Swedish ginger cookies also left over from Christmas. Get ready for something special next time Christmas rolls around! Snow-Mores for everyone!

Mixtape #5

I haven't done one of these posts in a looooong time... because that's how long I've been listening to the same music over and over and over again! Yesterday, I sat down in front of my laptop, opened up Google Play and spent all my money. Okay, not all of it, but I feel like I downloaded just a ton of new stuff. And since most of the stuff I wanted is pretty popular, a lot of it was $1.29 instead of the 99 cents I thought was standard. I checked in over at Amazon MP3 to see if their prices were different, and they weren't. Amazon has been my standby for a long time, but I thought I would check out Google Play. I had the inkling that, maybe if I downloaded the music from Play, it would be available for streaming on my phone (using the Google Play Music App). Turns out I was right! The other night, after responsibly pulling over to get the technology working, I listened to my freshly downloaded stuff while driving home by streaming it over my phone. I got to enjoy it while cruising along the freeway before I'd even had the chance to make up my mix. Awesome!

Still, though, there's something to be said for a totally cool mix CD. And I have one, so here it is. Feel free to click on the song name to watch a YouTube video!

1. Gangnam Style by Psy
2. Can't Hold Us by Macklemore
3. No Te Detengas by Wisin y Yandel
4. I Can Only Imagine by David Guetta
5. Don't Stop the Party by Pitbull
6. Pegate Mas by Dyland y Lenny
7. I Love It by Icona Pop
8. Come and Get It by Selena Gomez
9. Hasta que Salga el Sol by Don Omar
10. Numb by Usher
11. Bon Bon by Pitbull
12. Ridin' Solo by Jason Derulo
13. Brokenhearted by Karmin
14. Smiley Faces by Gnarls Barkley
15. Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke
16. Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson
17. Call It What You Want by Foster the People
18. Put the Gun Down by ZZ Ward
19. Here I Go Again by Audra Mae

Is this music of your taste? Let's be real: almost certainly, it isn't. At my house, I don't actually call this CD Mixtape #5. I call it "Don't Stop." I picked that name in homage to two of the songs - Don't Stop the Party and Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson. Maybe I was thinking to myself, "Don't stop buying songs in Spanish." Let's be real: I don't speak Spanish. I haven't made any effort to learn, and while I enjoy the tunes in Spanish, I have no idea what they're about. And then, only once the name was solid in my mind, did I discover that "no te detengas" means "don't stop" in English. I kid you not! So, that's my motto. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it. Don't stop - no te detengas! Go make a mixtape!

House Lust

Almost every day, I walk past a bench in the garage of my apartment building. It's a wrought iron bench, with the name of the apartment building stenciled on it in enormous spray painted letters. It's in the garage, right by the elevator, at a place where there's a bend in the driveway. One glance at this bench will tell you that it's been hit by a car - at least once. The bench isn't much good for sitting, but that's okay. I've never seen anyone sit there. Several times a week, though, residents put things out they no longer have a use for. I don't often find things on the Free Bench that are particularly interesting, but every once in a while, I snatch up a gem. This time, it was this book:

Those of you who know me in real life know that buying a house is definitely on my list of life goals. I'm living in an apartment where I'm really quite happy - nice neighborhood, good management company, quiet neighbors. But, I think I'd be happier in a different neighborhood - closer to where I work - and I'm saving up to make it possible to get a mortgage. So, when I spotted the title on this one, I was definitely intrigued. I looked at the copyright and noted that it was in 2008. I almost left the book behind once I noticed that, because I think our world was really different then, especially when it comes to residential real estate. But, then I reminded myself that beggars can't be choosers. What did I have to lose by taking it upstairs and giving it a try? If I hated it, I could always bring it back to the free bench.

I didn't hate it at all! I thought that this book was going to be primarily aimed at people who are hoping to buy their first home. However, I think the audience is much broader than that. Sure, people who are looking to buy a new home would be entertained, but so would anyone thinking about improving a home, buying a second home or timeshare, or becoming a real estate investor or agent. The style of this book actually reminds me a little of Michael Lewis (who wrote The Big Short and Moneyball), who travels and interviews interesting people to weave together a collection of anecdotes to make a bigger point. That point, of course, is that there are lots and lots of people in our country who have "house lust." That would include even people who browse the real estate listings for fun. (Wait - some people DON'T do that?) This book was published after the trouble in the housing boom had become apparent, so the author does consider the possibility that "owning real estate" is going to look different in the future than it did in the past. This book certainly gave me some things to think about as I consider the possibility of buying a place of my own. It's not a "how to buy a house" guide, but instead presented examples of things that went right and others that went wrong. I know I'm making the right choice to hold of buying for now... and I'll probably want to read this book again before changing my mind!

I so enjoyed reading this book that, before I was even done with it, I was thinking of writing this post for you. Then, I thought it might be too much to try to write a post whose point was so ambivalent. And then I watched this!

I didn't just watch the trailer, I watched the whole movie: The Queen of Versailles. This movie is basically a documentary illustrating the themes of the book House Lust. I watched it on Netflix streaming and I would highly recommend it. David Siegal owns a company called Westgate Resorts, which made him very wealthy through sales of timeshares. He and his wife (#3, I think), Jackie, had begun construction on their dream home shortly before the economic difficulties in 2008 set in. This "dream home" was a 90,000 square foot residence in Miami that was explicitly modeled on Versailles. This movie tells the story of how they became so wealthy and how that wealth was jeopardized by the financial crisis. Hint: it's all about real estate. The movie was super interesting and I'd definitely encourage you to watch it, if only to see how the very wealthy live, or to spy on what may be the largest private residence in America, or to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the time share industry. If you have House Lust - which I do, and I bet you do too - then you should watch it!

Tiny Blue

I'm sure you're tired by now of reading about my jewelry-making exploits... but there are more!

During my recent wandering at the Bead Monkey, I spotted this little doodad. I love this photo - because I got to make this flower several times larger than it is in real life. Even though I wasn't looking for a charm to make another necklace (you all know I can't resist a simple charm-and-chain combo), I couldn't pass it up at less than $2! 

This is particularly true since it was all set for hardware. All I had to do was add a jump ring and slide it onto a chain. It took supplies of another dollar or two, combined with 5 minutes of my time... 

And then I had this! Light blue and gold - what a fun combination for summer! 

Lady Almina

Quite some time ago, I read a list someone had written of books that were about or related to Downton Abbey. I enjoy the TV show a ton, and I really like to read, so a book about Downton Abbey seemed like a great match for me! I promptly uploaded the names of most of these volumes into Goodreads and put them on my "Want to Read" shelf. (As an aside: I previously would have simply requested the book from the library right away, which was an okay solution. I never forgot about books I wanted to read, but there was stress when my requested books came in and I didn't really have time to read them.) And as soon as the books were on the Goodreads shelf, I basically forgot about them.

Fast forward to a shopping adventure a couple of weeks ago that included a stop at Half Price Books. What do I happen upon but one of the books from the list, which has a name that wouldn't let me forget that I wanted to read it and why: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey.

I snapped this book up in a heartbeat and put it on the top of the stack at home. I started it just as soon as I could and tore through it. I really enjoyed this book and, if you're a fan of Downton Abbey, I'd highly recommend it!

This book focuses on the life of the real person who inspired Cora, the Countess of Grantham, in the TV show. Like Cora, the real Almina was an heiress whose money helped make the estate solvent at a time of financial turmoil. Though her family was quite wealthy, she was a bit of an "outsider" for many different reasons, so there was a bit of ongoing tension between the world where she had been raised and the world she occupied as the lady-in-charge at the castle. I found the story of her childhood and her passage into the noble family to be the most interesting part of the book. It reminded me of the intrigue that accompanied the discovery that Cousin Matthew was going to be the heir of Downton Abbey and the challenges encountered on both sides as he became integrated into his new surroundings.

The body of the book is really about World War I and Almina's decision to open a hospital which spent quite a bit of time operating out of Highclere Castle - the place she lived and where Downton Abbey is actually filmed. I was really intrigued by the discussion of how it was to make a private home into a hospital, a subject that is discussed in much more detail in the book than in the TV show. However, there was a LOT of detail regarding the war that I ultimately just didn't find that interesting. The author, who is currently the Countess of Carnarvon and who lives at Highclere Castle herself, goes into a lot of detail about this person and that person dying in such-and-such a battle. I struggled to keep track of these soldiers. While they were certainly known to Lady Almina, they weren't known to me.

After the war ended, the book then goes into great detail about what is actually, apparently, the family's greatest legacy: the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt! I'm not very knowledgeable regarding Egyptian history, or archaeology, so I did not see this one coming. I guess it makes sense that the very wealthy were the ones who purchased the rights and financed the work of doing the excavations. This book doesn't go into a ton of detail about it, but it is an interesting way to wrap up the story. While reading this book, I certainly saw a different face to the family at Downton that I've come to know and love. Most significantly, I began to realize just how closely their fiction mimics fact. If you enjoy Downton Abbey, read this!

The Feast!

Several weeks ago, I got this bee in my bonnet about hosting a craft night. I've been invited to craft nights before - often hosted by one of the girls in my book club - and I decided it was time I tried my hand at doing it myself. I considered inviting that whole gang, but ultimately, I felt that a smaller group of people would make more sense. Since I have four good girlfriends in my closest circle of friends, I invited them to join the fun. We had an awesome time, crafting, relaxing and EATING! While the eating wasn't really the point of the evening, it is the point of this post. 

In the days leading up to craft night, I got to thinking about the menu. I knew that if I called it a potluck, everyone would bring something and we'd end up with a pleasant hodge podge. Nevertheless, I really enjoy it when I'm invited to a party and I don't have to bring anything except myself. I decided I wanted to make the entire menu. As I started brainstorming menu ideas, I realized that this would be my first Paleo-esque foray into cooking appetizers. Challenge accepted! 

After some google research and some brainstorming, I came up with the menu. 

I decided to serve guacamole and hummus, neither of which were homemade. I also served them with white corn tortilla chips (also store bought). I also bought some salsa to accompany the chips. This was my big Paleo fail - but don't judge me yet! 

I made these Paleo Cookie Dough bars, which contain almond and coconut flour, as well as coconut oil and maple syrup along with chocolate chips and spices. The blogger, Stephanie, raved about them and I didn't quite believe her... until I made them and tasted them. Oh my goodness - so yummy! These were definitely the biggest hit of the evening. 

I also made Fudge Babies using a variation on the recipe. I added some coconut oil to make it stick more easily, and some chocolate chips to amp the flavor. It worked out really well! They were definitely easier to roll this time than last. 

My laptop spent a bunch of time in the kitchen during my prep work. On the screen, you can see the recipe for coconut cream pie larabar balls. They were also quite a hit - my Dad particularly enjoyed the leftovers. I did all of my "baking" the night before craft night and it was cool but a TON of work...

And I made a gigantic mess. It sure was good, though, on Friday that all of the baking was done. 

That gave me time to make the deviled eggs...

... and these easy beef paleo meatballs...

... along with salad and cut up veggies to dip in the hummus...

and, of course, the fruit salad! 

So, this is the full spread. We ate and drank and made merry! I was very pleased with how things went. I'd sort of underestimated how much work it was going to be to prepare everything. I certainly considered trying to make some of the dishes more Paleo - the hummus, the filling in the deviled eggs, the sauce for the meatballs. But, ultimately, I didn't think I had the time, energy, or inclination to make that leap. As much as I've critiqued my failure to be "perfectly" Paleo, I was really satisfied with how things went. I made a real effort to cook better food and, though it was tiring, it worked great! 

Smashed

A couple of weeks ago, I had a string of pretty terrible luck. It was basically an 18 hour period, when a few things turned up busted. 

On Monday morning, as I was getting ready to go to work, I bumped the carafe for my coffee maker against the side of the sink as I filled it up. 

My sweet little coffeemaker isn't much good without a carafe. I did some internet research to see about buying the right sized carafe, but unfortunately they don't make it anymore. I suppose that makes sense, since I bought this machine in 2002. 10 years from a $15.00 coffeemaker... I guess I can't complain! 

Another $16.00 at Target got me this shiny, new, bigger coffeemaker. I only make a tiny, tiny amount in it each day, but so far I'm pretty excited about it! I'm considering buying an extra carafe just to keep in storage, because I'm sure that broken-carafe day will come. 

While the loss of my coffeemaker was a disappointment, it actually wasn't the worst news...

My sweet little phone went face down onto the pavement in the Kowalski's parking lot when I stopped there briefly on my way home on Sunday evening - just the day before the coffeemaker deal. ACK! Until this happened, I had never seen a phone so violently scarred by a fall. 

The rather incredible news was that the phone still worked! 

Here's the proof! 

Even though the phone did work, though, I decided it needed to be replaced. The screen wasn't smooth to the touch anymore, and it was very difficult to read small type. I received this phone as a Christmas gift in December of 2011, so I've had it for about a year and a half. I knew that there had been some interesting new developments during that time. Galaxy S 4 anyone? I-Phone on T-mobile? 

I was intrigued and definitely spent some time researching and reflecting. Ultimately, though, I decided that the best option was to order a new one of exactly the same phone. I got it from Amazon, and here I am very excitedly getting it ready to go! 

So, here it is, all set up and ready for action! I got a case with a bit of a raised bevel on the front. Hopefully that means that, the next time I drop it face-first onto the pavement, the screen won't get as badly damaged. I changed the background to a photo I took (Minnehaha Creek!), set my daily alarm, and away I go. Even though things got badly smashed, I've gotten my life put back together!