Crafting Happiness... My Way

2012-01-26T19:17:00.000-05:00

Today's Look = "Boutique Chic"

FIRST THINGS FIRST-

Due to overwhelming input, both on the blog and in "real life", I am pleased to announce we have a shoe winner-
the GOLD TARGET SHOES!
My wallet thanks you ;)

I appreciate your input.
Now that you were so helpful I hope you are aware that I am going to get used to having you help me with ALLLLLLL of my major life decisions.

~*~*~*~*~*

I am EXHAUSTED [getting tired of hearing me say that yet? ;) ]

I started my [second] part-time job here today :

I can't wait to help out with social media, and put some of my blogging and Internet skills to action.

I will leave you with this Law of Attraction quote:

"Nothing needs to be fixed.

Everything is unfolding perfectly.

So when you stand in your now accepting that all is well,

then from that vibration,

you become surrounded by more and more evidence that all is well. But when you're convinced that things are broken,

that there is pollution, or that things have gone wrong,

or that the government is doing conspiracies...

then what happens is you get caught up in that vibration,

and you begin to manifest that kind of stuff,

and then you say,

'See, I told you that things were going wrong.' "

~*~*~*~*~*
Now it's off to REEEEEELAX with my lil family.
MAAAAAYBE we will even bust into the season one of Parenthood that I picked up for this weekend.
YES, I am going to watch that show from episode one on. Obsessed much?! ;)

Please Help!

2012-01-25T16:24:00.001-05:00

Stylish readers, I need your input!

I officially purchased this dress that I talked about yesterday,

and I need your opinion on shoes.

I found these Steve Maddens last night:

in gold,

or silver

And then today I found these on Target's site.

It also comes in silver:

but the shade of silver looks a bit dark for the dress,

in my opinion.

I am leaning toward the ones from Target- not to mention they are much cheaper! :)
I think the sequins are the exact type as on the dress, and I like the funky shape.
I think I could wear them again, for another occasion.

SO I want YOUR opinion.

Which shoes do you think go best?

THANKS!

Today, in Picture Form:

2012-01-25T15:34:00.001-05:00

Tired Face this morning.

I bribed myself to go to the gym early, with a trip to Target after.

I got a cute new outfit for today [pictured left]

, and a hot new pair of heels [pictured upper right].

Think I will wear them to my fancy dinner out, this Friday night.

I even had time to make myself a big ole salad, for lunch.

I LOVE salad bars!

Being a morning person = being OH SO productive!

Blue eye make up and poofy hair for today.

~*~*~*~*~*

Now, back to class for me.

Wednesdays = 8 hours STRAIGHT of law school classes.

Yeah, great job on scheduling huh ;)

Good thing I have dinner out at the yummy Kenyan place, with my friends tonight,

to look forward to.

Oh, and lots of coffee in my system!

~*~*~*~*~*

PS IF you are planning on sponsoring Crafting Happiness in the month of February,

see this post for more details,

please EMAIL ME ASAP!

I hope to have you along with me, for this wild journey.

A Full Day in Law Student Mode.

2012-01-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

Today has been SUPER busy.

Couple that with a sleepless night last night [too much tossing and turning, and not enough falling asleep]

, and you have a VERY tired me.

After coming home, playing guitar for a little, making dinner, and showering and changing into pjs, I have officially crashed for the night.
Hoping I can make it up to catch up on some blogs, and watch Parenthood at 10 pm.
I am SO happy that I finally have a "show"- I am SO impressed with it so far.

I am working on some more "substantive" posts as well, but for now, here are a few fun pics from my day.

My Outfit for our Law School Composite Pics

Can't believe in a few short months I will be DONE.

My law school bestie, Ambria and me.

We went to look for dresses afterward, for our law school formal.

I think I found "the ONE."

I totally didn't expect to go with a black dress,

but the flattering material, slit in the front, and beautiful back SOLD me!

Now I just need to pick out some heels- I'm thinking glittery high heel Steve Maddens.

I think I want my hair up,

and I have to pick out jewelry too [I don't think it needs much, maybe just simple earrings].

After dress shopping we checked out a thrift store in town.

I found some cute items for the home:

I think I'll use my new mug for some hot tea tonight :)

AND, I wanted to share this piece I got the other day.

There was an empty space in our living room, and when I saw this, I knew it'd be PERFECT.

~*~*~*~*~*
I hope you had a good day, even if it was super busy too!
Do you plan to watch Parenthood tonight? Or do you have other shows on that you watch on Tuesday nights?

Current Fashion- From Gym Mode, to Chill Mode, To Lawyer Mode, To Professor-In Training Mode

2012-01-23T19:16:00.001-05:00

I have been wearing a lot of fashion hats lately,

and not just in the literal sense ;)

I thought it'd be fun to do a fashion post, where I talk about the various areas on my life,
and what I like to wear to "play each part."

*Law Student and Professor-in-training style

*Leggings and T's from Forever 21 and Target

*Patterned Tights and Boots

*Jeggings and pretty cardigans

*Head bands and comfy scarves

*Chilling around the house/Comfy Clothes Style

*Knee socks

*Oversized sweaters

*Guitar Playing/Lesson Style

*Cute band T's

*Funky accessories

*Gym/Yoga/Running Style-

*Black Spandex Running Tights,

*Cute comfy T Shirts and Tanks,

*Target Sports bras {I collect these in all different colors. They are the best!}

*Nike Shox

Some other fun fashion details:

*Check out my closet room here.
This is where I store my "work and class and nice clothes."

I have a separate room in the basement, a storage type of room,
where I have organized bins and baskets of my gym, yoga, pjs and sweats/chilling around the house clothes.
I also keep my gym bag down there, my yoga mat, my gym shoes, and my soccer shoes and cleats.
I LOVE having separate spaces, with everything all organized.

*And in other fun fashion news, I have a date tomorrow, with my law school bestie, to look at dresses for our law school formal.
It is our LAST law school dance, maaaaan does time fly by!, and we want to go out with a BANG!
I have my eyes set on one dress already- can't wait to try it on!

NOW- tell me all about YOU!

Sunday Mornings.

2012-01-22T12:13:00.001-05:00

I finally have a life that matches this song:

and I LOVE it :)

I made quite a feast this morning-

For Him:

*Omelette with American Cheese, Sausage, Ham, Bacon,

Onions and Green, Red, and Yellow Peppers

*Bacon

*Toast

For Her:

*Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes

*Hashbrowns with ketchup and hot sauce

*Naked Juice

[Mango is my favorite!]

*Coffee with soy vanilla creamer

~*~*~*~*~*
I am off to get my work out done- sit ups and push ups.
It's a major football Sunday, which means comfy clothes, paper reading, and blog work doing for me, at the man's parents. SO much fun to look forward to :)
Back later today with my FASHION POST!

What do you do on Sunday mornings?

Peeks Around the Home- Book Nook

2012-01-21T16:03:00.002-05:00

Sure, every girl needs a place for her clothes and shoes

[see my closet room for proof],

but what about her BOOKS?!

Today I am extra excited to share a new

Peeks Around the Home Post- my Book Nook.

See past Peeks Around the Home Posts on my right side bar.
Eventually I will have an entire home tour, one cute space at a time.

Now, let's talk about BOOKS!

It's important for me to have a space where I can store some of my favorite books, within accessible reach.

Of course, knowing the way I am, you know that I can't simply stack books on shelves, right? ;)

So, allow me to share some of the details that make this little space extra special.

The Book Nook is located in the back corner of the finished basement.
The rest of the basement will soon hold a shark tank!, another big tv, and more decorations.
I will share that space once it is complete.

For now, come into the back corner with me, to take a look.

I love that white brick wall.

Little touches of character like that are what make older homes own my heart!

I have a few book shelves, that hold all sorts of special-to-me items.
Let's go through the big wooden one first.
This book shelf is extra special to me, as it was a gift from my parents, for my new apartment I moved into, when I started law school.
It is from World Market, and I love the large size and amount of shelf space.

I store some cameras on top, and have cds on the top shelf. I listen to music while I take showers and get ready, so it's great to have these so close by.
I also have some journals on this shelf, ready for when I want to use them.

On the next shelf I have a cigar box full of family photos.
This is a very special possession of mine, as it was given to me when my grandmother passed away.
Next to it I have some style books stacked up, and a framed print that says, "Love with no regret." A good life motto indeed :)
Beside that I have some knitting novels.

On the next shelf down I have some of my favorite cards saved.

I LOVE when girlfriends write sweet, touching messages, and I like to read them when I am feeling down, or in need of a pick-me-up. Girl friends are SO important.
I also have some crafting and knitting books stacked up on this shelf too.

And on the bottom shelf I have my high school year books, some framed pictures of my family, and my scapbooks.

I LOVE keeping photos, and being able to look back on old memories, like this:

And I even have a binder, where I store my home decor images I find, that I love.

I have always dreamed of my home!

On to the white book shelves-
on these I have some of my favorite books stored.

The top of the first one has some of my favorite instant photos displayed.
I like that there are four types of instant photos here-
photo booth strips from my brother's wedding, old polaroids, instax mini prints, and instax full sized prints.

Looking at pics from happy moments makes me smile.

Next I have some of my favorite spiritual books.

Positive thinking books, Yogananda's writings, A New Earth- these are the books that help to create a beautiful life.

Next up I have some more special books- The Little Prince translated in different languages.

I also have some novels by my new favorite author- Jonathan Tropper, as well as a book on my favorite band, Wilco.

On the bottom shelf I have some more novels.

Paint It Black is one of my all-time favorite books, I have read it so many times.

My other white bookshelf stores some of my yarn and knitting needles,
some cute pandas that I collected while thrifting, and charm bracelets.

It also has some more great books, including all sorts of sociological books on the subject of gender and the media, and some law school advice books too

Hung up above it I have the rosary from my baptism, some Bible quotes my friend Chelsy wrote down for me for first year law school finals, a picture of my mom and me before my high school prom, and the phrase "All you need is love."

Next to the bookshelf I have storage for more yarn.

I also have my record collection, stored in a vintage suitcase.

***I'd be lying if I told you this wasn't one of my favorite spots in the house.
And just around the corner from all of my books is a comfy couch and warm blankets.
It makes the perfect ambiance for curling up with a cup of hot tea.

Thank you for taking a peek into this space with me.

I hope you enjoyed it :)

~*~*~*~*~*
Back with much more later, including a fashion post.
Hope you are enjoying your Saturday!
It is snowy and cold here, and I have already got my work out in and finished with grocery shopping.
I plan to spend some time relaxing, and maybe even make a fire outside later and roast some marshmallows.
What are you up to today?

Some Highlights from Today:

2012-01-20T22:41:00.001-05:00

A few quick pics of my AMAZING Friday

I enjoyed a lunch and shopping date in Pittsburgh with my bestie.

I was in DESPERATE need of some girl time, and it was PERFECT.

I got some cute sweats and comfy clothes from Forever 21, with my gift card :)

AND

I picked out a super cute outfit for my "professional" composite photo next week.

Lawyer Mode:

AND exciting decoration news-

I got my NAIL POLISH ORGANIZER!

I can't wait to get it hung up.
AND cross this task off of my home decor project list.
I love lists hehehe.

~*~*~*~*~
I am off to finish watching our hockey team play.
Comfy pjs, food ordered in, and relaxing in from the cold and snow = a perfect kick off to the weekend.
Back with much more tomorrow!
Happy Friday night to you! :)

Snowy Drive, Pink Sunrise and GOD.

2012-01-20T09:35:00.000-05:00

Mornings like today are beautiful.

I LOVE feeling that GOD is with me, unconditionally and ever-present.

Happy Friday to you! :)

I hope it is BLISSFUL.

If what you eat is YOU, then surely I am TOFU!

2012-01-19T13:22:00.001-05:00

Current Fitness Progress Pic,

from this morning, before heading out for my work out.

I am seeing some progress with my abs, and that makes me HAPPY! :)

Let's talk about FOOD.

I love it, I need it, I gotta have it!

As I have talked about before, I made the decision that my 27th year of life would be my MOST FIT and HEALTHY ever.
*See my discussion of my current work out schedule here.
I would not overly restrict what I would eat, I would work out as much as I could and as hard as I could, I would stick my my [mostly all] vegan healthy eating, and I would take supplements each day.
Part of my journey, is healthy eating, and I want YOU along for the ride.
So, let's discuss FOOD, shall we?

I have been active all of my life.
Sports and my work outs were the highlight of my day, as far back as I can remember.
I know that I am lucky in that regard, that I grew up with a love for fitness.
It makes it easier for me to understand the importance of staying active, and to be sure to schedule time for work outs into even my busiest of days.

That being said, healthy eating was not something that was always on my mind.
Being involved with competitive soccer, dance, track, and field hockey, I never had to really worry about what I ate growing up.
I was always on the skinny side, with muscles, and never really gave it much thought.

High School Field Hockey Picture :)

Even now, I never weigh myself, and truthfully do not care what the numbers say.

What is important to me is FIRST- how I FEEL. And then of course how I look, and if I am staying at the fitness level I want/progressing with my goals.

HEALTHY EATING is a necessary component to my healthy lifestyle and fitness goals.

My personal diet is somewhat unique, in the fact that I have not eaten meat in the past 6 years. I did eat seafood and dairy products up until May of last year, when I did a cleanse and made the decision to go vegan. Since making this lifestyle change, I have eaten seafood sometimes, mostly in social settings and for emotional/family reasons. I do not feel any real difference after consuming seafood, so I am not sure how my philosophy/thoughts on this will evolve in the future. For now, in moderation, sometimes, seafood seems fine with me.

I made the changes to be vegan not for the label, but rather for the health and compassionate living reasons. For that reason, I do not feel tied to strict adherence to other's rules or guidelines, and I don't feel the need to justify anything I choose to eat or not eat to others.

Let me say this, as the number one piece of advice I have to give to you: LISTEN TO YOUR OWN BODY.

I know plenty of people who eat dairy products and drink milk on a daily basis, and feel great.

Personally, I got rid of ALL of my bloated and sluggish feelings after eliminating all dairy from my life. AND- I did not get any seasonal allergies this past spring, for the first time ever in my life!

Try things out for yourself, see what works and what does not work, and go with what make YOU feel best.

The other results from my healthy lifestyle?
I sleep better, I feel better when I wake up early each morning, my hair is FINALLY starting to grow past its usual breaking point, and I just FEEL all around BETTER.

I plan to divide my healthy eating advice and discussion into future posts.

I want to talk about:

*What I eat [a typical day of my food, healthy meals to suggest, snacks, coffee, supplements, etc]

*Cleanses and Ways to transform your diet

*Share some specific recipes

AND MUCH MORE!

~*~*~*~*~*~*
I'd LOVE to start a discussion here, and chat about healthy eating much more on Crafting Happiness.
So, tell me, what is your current diet/eating schedule like?
Do you have any questions for me, or future issues you'd like addressed in posts?
Please don't be shy! :)

On Acting and Other Adventures

2012-01-18T13:36:00.001-05:00

One of my head shots

SO- you know those conversations that really spark you thinking about the life you have lived, and the times that have past?

The other night I engaged in one of these such conversations with my boyfriend's mother.

It turns out I had never before shared with her the story of my time spent acting in LA.

When I casually mentioned that I had worked on a show that she was watching,

How I Met Your Mother, to be exact,

she was understandably stunned.

The truth is that in my life I have had A LOT OF ADVENTURES.

I can't tell them all right now,

because I really doubt you would want to sit down and read my life story in one setting,

full of all of its various twists and dizzying turns.

I will save the whole story for my book one day.

YES, I will write a book,

a few in fact :)

Allow me to begin this tale, about my adventures with acting,

in a far away land on the sunny West Coast.

I spent one semester's worth of time,

after my BA was complete and before beginning my MA,

in California.

I worked as a background actress to begin with,

and got my way into SAG and AFTRA, two of the unions for working actors.

I took commercial classes, and was going to begin acting in commercials.

But then the time came- to make the decision if I would head back to West Virginia for graduate school studies in my beloved area of interest in Sociology,

or if I would stay and give acting more of a "long term try."

I opted to return to the East Coast,

and move on with my academic life.

I have never for a second regretted that decision.

However,

sometimes it's fun to pull out stories from the ole acting days.

I took an Entertainment Law class last year, and the professor, knowing about my entertainment past, asked me to share some of my stories.

There were good days on set, boring days on set,

and the day on set that I got attacked in the elevator while leaving,

by an angry extra who claimed I stole all of her camera time.

There was my first apartment in Echo Park, in East LA.

The neighborhood was described as "up and coming",

and I quickly learned the reality of what that selling point sales description meant-

when my place was broken into my second week there.

I took up knitting to fill in the gaps between time called on set,

during long 12-15 hour work days.

I drove out to the desert to play a Mormon, on the compound,

in the HBO show Big Love.

It was HOT.

And we earned extra money for working through our lunch break.

I was in a scene for How I Met Your Mother,

where fake rain fell on us,

for hours.

I played the part of a middle school student in the movie Towelhead,

as a 20 something year old woman.

I spent my mornings gulping down coffee on my drive through terrible LA traffic,

to go to the studio of the day,

and my nights squeezing in a work out at my Burbank apartment complex gym when I could.

I feel IN LOVE with the Malibu beach,

and made trips out there every weekend.

I grabbed a salad from the nearby salad bar,

and sat on the beach with my toes digging in the sand,

contemplating my future life plans.

I found GOD,

by way of the Self-Realization Fellowship,

at the Pacific Palisades lake shrine,

after "accidently" ending up there one day.

I read all of the positive thinking material I could get my hands on,

took yoga classes as often as I could,

and begin building the healthy and happy life of my dreams.

~*~*~*~*~*

That was my first adventure to share with you-

about my time as a young 21 year old, recent college graduate,

taking some time out of her life plan to try out a little bit of a career deviation.

I have PLENTY of other adventures past,

that I will be sure to talk about with you too.

I can only hope that these adventures will be spun into oral history,

tales that will be lovingly passed down to my children, and tall tales will be created as their children tell their children.

The independent days of my single woman youth will always be a part of me.

I LOVE the idea that I was so free and unafraid,

to follow my heart and my desires,

on all sorts of great times.

LIFE IS A WILD RIDE.

I love my to-do lists and daily planner as much as the next person

[and probably, most certainly MORE],

but at the end of the day,

we all have to admit that adventures are a part of a healthy life.

Here's to all of the adventures past,

and the ones yet to come!

Peeks around the Home- Closet Room

2012-01-18T09:08:00.004-05:00

I am pleased to bring you another

Peek Around the Home post today,

this time it is my CLOSET ROOM.

I am excited to share little peeks of my home, bit by bit, until eventually I have a whole home tour up.

I would LOVE to see some of your home decor too!

It's no secret that I LOVE clothes.

Figure flattering dresses, soft leggings and comfy t's, cute cardigans, patterned tights, pretty boots, sexy heels, cozy scarves, chunky rings, hoop earrings, and delicate necklaces.

I'll take them all! :)

I used to think I had it good, with a walk in closet.

Now I get my own CLOSET ROOM.

Thanks you Universe!

Here is a peek at my own little space, and some of my organization and decoration in it so far.

The actual closet in this room was quite tiny,

as most closets in older homes are.

That being said, I am a SUCKER for the charm of a beautiful old home.

So- that just means I have to get creative with ways to store and display my clothing collections.

This means dresses on racks, with baskets under for patterned tights, vintage scarves, belts and knit hats and gloves.

There is a bit of imperfection to this area, and that is okay with me.

I think it adds charm.

Speaking of charm,

check out this corner.

This space serves many purposes-

shoes are organized in stackable shelves,

some of my favorite plaid and polka dot shirts are displayed above the window,

and a shelf in the corner offers more room for my things.

I have SO many meaningful things on this shelf, and love this extra bit of space to display them.

On the shelf I have my Wilco pictures and concert ticket stubs,

a sock monkey hat that my parents brought me back from their trip to New Orleans,

an Instax camera and some film,

a framed picture of my stylish grandmother on her honeymoon,

bottles of perfume,

a jewelry box my parents had personalized for my high school graduation,

a thrifted vintage tray full of bracelets.

This is my one of my favorite spots in the whole home-

a dresser that holds underwear, knee socks, and band t's,

doubles as a place to display family photos and accessories.

Here I have a bowl of bracelets, a plate of hair clips, two ring organizers, a heart shaped container of hoop earrings. and a vintage dish full of thrifted pins.

Here are more of my shoes,

and my scarves and head bands are hung up and organized as well.

I am SUCH a scarf person.

This picture is a bit deceptive, as you cannot tell just how many scarves are stacked on each hook.

Hey, I wear one almost every day, and a girl has got to have options right? ;)

[Justifications I tell myself haha]

I tell my boyfriend that I don't feel like a hoarder as long as everything is NEATLY organized.

I don't smoke or do drugs or have any other expensive vices-

clothing, shoes, accessories, and nail polish are it for me!

I LOVE this old vanity.

I picked it up at a yard sale, for a very cheap price.

I store make up in the drawers, and have a scented candle on top, as well as a framed picture of my mother, my best friend.

I have a tree jewelry holder that my brother and sister-in-law gave me as a present, with necklaces hung on it. I also have a vintage veil displayed, and some hair pieces on top.

I used to sit at this vanity and do my make up in my old apartment, where I did not have much storage room in my bathroom.

I'd highly suggest giving yourself a cute space to do your hair and and make up, and sip coffee or tea.

It makes getting ready much more of a "fun event!"

*I also just ordered a nail polish rack, to have a cute way to display my OPI and ESSIE collection.

I can't wait to add that touch, to bring even more organization and function to this great space.

UPDATE:

* I LOVE organization where items are out and displayed, without looking too cluttered.

I like seeing what I have, and am more likely to use things if I can take a look at them and build outfits in my mind as I am getting ready each day.

*My personal interior design style is still evolving, but each season I really do feel it gets more developed.
I know that I love mixing vintage treasures with modern day items.
I LOVE sentimental things, and get a good feeling each time I walk into a room of my home and am greeted by pictures and items that mean a lot to me.

~*~*~*~*~*

I will be back with MUCH more later!
LOTS of great things in the works, including:
*A healthy eating post
*Positive Life reading material suggestions
*AND a vlog! It's been so long since I have done one of those, I am pretty excited.

Have a great Wednes-middle of the week-day!

Better Busy Than Bored!

2012-01-17T18:53:00.001-05:00

I have really embraced the motto of

"Better busy than bored!"

Today took me from gym mode,

to lawyer mode, for a clinic meeting,

to college professor- in training mode, for my graduate class downtown,

to relaxing at home for the evening, and dog-mommy mode.

WOW.

What a great, busy day! :)

AND things will only continue to get MORE busy, as I work my way into this new semester.

Two new fun things I am excited to add into my weekly schedule, starting next week:

*Guitar classes on Mondays

and yoga classes with my dear friend Melita on Tuesday evenings

I LOVE finding time for all of the things I most enjoy in life,

and am always looking for ways to squeeze my hobbies into even the busiest weeks!

Oh, and can you tell that I am justtheslightest bit excited for my upcoming trip to Montreal?! ;)

The hotel is BOOKED :)

SO psyched about the place we chose.

Now it's on to planning the road trip!

~*~*~*~*~*

I'm off to get a few work-related tasks done,

before shutting off my phone and laptop for the night.

I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my two favorite dudes.

I earned it with all my hard work today, right?

What did YOU DO today?

PS Working on a GREAT post, on some positive life reading material suggestions.

AND it seems after reading your comments on my last fitness post that I should do a post on healthy eating. So expect that in the works some time soon too!

I will leave you with a few Law of Attraction quotes for now.
These ones have been especially speaking to my heart lately, and I hope they do the same for you!

*A belief that the behavior of others must be controlled—so that your observation of that good behavior will make you feel good—leaves you feeling vulnerable to their behavior.

We would like to help you to understand that neither the good feeling you find when you observe wanted behavior, nor the bad feeling you find when you observe unwanted behavior, is actually the reason that you feel good or bad. The way you feel is only ever about your alignment, or misalignment, with the Source within you. It is only your relationship with the Source within you (with your own Inner Being) that is the reason for the emotions that you feel.

While it is nice to find things in your physical environment that enhance your good-feeling alignment with your Inner Being, your understanding of why you feel good will make it possible for you to feel good regardless of the behavior of others.

Understanding that the way you feel is really about your Vibrational relationship with your Inner Being—with the Source within you, with the expanded version of you who resides inside your Vortex—gives you complete empowerment and absolute freedom.

*You have more harmony points with every person on the planet than you have disharmony points, because there is much more of you that is in harmony with your Core than you realize or that most of you allow. The closer you come to being in harmony with your Source Energy, the more in harmony you are with each other. When you think about other people and what they think of you, do you understand that what they think of you has very little to do with what you are? It has mostly to do with the habits of thought that they have developed. It has more to do with them as thinkers than it does with you as the subject of their thought. If nothing is more important to you than that you feel good, you can form a fantasy about someone who is in your life and they will begin to modify to meet your fantasy, because Law of Attraction is a very powerful thing.

The Best Shape of My Life Challenge- Check In Post

2012-01-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

PROGRESS comes from hard work.

I think that is one of the reasons I love the gym so much, and really stick to my commitments.

HARD WORK WILL REALLY PAY OFF. There is NO way around it.

Current Work Out Mode Photo.

I want MORE ab progress :)

Abs = my hardest area to get cut,

so I have been working them extra hard.

I have been doing a great job of sticking with my dedication to

The Best Shape of My Life Challenge.

Having a strong back helps with so many things!

I have been dedicating an entire day to back, and I really feel it coming along.

I wanted to do a progress post, and check in.

Indoor soccer season is over for me for now, so I have modified my work outs slightly.

Now I am doing 5-6 days a week in the gym,

with 1-2 days off.

I have been doing the kind of work outs where you feel sore after,

and I've been running at a level to keep increasing my speed,

and hopefully to keep increasing my distance.

I have been doing yoga and stretching on my own,

but I am for sure missing my classes.

I am hoping to find a way to squeeze in my friend Melita's yoga classes every now and then,

and hopefully find a class at my gym that I like too!

Not only has my body been feeling great,

but I can tell that my mood is quite positive as well.

It is SO important for me to stick with my hard works outs in winter,

when the cold weather and lack of sunshine could be otherwise depressing.

Here are some of my inspiration images.

*I should note that I am NOT trying to get "smaller",

or crash diet, or do anything unhealthy.

I LOVE the look of strong and toned,

without trying to be bulky.

A woman can be athletic and strong, and SEXY.

HELLO, of course she can! ;)

I hope you will join in with me on The Best Shape of My Life Challenge.
Tell me- what is your current work out schedule.
AND what are your goals! Do you have any problem areas you are dealing with?
Any toning that you want do to?
Any inspiration to share?!

Exploring the Local Area- Outlet Shopping and Dinner at the Casino

2012-01-16T08:24:00.002-05:00

First of all, can we just discuss the FREEZING COLD TEMPS today?
I woke up early to make my man a bagel before he headed off to work :) ,
and I was shocked to find the temperature was actually 14 degrees out!!

Here was my reaction:

"It's HOW cold out?"

14 DEGREES?!"

hehehe.

[and sorry, no, I did not brush my hair before this photo.

It was an "honest moment" captured. ha!]

I have big plans for today, to get an early start on things, and be super productive.
After my home decor post yesterday, I ordered a nail polish organizer.
Once that comes in, I will hang it up, organize my polishes by color [of course ;) ],
and post about that.

For today's home decor tasks, I need to order more prints from PostalPix, an app that lets you print pics right off of your Iphone, and mails them directly to you.
Talk about a great organization time saver!
I need to update pics from Thanksgiving until now, including fun holiday pics.
Once I get them in I am going to add to my scrapbook.
I also want to find a space for a picture wall- I will describe that more later, and post pics once I get it up.
I am thinking the master bedroom would be the perfect space for that.

Aside from home decor projects to work on today, I also plan to spend a few hours on the law school blog, and on my blog as well.
Not having work today for MLK day will be the perfect opportunity to come up with some future blog posts for the law school blog.
I guess what they say it true- you really should find the job you like to do so much, that it really isn't even work for you.
Luckily, I have the perfect partner to work with:

He LOVES our Lovesac.

Have you ever heard of them?

I got my boyfriend one as an early Christmas gift,

and we have been using it SO much ever since.

It makes the perfect spot to lounge around and watch tv or movies,

and we even sleep in it most nights!

Makes the perfect spot for comfy blogging, with a chihuahua on you too :)

~*~*~*~*~*
Anyways, enough rambling for now.
I wanted to share with you a little bit of local exploring I did yesterday.

Growing up right outside Washington, DC,
I am used to having a city close by.

I LOVE being so close to Pittsburgh.
But sometimes you just don't want to deal with the drive into the city, the traffic, etc.
That's why it's fun that I also love my town I live in, and exploring all of the little gems here, without having to make the trip into the city.

Yesterday I took a trip to the Tanger Outlets, and then went next door to the casino for a dinner date.

It was so cool to check out the casino decor and all the people there gambling,

even on a Sunday evening.

We didn't play at all, but maybe next time I could try a couple slot machines.

You never know! ;)

Bistecca was amazing.

This was honestly one of the best dirty vodka martinis I have ever had, and I am picky about my olive juice to vodka ratio.

I would definitely come back again,

and think it'd be extra nice for a special occasion.

Sometimes the best feeling in the world is coming home from a great date,

to a cozy rest of the night at home,

right?

Newspapers, Tweedy, and a mint chocolate chip Toffuti Cutie.

I'd say it was pretty perfect indeed ;)

~*~*~*~*~*

I'm off to get things done.

I will be back later, after my work out, with a fitness update.

It's time for a check in on

The Best Shape of My Life Challenge.

What is your work out for today?

SO Many Home Decor Goals and Projects!

2012-01-15T14:26:00.002-05:00

I was reading Elsie's post the other day, on her ideas for her blog, and how she keeps them all organized.

It got me thinking about my own organization systems [I could talk about this topic ALL DAY LONG! ;) ].
I thought I'd share one area with you- Home Decor and House Projects.

I currently have SO many ideas and projects in the Home Decor area of my life.
First and foremost, home related, is getting my dog Tweedy situated and comfortable.
For the next week or two that will be my main focus.

After that, I will be ready to tackle the next step of my Home Decor plans.

It's hard not to get overwhelmed,
so I have decided to do what I do best- break my goals and ideas into lists,
and attack it a little bit at a time.

Here is the first part of my list-

in a manageable section that I feel I can get to in the next month of two.
By the end of this winter, I will have MORE goals to get to, of course :)

What are your current Home Decor tasks?
Do you have a list of To-Dos as well?
Or do you simply start one project at a time, whenever you get in the mood?

I'd LOVE to hear some details about you and your home.

~*~*~*~*~*
I am off.
I just got done at the gym,

today was arm day- my hardest!

and am going to get ready for the rest of my Sunday.
Happiest of Sundays to you too!

A Good Sunday, Indeed.

2012-01-15T12:16:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning coffee and food run.

Tweeds was happy to ride along.

Happy Sunday to you!

I am currently taking some time after eating lunch, before I head out to the gym.
In the meantime, here is a quick post with some pics from the last 24 hours.

Green tea at a dinner date last night

And this was the perfect relaxing Saturday night.

Hot chai tea

New Magazines

All- around perfect night :)

I am working on a Home Decor goals post, and will be back with that later!
Enjoy your Sunday.
Stay warm if it is as cold where you are as it is here- BRRRRRRRR!

I am CONTENT.

2012-01-14T13:31:00.001-05:00

I can't tell you how amazing my morning has been so far.

It has included all of my favorite things.

Dog child.

Coffee.

Computer.

And my man :)

I actually stayed in bed until 11 am today!

Who am I?!

;)

When I finally got myself up, I enjoyed some Golden French Toast flavored coffee in my new DC mug.

A little piece of my home city helps with the homesickness!

PERFECT Saturday, yes?!

I am off to continue on with the fun, by grabbing some groceries and maybe a new book or some magazines.

My plans for the rest of the day include RELAXING and RESTING,

with my two favorite dudes.

It is freezing outside and the roads are covered with snow, and I can think of no better place to be than in my warm and cozy home.

Here are a few pics from my road trip yesterday:

I love solo road trips.

Good music + Time to think =

PERFECT.

I drove through the mountains- literally.

SO beautiful.

When I made it home last night I realized that I had spent 10 out of the last 24 hours driving.

Wow.

I can understand why I am a bit tired today.

It was WELL WORTH IT though.
To have this little one by my side again:

My heart is full :)

Happy Saturday to you!
What are you up to?

The Shortest Visit At Home Ever.

2012-01-13T11:07:00.003-05:00

Tweeds is all bundled up in his new coat,

and ready to go.

This really has to be a record for the shortest time I have spent home,

especially considering the five hour trip to get here.

I am about to head out on the five hour trip back.
I cannot believe all of the things I squeezed into my time here.

As soon as I got in around dinner time last night,
I picked up thai food for dinner.
It was delish!
I was able to spend some quality time with my parents last night, and even got to watch the new West Memphis Three documentary with my mom- thank God they are free now!

It's always so much fun to look back on old times too.

I miss field hockey!

I spent some time before bed talking on the phone to a cute boy, of course.

In bed, on the phone, at my parents' house, giggling with a cute boy-

I felt like such a teenager hehehe.

Today I got up bright and early to squeeze in some errands before heading back.

I could really get used to this morning routine :)

Although Tweeds is gonna have to learn that I share my coffee with no one.

Sorry boy!

I picked up baby gates for the little dude, dog food, and another winter coat with a hood for him, for cold walks. He doesn't like to wear clothes, but when it is freezing he needs them to be outside!

I looked for a cute business suit at Kohl's but did not have any luck.
I checked out some other clothes too,

[and rejected them all after consideration haha! ]

but ended up only leaving with some comfy sweats that I changed into for the ride back.

I had to of course run over to Whole Foods and pick up some of my favorite items.
Vegan general tsos = my favorite.

I always get a container and eat it cold on the way back from the store.
That's how good it is!

I am taking today as my day off of the gym, so when I get back in this evening I can just relax and get things set up for the little boy.
I am looking forward to snuggling up with a movie, and ordering in some food.
This is going to be a really great and relaxing weekend, I can just feel it.
The freezing cold temps help with that vibe too ;)

I'm thinking some Starbucks on the way out will be the perfect road trip fuel.
I was LOVING my Local Natives Pandora station on the drive here.
Hope it is as great today!

I am done with my online job now, so I better head on out.

Hope your Friday is off to a great start!

Hello From DC.

2012-01-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

I got home safe and sound.

I am taking full advantage of some quality family time, and relaxing on the couch and chatting with my mom right at this very moment :)

New Nail Polish

Mom Time

YES please!

Life is good.
The simple things sometimes matter oh so much, right?!

Hope you enjoying your Thursday night too!

I am REALLY Excited About This Day!

2012-01-12T08:49:00.000-05:00

I have already given myself the gift of a great morning today.

I LOVE some time in the morning, to drink coffee, ease into the day, and listen to some good music.
That is exactly what I did today.
Bon Iver's self title album = the pefect sound track to this serene morning.

And now, I am ready to tackle this exciting day.
First, a hard work out.
And then a trip to the spa to get my hair done.
AND THEN- an extra special road trip to my home city of DC.
I have a fast forward night ahead of me, of dinner with my mother and shopping for a cute suit for my law school composite photo- I can't believe it is already almost that time!
I am going all the way home for just one night for a great purpose-

I am picking up THIS LITTLE GUY.

This is my dog Tweedy.

He is a cool lil dude.
I have missed having him around OH SO MUCH!
My schedule was so crazy last semester, and with traveling back and forth so much, it just wasn't fair to him to have him sitting at home all the time.
My sweet parents took their granddog in, and he was quite the spoiled little guy!
I hope he isn't too disappointed to be coming back with me.

I set him up his own little spot, so he can feel comfortable with his new home.

I hope he likes it!

I plan to spend a lot of quality time with him this weekend, to ease him in, and make him feel safe and happy.

I can't wait to take him for a nice long walk out at a park, and find what my favorite walking spot will be!

I'm off to get my day started. The gym is calling my name :)

Picture me like this today-

road trip mode,

with some coffee, of course ;)

Hope your Thursday is extra special!
How did you start your morning?

THIS is what a law school morning looks like.

2012-01-11T07:58:00.001-05:00

UP bright and early, to tackle the day.

Finishing up some assignments, before a run to the gym.
LOVE the feeling of getting my work out done, and having the whole day ahead of me!

I have a phone date lined up with my distant living bestie, all the way in Indiana.
Can't wait to catch up on my drive into WV! :)

Then I have a full day at the law school, 8 hours straight, non-stop,
with my law school job thrown in there somehow, too.
At the end of all of that learning, I will surely be in the mood for a dinner out with my law school best bud, Ambria.

All-in-all, it sure to be a fast forward, jam-packed day, but the little things will get me through.
Such as: extra time this early morning to enjoy my coffee and a few minutes to myself,
Starbucks and my phone date on my drive in, picking up a healthy and yummy lunch from Qdoba to eat while doing my clinic hours [yes, multi-tasking is something I LIVE by],
and having a dinner date to look forward to.

Here we go, last semester.
I got this :)

Back to work for me!

WOW. So this is what being back in school feels like.

2012-01-10T19:14:00.000-05:00

WOW. So I am SUPER tired after today.

If I told you I only had one class, would you judge me?

Well, allow me to redeem myself a bit, will you?

This was my jam-packed day-

A hard work out

A drive into West Virginia,

for professor-in-training class :)

And a drive back,

followed by a dinner out with my favorite face.

A vegan burger dipped in sweet and spicy chili sauce = just yuuuuuum.

Much more later, but for now I have to go watch my hockey team play, and relax before another full day tomorrow.
Hope you are enjoying your evening! :)

The Start of my VERY LAST Semester.

2012-01-09T10:49:00.000-05:00

Today marks the start of my last semester of law school.

I thought I should take a picture to remember this day forever.

A pretty accurate morning portrayal of me-

Gym Clothes,

Drinking Coffee,

Feeling positive about the day to come :)

Although- tomorrow is more like my OFFICIAL first day, since I don't have any classes today.
Today will be spent doing my work for my law school job [I do all of that online],
going to work out, and then going on a VERY special errand- more on that later!

Then I will spend some time this evening doing my first assignments.
I have one class tomorrow, an extra, non-law school class I am taking on being a college professor.
Wednesday is my full day, with work in the legal entrepreneurship clinic, clinic class, and an evening class on Jewish Islamic Comparative Law.
Sounds interesting!
I am also taking a graduate, non-legal class online, about communication ethics in the new digital age.
Maybe they will talk about blogging? ;)

I am looking forward to this last semester for many reasons.
One is because it is not going to be as busy as ones past.
Another reason is because I am going to take time to focus on my post law school career-
give attention to this blog and the blog I run for the law school, learn all about college teaching, and more.
I think it will be a great time to focus on continuing to build a happy and healthy life!

I am off- a productive day awaits me!
Hope you are feeling the same way on your Monday too.
What is on your schedule for today?

My Sunday =

2012-01-08T20:09:00.002-05:00

My Sunday has totally flown by.

After sleeping in, cleaning and organizing the house,
and a little trip over to Anthropologie to pick up a few cute items with some of my remaining gift cards

My Loot=

A Turban headband,

Yellow writing journal,

two pairs of patterned black tights,

and a beautiful blue container to store my instant mini photos in.

[I got this great storage idea from Elsie over at A Beautiful Mess]

[and still some left!],

I am exhausted.

TOTALLY ready to head home and change into my pjs, and cozy up for the night.
I have a LONG week ahead of me, with the start of my LAST semester of law school ever tomorrow.

AND

It's safe to say my man's family LOVE the Steelers.

Or as they pronounce it here,

"Stillers."

;)

PS Totally diggin my newest polish combo.

Essie's Play Date

with Set in Stones on Ring Fingers

Any new polish shades or combos you are into?

A Few of My Favorite Things- Cute Coffee Mug Collection Edition

2012-01-07T17:08:00.001-05:00

One of my all-time favorite thrifting finds,

an adorable deer mug.

I have been getting such good feedback from sharing pics showing some of my favorite coffee mugs on Instagram, so I thought it'd make the perfect next

A Few of My Favorite Things post-

Cute Coffee Mug Collection Edition.

It's my personal belief that coffee tastes better out of a cute mug! :)

*ALSO-
Check out past A Few of My Favorite Things posts on my right side bar.

~*~*~*~*~*

This collection is one that stems from daily necessity.
The first thing I do ever single morning is reach for a mug, and make a few cups of my favorite drink in my Keurig.
I also love to have a cup or two of tea in the evenings, and as you can imagine, this means I go through coffee mugs!

I always loved my parents' collection of interesting mugs growing up, and learned to love coffee/be addicted ;) from them.

This collection is ever-evolving, and I am always on the look out for new pieces.
I know what I have, and try not to get anything too similar.

I have been collecting these mugs for years, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.
I don't see myself EVER stopping drinking coffee and tea, so I will keep needing cute mugs, right?

My favorite places to find mugs are thrift stores and antique shops, Marshalls, TJMaxx and HomeGoods.
But the key to having a really well-rounded collection is being willing to look anywhere, and always keeping an eye out for items you collect!
I am the same way about good-smelling candles, pretty aprons, and funky jewelry, to name a few other of my collections.

Have fun with collecting, and only purchase items that you LOVE, and that fit in with your budget.
Think of fun ways to display them, and avoid clutter.
Enjoy your collections!

Here are a few of my favorite cute coffee mugs!

Beautiful Flower Mug

Thrifted Mugs

Cheerful Yellow and Blue Tea Cup

Initial Mugs

True

;)

Halloween Themed

Mermaid, to-go cup

For Iced Coffee

Wise Words

Cute Cupcake

J for Jessica

High-Maintenance

Flamingo.

My bestie Virginia has another one of these,

and we used to Skype long-distance, and use them :)

Evil Without My Coffee

Monkey Arm

Snowman with Snowflake Stir Stick

Pink Elephant

Somebunny Loves You

Christmas mug, with a cute mouse on the handle

Owls,

and cupcake tea pot

Owl and red tea pot

Eat Cake and Move On

New Christmas Mug,

a gift in my stocking from my man :)

Pretty Owls

Friends Don't Let Friend Drink Decaf

AND just for fun, watch this video I made last March about my love affair with coffee.
I am NOT kidding when I say how much I love it! :)

~*~*~*~*~
I'm off to get ready.
I am having a "me date" tonight- browsing at my favorite HUGE grocery store, Barnes and Noble and thai food for dinner- sounds pretty perfect to me!
Hope your Saturday is going great!

Do you have any cute collections?

Happy Saturday Morning!

2012-01-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

A TRUE message!

I woke up feeling a lot better today.

Not quite 100 percent, after all of my "health adventures" on Thursday,
but much better.
I think the antibiotics are going to keep doing their job, and my hope is that I will be 100 percent again for the start of the new semester [my last one!] on Monday.

On another note,
I am SUPER psyched about an errand we are going to run today-

my man is getting his passport!
We are booking our hotel in the next couple of days in Montreal, and I think we found the perfect one last night!
More on that to come :)

~*~*~*~*~*
I am going to make it to the gym today!
Even if I do a reduced work out, it will feel GREAT to get something in.

Also, I am hoping to work on my blogging tasks over the weekend, before things get busy again with school.
PLEASE let me know what you would like to read about!
I am really open to questions, suggestions, etc.
This is YOUR Crafting Happiness community!

PS If you are considering sponsoring
Crafting Happiness during the month of February, I have great news for you.
The lovely Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky will design your blog button for the Sponsor Spot, for only 25 dollars!
This will be a button that you can also use on your blog, for readers to share.
She is very talented, and can come up with a great, eye-catching design, that will attract readers to your page.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!

~*~*~*~*~*
Enjoy your Saturday!
What are your plans for the day?

Sponsor Crafting Happiness!

2012-01-06T12:35:00.003-05:00

As I move into the new year and expand this little ole blog from a hobby into more of a business and work venture, I would LOVE to offer the chance for all of you to join me in this journey!

I am offering Sponsor Spots for the first time in the month of February.
I am VERY excited about this next step toward the life of my dreams,
read more about this here.

To keep things simple in the first month, I am offering one size only, for a flat rate fee of $20.
*ALSO- if your blog is of similar readership size, I am interested in doing a Sponsor Swap, where you can advertise on Crafting Happiness in exchange for featuring a Crafting Happiness button on your site.

Here is an example of the size of Sponsor Spot:

220 x 200

This button is by the lovely Elizabeth, of Delightfully Tacky.

Check out her blog, for some great inspiration!

These blog buttons will run on my side bar, under a heading labeled "Sponsors",

and will link directly to your blog.

I will also do a Feature Post, where you can say a little bit about each of your blogs.

This is a great way to get some exposure for your blogs, and start to build a community among our blogs as well!

Also, all sponsors will have a chance to do a giveaway on the blog, with any items they want to provide to Crafting Happiness readers.

If you are interested, please leave a comment below, or email me at Jessicascutecupcake@gmail.com for more information.

As of right now, I have four blogs that have expressed an interest.

This is a GREAT rate that I am offering, and it will be wonderful to get in on this process during the first month.

I have SO many great post ideas and new blog content lined up for the month of February, and I will be bringing in more blog traffic than ever before!

Thank you SO much for your continued support!

PS PLEASE officially follow along if you have not done so yet!

I am launching a lovely giveaway once we get to 200 followers.

Read here to learn how to do so.

Keeping Positive!

2012-01-06T11:14:00.001-05:00

Chillin in the LoveSac,

trying to get work done on my blog and the law school blog,

in between Percocet-induced naps.

I am just keeping a positive attitude, and hoping these next few days fly by fast,
and that I will be better before I know it.

WISHING I felt good and could go work out, and continue on with what were my weekend plans- a dinner out tonight with friends, and a fun weekend with Virginia coming to visit.
Alas, the Universe had other plans for me ;)

Also- I have decided that more places need to offer drive thru and delivery options for vegans.
I can't tell you how happy I'd be with a dairy free milk shake and some vegan soup right now!

Hope you are having a fun Friday!

An Unexpected Trip to the ER.

2012-01-05T18:32:00.001-05:00

My day was spent in the hospital,

instead of on a shopping date in Pittsburgh with my bestie Ambria.

Bummer.

I am such a nerd.
I let things go sometimes and think "oh, maybe it will be better tomorrow."

Like, for example, the pain I felt in the back on my mouth yesterday, while running on the treadmill.
"That's weird" I thought, "I don't think there should be pain in my mouth that bad, unless something is wrong."

Of course I just decided to let it go, and was planning on making an appointment with
the dentist today.

It turns out my mouth just couldn't wait.
Around 4 am the pain got so bad that I had to ask my boy to take me to the ER.
He deserves boyfriend of the year award for taking me to two hospitals, and one dentist office, and waiting with me while they gave me lots of shots to try to numb my mouth, and get out some of the infection.

I will spare you all of the gory details,
and just say-
WOW.
It was BAD.
Sometimes tooth pain can be just about the worst, right?
Have you ever had any painful teeth experiences to share?

On the plus sides, because you ALWAYS have to look for those,
at least this happened right BEFORE the new semester started back up.
I don't have work, or class work or reading to do, and no clients to work on for clinic.

Also, I got some magazines, and am relaxing,
and trying to tell myself that I need to just take it easy.

Plus, I got some pretty strong pain pills,

and they are starting to help.

So that is MUCH better!

~*~*~*~*~*

PS Sorry for not getting back to everyone for your sweet comments and messages.
Hopefully tomorrow I will be feeling more "like myself."

Thanks for the sweet words and encouragement.
You guys make my day!

WHY Should You Follow Crafting Happiness?

2012-01-04T18:01:00.003-05:00

In my usual multi-tasking mode today:

drinking Starbucks, and listening to the 90's grunge station,

on the hour long commute to pick up my textbooks for my last semester of law school.

SO- why should you follow

Crafting Happiness?

Well, aside from my obvious answer that this is the most AMAZING blog ever ;) ,

I really do have some key reasons to talk to you about, as to why you should follow the blog.

Still unsure of how to "officially" follow?
Or what that even means?
Please click here to check out a great post explaining it all, by the lovely Casey of The Wiegands. And follow her blog too, while you are at it!

The truth is that us bloggers need ways to measure our success, and show to others that we do in fact have people reading, who care about what we have to say.
Of course we can do this through a few various ways- one of which being our analytics, that track the number of hits we have, and people who read each post.
We can also track feedback through comments, which I talked about more in this post,
in my commitment to get better at commenting on YOUR blogs too!

So here is where you come in.
How great would it be if I could take this little blog of mine from a beloved hobby into a money making side project, and then eventually into a full time job?!
If it sounds far off to you, you may not have a good idea of how blogging works these days.
It it possible, and realistic, to make money each month off of sponsors to your blog,
which are basically little spaces you sell on your side bar, that link to websites.
Why would anyone want to do this?
When a blog gets many readers, as I am trying to show through an increased number of followers, other bloggers may want to advertise their blog.
Also, local businesses can use blog space as a relatively cheap way to reach customers, in their specific target market.

If you know me, or have been reading for awhile, you would know that I DREAM BIG, and go after what I want.
I believe in coming up with a goal, then developing a plan, and attacking it every single day, a little bit at time.

I thought it would be fun to let you in on the process, so that YOU can HELP me to reach the life of my dreams.

Here is my plan, step-by-step, so far.

1. First- I want more official followers.
This will help me to show that I have readers,
and will lead to my second goal.

To give back, once I reach 9 more followers, for a total of 200, I will have a great giveaway.

2. I want to open to the blog for sponsorship for the first time in February.
I will talk more about this later, but for now, I will explain that there will be two ways you can sponsor Crafting Happiness.
One is through a $20 ad space on the sidebar, that will be open to small businesses and bloggers,
and another is through an ad swap.
If you have a blog that is a similar readership size to mine [another way that officially following a blog helps!], you can swap an ad on your blog for Crafting Happiness with ad space here for your blog.

3. This sponsorship will help me with my next goal, to sponsor on bigger blogs, and to continue to expand the blog.
I want to reach more readers, and spread the positive Crafting Happiness messages,
and help people live the best life they can!
I want to do a professional blog redesign in May, to mark my law school graduation, and transition to the next phase of my life.

And that leads in to the next step.
4. How great would it be not to have to waste time on a "day job", to simply help pay the bills?
If I can get this blog going, and publish an average of 3 times a day, and have multiple sponsors a month, this will help!

5. I also want to continue my current line of work,
blogging for the law school, and working on social media and marketing,
and offer my services to many other businesses.

6. Aside from that, I want to offer personal styling services, for individuals and for photo shoots.

7. I would also like to be an adjunct professor, and teach a few classes a semester.
AND eventually write freelance magazine articles and even a book. OR THREE :)

If all of this sounds like a lot, to stem from just a few extra followers,
let me just tell you that I really do believe in the Law of Attraction.
I am putting my goals and dreams out there, and I am going for them!
I hope you are inspired to do the same!

Life can seem overwhelming and stressful, but I really don't think it is meant to be that way.
As far as I believe, we really CAN achieve whatever we set our hearts to.

Officially follow Crafting Happiness, comment on posts, email me- whatever you feel compelled to do.

Thank you, in advance, for helping me to take steps toward the life of my wildest dreams! :)

Reasons I'm Excited for School To Start Back Up Again

2012-01-04T10:47:00.002-05:00

I totally need to start parking in the garage!

Instead of dreading classes starting up next week,

how about I tell you some of the positive things I am excited about?!

ALWAYS look on the bright side, right? :)

*My job.
It will help provide little extra money to save for our BIG TRIP in March!
[Much more on that later!]
Plus- I LOVE it.
I have SO many great new ideas to launch with the Student Blog this coming semester.
Now I just need to find some students who share my same passion, and will want to WRITE!
It has been a struggle, and I am learning a lot about myself as a leader in the process.
I hate to impose on anyone or seem like I am trying to assert my authority over them, but it is okay to hold people to deadlines and to expect them to follow through with what they have committed to me.
I am growing, and I hope it gets easier [and more fun too!] this semester!

*Seeing some of my fav people.
Some of my classmates are really cool people.
I am psyched to catch back up with all of them again.
I am going to cherish my last semester of time with them around!

*School work at Zen Clay
A pot of hot tea. Yummy vegan food.
Time to clear my hear, and get started on assignments.

*Qdoba.
My favorite "fast food", yummy Mexican food that I can easily grab between classes and meetings.
I make it healthy by getting a veggie bowl with salsa and lots of hot sauce.
YUM.

*Feeding my brain.
I get BORED when not challenged.

I am especially excited for my non-law classes-
an online communication ethics class,
AND a class to prepare future college faculty.

*PLEASE NOTE!
If you are a new reader, you will soon learn that you are going to get some insight into the life of a law student.
Through this blog and the law student blog that I set up, you can get a lot of information.
But please DO NOT HESITATE to contact me personally if you are thinking about going to law school, and want some advice. I am here to chat :)

~*~*~*~*~*
I'm off to get ready for a work out.
Then I am heading off to Morgantown, to go to two different college bookstores to get my books.
AND then I get to pick out some cute notebooks and supplies at Target.
See- starting back to school really isn't that bad! ;)

What is going on in your world today?

PS I have a SUPER CUTE giveaway, that I am going to launch once I get to 200 official followers.

Need a guest blogger?

A personal stylist or someone to style your photo shoots?

THIS is my business card.

That means, I MEAN business :)

We are only 9 people away from 200 followers. So, if you are a reader, and you have not clicked to officially follow through Google reader, please do so. All you need is a Google account to sign up, and once you do, you can comment on all of my posts too.
Officially follow, and all you will need to do is comment on the giveaway post to enter.
Hopefully by the time I get home tonight we will have 200 readers [or more!],
and we can get started with the giveaway!
I WANT to give these great items away, so help me out and follow :)

Christmas Gift Card Shopping Extravaganza

2012-01-03T20:09:00.002-05:00

Snow Day mode today =

Comfy clothing and hot tea out of my snowflake mug.

Thursday I have a SUPER fun day planned.

My bestie Ambria is coming up, and we are going to go to lunch and shopping.

Luckily the mall we chose to go to has all of the stores I have been meaning to get to,

because I have GIFT CARDS that I get to spend.

Here are the stores I want to go to,

and what I am looking for.

I thought it'd be fun to share what stores I am going to,
and what I am hoping to find at each place.
Hopefully I can get some great items in the stores on Thursday!

FOREVER 21

and

H and M

*Cute, comfy school clothes.

*Leggings and t's.

*Sweet accessories.

Here are some examples of cute things I found
on Forever 21's website:

-Perfect to pair with leggings or for yoga class

-Cute every day dress

-Perfect for a fancy dinner out

-A shirt that would work with dress pants or a pencil skirt for law work,

or with jeans and boots for every day life

AND my list for items to get from Sephora:

SEPHORA-

I am almost out of my two daily face make ups:

*Bare Mineral Matte foundation

and Sorbet blush

Does any one else use Bare Minerals?
I have used it for years, and just really love the natural, soft look of it.
Being a person who works out daily,
I need make up that I can leave on even when I plan to sweat.

~*~*~*~*~*
Are gift card the best,

or what?! :)

*I am going to hang on to my Anthropologie cards for now,

so I have something to look forward to later.

AND Friday night my other bestie Virginia coming to stay, and we are hitting up the outlets and antique stores on Saturday.
Best weekend ever?
YES :)

~*~*~*~*~*
LAST THING-

I need your advice.

I am debating purchasing myself a school bag.
I hate to spend the money on one, because these are not cheap,
but I simply cannot stop thinking about them.
I am such a bargain hunter, and only like to splurge on timeless, classic items I will use for long periods of time.
[For example: Hunter Boots for rain and slushy snow, Special event dresses from French Connection, North Face jacket and vest for over my gym clothes, and Nike Shox for the gym]

My entire time in law school I never found a bag that was big enough, sturdy enough, and cute enough to fit my lap top, books, notebooks, pens, purse, etc...
This had lead to me carrying around my purse, a separate lap top bag,
and then trying to balance my books and notebooks in my hand.
Add in a Starbucks and my keys, and you can see my difficulty making it from one class to another.

The best part about this bag?
It looks nice enough to use it once working,
AND it even works as a gym bag too.

SO, once I start up with work again, I may get myself one,
and consider it a "happy one semester left of law school" gift
[yes I am not above bribing myself].

After seeing the lovely Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers talking about her bag,
I have had my heart set on one.

BONUS POINTS- they are made out of vegan materials!

So, here is where you come in.
What color do you like better?
I just can't decide- they are both OH SO PRETTY!

Thank you, in advance, for your input!

LOVE you guys :)

TOTALLY Okay with Being at Home Today.

2012-01-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

SO- it's snowing.

It started snowing last night, and it's still coming down.

This means-

I am TOTALLY okay with hibernating inside the home today.

I am going to do my work out here- sit ups, push ups, and yoga.
I have food in the freezer to make for dinner,
and I plan to get lots of blogging work and reading done.

Sounds like the perfect snowed in day, right?
AND that means I don't have to even scrape my car :)

I rescheduled my shopping and lunch date with Ambria for Thursday, and I am really looking forward to it.
Tomorrow I am picking up my text books and supplies for next semester, and next week it all begins again, for the sixth and last time.
As for today, I am totally content and cozy, and enjoying this time to the fullest.
I am about to get right down to blogging business.

Back with much more later!

Hope you are warm and safe, where ever you are.

Is it snowing where you are?

A Few of My Favorite Things- Christmas Ornaments Edition

2012-01-02T14:59:00.001-05:00

Hello there!

I am oh so happy to bring you the first

A Few of My Favorite Things Post of 2012- Christmas Ornaments Edition.

But first, a quick story to begin with.

Why is it that the stores have already put out the super cute new bikinis?!

I couldn't resist trying this one on today- on a 30 degree, snowy day, mind you.

At least we can pretend it's summer, right?!

Can't wait to get to use the pool again AS SOON as it gets warm!

SO-

I left the bikini for now,

but I did pick up these amazingly cute shoes, on sale.

I am hoping to wear them for a fancy dinner out with friends on Friday night.

Think I can wear them with tights?

I'd hate to freeze my little toes off!

Now, on to the Ornaments!

Read past A Few of My Favorite Things Posts too.

Find them on the right side bar.

This year was the first year I really went "all out" with Christmas decorating.

Check out all of my trees here, if you'd like :)

Here are some of my favorite ornaments.

Hope you enjoy!

Crafty Owls

Glittery Owls

And a few more owls!

Field Hockey ornaments.

In my past life, I was quite a field hockey player.

I was captain of my high school team, and played in college my first year at

American University.

It's a fun sport.

Maybe my daughter will want to play one day?

I hope so!

*Editor's Note- I don't have a daughter yet,

or any children for that matter.

I mean one day, if I get the blessing of getting to HAVE a daughter :)

Soccer.

Blue and Pink cleats because I live with my best friend,

who is also my soccer teammate :)

It's kinda amazing.

Photography.

Oh, because in case you didn't notice, I kinda like to take a lot of pictures ;)

Guitar.

I play the acoustic guitar.

And the smores ornaments are extra special because roasting marshmallows over the outdoor fireplace is one of my favorite things to do.

Antique Bulbs.

I picked these up while antiquing for the first time in my new town last week.

They are special to me.

Chihuahuas.

Mom-themed.

A picture of my mom, from her school photos, and a voodoo doll she brought me back from New Orleans.

Coffee

and Cupcakes for my pink kitchen tree.

And our first Christmas together ornaments :)

I LOVE this collection so far, and can't wait to watch it grow through the years.
I'd like to have a tree, with a different theme, in each room on my home, some day!
Taking down and storing the decorations in the only bad part, right? ;)

~*~*~*~*~*
Now that the decorations are down, the place feels more open and spacious.
I was able to put up these adorable, battery operated candles, from the boy's mom.

I love them!

The boy is off work today, and the bowl games are on.
So, I'm sure you can imagine what I am doing today ;)
Tomorrow my bestie Ambria is coming for a shopping and lunch date in Pittsburgh!
I can't wait.

Hope you are enjoying your Monday.
What are you up to?

Favorite Moments of 2011.

2012-01-01T19:04:00.003-05:00

I am very excited to get this post up,
and officially begin planning, goal-making, and 100 percent delving into 2012.

It is difficult to narrow down the best moments of an entire year,
but I will try my best.

Here are just a few of my favorite moments of the past year of my life.

*New goals made,

and lots of effort put toward them

*Starting my last year of law school

*Time with family

*And the Tweedy Boy

*And good friends

*Lots of yummy food consumed

*Law school semiformal dressing up

*All sorts of Fall fun,

for my favorite season

*Commutes to school,

with good music and coffee.

*Lots of fires on the deck

*Dreaming up,

getting approval for,

[getting hired and paid for!],

picking and hiring a staff,

and launching the Official Student Blog of the WVU College of Law

*Turning 27

*Christmas

~*~*~*~*~*
All-in-all, it was a wonderful year.
I can feel [and see!] myself start to take active steps each day, toward attracting and living the life of my dreams.
I am going to use this momentum to propel me forward into this new year.

I can't wait to see what 2012 has to offer.
What else can I say, but
BRING IT!

Enjoy the rest of the FIRST day of the new year.
I will be back with much more tomorrow.

What A Happy Start to the New Year!

2012-01-01T11:29:00.001-05:00

Hello 2012!

Happy to see your pretty little face.

Today started in the perfect way- with a soy peppermint mocha [that felt free because of my gift card], and a 100 dollar scratch card win!

We have been picking up a card here or there when we have some extra cash, to see if we can win some extra spending money for our trip.
I have won relatively big a couple of times- $60 and $100 on $5 cards.
The rule is if you win big, you have to keep the cash and add it to our box that will be used as spending money for the trip.
I like starting little traditions like this :)

~*~*~*~*~*

A little bit about my New Year's Eve.

I was lucky enough to get to enjoy a dinner out with some amazing people last night.

AND I rung in the new year the best way I can imagine- fireside with my favorite person and a glass of red wine.

Here are some pics of the day:

Perfect New Year's Eve nails

Getting ready.

Being a girl is HARD work ;)

Hair and Make Up Done.

Dinner with champagne.

Such a SWEET gift from my bestie Amby.

I collect cute embroidered framed pieces.

I hung this one right above my front door,

so I will see it and smile every day.

I LOVE this girl :)

Cute couple.

SO happy my best friend has found LOVE!

Sweet ladies.

The perfect end to a great year.

~*~*~*~*~*

I don't really have a big year recap, like some other blogs.

This is due to the fact that I like to recap by season.

I do think that I will be sharing a post of some of my favorite moments of the year, perhaps I will work on that later today.

If you'd like to check out my 2011 year in review, here are my recap posts, by season

*Winter 2011

*Summer 2011

*Fall 2011

I have SO many great ideas and plans for this little ole blog, in this new year.
Starting with a goals and resolutions post, lots of Law of Attraction posts, and devoting posts to each area of a balanced life- fashion, fitness, food, home, faith and spiritual life, work, and fun.
I predict a new year that is going to be better than ever!
I am OH SO GLAD to have you along for the ride :)
Please introduce yourself if you have not yet- I LOVE meeting new blogging friends.

~*~*~*~*~*
I'm off to get ready for the gym.
Have to start off the new year with keeping my dedication to the Best Shape of My Life Challenge!

Back with my favorite moments of 2011 later!
HAVE A GREAT START TO YOUR NEW YEAR :)

Happy New Year's Eve!

2011-12-31T14:26:00.002-05:00

First things first-

I got another adorable animal mug today.

A Pink Elephant!

I collect cute coffee mugs, since I use them multiple times a day!

Hope you have some fun plans for today and tonight!

I am looking forward to a relaxed evening- starting with a fancy dinner out with friends,
and then watching our hockey team play, and sitting by the fire and roasting marshmallows and having a few drinks and some great conversation.

AND I still have one more week left off of law school, before starting my last semester.
The lovely Virginia is coming to stay over night on Friday, and I will squeeze the last bit of fun into my break with a yummy dinner out and some shopping at the outlets and thrifting on Saturday.
I LOVE having so much to look forward to!

~*~*~*~*~*
Today as been great so far.
We started out with a visit to a local favorite spot, Shorty's.

I just tagged along to check it out.
I bet if you eat meat, you would love this kinda place.

I waited to eat some veggie-friendly food- bean curd with vegetables.

Yummmmm.
I'd make a resolution to eat less Asian food, but I'd surely fail!

I also picked up a few last minute items for my outfit tonight.

I am trying something new with my eye make up.

Hope it works out!

I will be back with more, including a 2011 wrap up post, tomorrow.
Have some fun tonight! :)

PS I can't tell you how exciting it was to switch my planner over to a new year last night.

I told my mom I blame her for my obsessive to-do list habits! Ha!

Random Facts About Me.

2011-12-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

Well, since I asked the Universe for new friends in my last post,
it's only fair that I give something toward that goal.

SO- here are some insights into the "unique" [another high school reference from my last post ;)] person that is JESSICA POTTER.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME

I will start this feature out with 3 random facts for today.

*

1. I grew up right outside of Washington, D.C.

A few of my favorite cute spots there:

Old Town Alexandria

Shirlington

I love that city, and it will always hold a piece of my heart.

Downtown

I spent the years of my college education -

-BA at West Virginia University

-MA at Marshall University

-Teaching College for Marshall and Alderson-Broaddus

-and now law school [I will be done in May!]

living in West Virginia.

I love that state, the beautiful nature, and the great people there.

I pretty much knew I wouldn't live there for the rest of my life though,

and I am OH SO HAPPY to now be living in Washington, PA, close to Pittsburgh.

I love all of the fun things to do here, the great restaurants, and still being close enough to travel home to see my family for a weekend.

I am still having fun exploring the area, and plan to write about a lot of cool local spots, as I discover them!

2. Speaking of local, I reaaaaaally believe in supporting local business.

For now, I work in the Entrepreneurship Clinic at my law school.

We help people with their business goals and dreams! I just love that.

I want helping local businesses- with social media, blogging, features, etc. to really be a part of my blog as I move into the new year! I can't wait to launch some interesting features!

*

3. I read SUPER fast.

As in, I start a new book, and usually finish it within a day or two.
This is why I order almost all of my books used, off Amazon.com.
If I pay just a couple of dollars for them, I don't feel as guilty to finish them so quickly!
Funny Story: When I was younger, I used to finish my work SO quick, and then be super bored, as I sat around and waited for everyone else. I picked up a habit of walking out of the classroom, and the teacher would have to find me.
I actually LIKED it when I started the gifted classes, and had to do much more work.
My supposed "cool group" friends called GT, the program for Gifted and Talented,
Geeky Turds. It used to hurt my feelings, but now I wish I could go back in time and tell little me to be proud! You may call it "Geeky Turds", but I like my extra work to do, thank you very much! ;)

Speaking of reading, I am starting a new feature on here where I will talk about reading much more. So if you have any book suggestions that would be great!
I must say though, I don't like reading about magic, vampires, or fantasy type books.
{please don't get mad, if you LOVE these types of book! just my little ole personal opinion}
I like books about real life issues or with sociological themes.
I like reading things I can relate my real life to!

~*~*~*~*~*
Want to play along?
Link to your Random Facts post in the comments here!

Maybe we could make this more of a regular thing?
Because, ya know what, that was fun! :)

~*~*~*~*~*
I'm off to make some lunch, before a gym work out.
Can you believe tomorrow is already New Years Eve?!
I have to tidy up and clean the next two days, before we have a few people over tomorrow night!

Do you have any big New Year's Eve plans?

The Law of Attraction- New Friends for the New Year

2011-12-29T17:40:00.002-05:00

A Law of Attraction Post- I want NEW Friends for the New Year!

I'd like to start this post out with a dedication.
Kinda dramatic for a blog post?
Perhaps, however I find it quite necessary.

I would like to give credit to my Instagram Fam.
Do you have an Iphone?
If so, do you have the app Instagram?
If not, trust me on this one, you reaaaaaaally need to get it, like asap!

One sweet lady in particular has been such a source of positive energy and good vibes in my life recently. Her Instagram name is Fussykitten.
Follow her if you get on the app. You will love her great attitude, creative spirit, and beautiful soul.
Some of the other members of my Instagram Fam that you should follow:
*Bsu1405
*Inkandbikedad
*Gijojo32
*Phxjohn
*Anna314

I apologize to any that I did not include. Let me know and I will add you in! :)

Now- why am I talking so much about an Iphone app when I am supposed to be doing a Law of Attraction Post?
Thank you so much for asking. Oh wait- you didn't really ask? Well, just go with it. It is MY blog here people ;)

My Instagram Fam are the kind of people who "GET" me.
Don't you just love that feeling?!
Let me tell you a little bit about myself.
I have always felt a bit like an outsider.
I was voted "Most Unique" in my high school, and I really appreciate the award.
Ha.
But seriously, sometimes it is TOUGH to feel like the creative, outsider in the group.
[Creative is much preferred to the other word some use for it- WEIRD.]

Lazy people are my pet peeve, and it took me until my later 20's to realize that it is GOOD for me to have friends who are more relaxed and like to chill out.
I don't like sleeping in and wasting the day, I always have a To Do list [or three], and I make goals all the time.
I ended up with a guy who needed even LESS sleep than me, I am talking about on the zombie level ;) [Wait- do they need a little bit of sleep? Or is that vampires? Which ever one, that's him] Talk about a practical joke by the Universe!

Also, I am always the friend wanting to take tons of pictures, and I got into blogging way before any of my "real life" friends. I tried to convince many of them to get as into blogging as I am.
I learned that wasn't really the way to go.
Side Story: I used to hang out with one girl who tried SO hard to get me to like science fiction and other things she dubbed as nerdy cool.
This helped show me that hey, blogging might be something I love, but if other people don't really get it, so be it.

And so that brings me to the point of this post.

I want to make some NEW friends for the NEW year!

I want to attract into my life people who "GET" me.

Well, knowing the way the Law of Attraction works, I know that I must be as specific as possible about what I am looking for in these NEW friends.

So here are some of my interests, that I'd love to connect with people on, and how I plan to do so:
[Because ya know, it is YOUR life. And as much as you may WANT things, you really do have to get off your butt and go for them!]

*FITNESS- I am sorta addicted to the gym. I want to meet chicks around me who are into that too. I recently moved to a new area, and don't have any fitness buddies yet.
So, today I picked up the new year gym class schedule.
I want to try Yoga, Kickboxing, and Spin at my gym.
Maybe I will meet some sweet girls at one of these classes!
AND I will get my work out on at the same time. BONUS.

*Fashion- I LOVE mixing vintage with modern looks. I like people with unique personal style, who don't apologize for their own look.
I want to meet some girls who INSPIRE me.
Are you this chick?!
Let me know!!!

*Home Decor- I am super into decorating and updating my home.
I collect vintage Pyrex and other cute vintage decorations.
I hope to meet these type of girls through blogging.
Let me know if you are into blogging about home decor- I'd LOVE to start a home tour feature on Crafting Happiness!

*And Blogging-
I need to get better at commenting on blogs, plain and simple.
For awhile I wondered why my Google analytics did not match up with the number of comments I get.
Meaning, I have so many readers that come each day, and yet so few comments.
Some of this is due to readers of mine who may not be actual bloggers, but may know me in real life, but the majority of my readers ARE bloggers.
However, I read a lot of blogs each day, and rarely comment on them.
This is a resolution of mine.
I want to build more of a COMMUNITY of Crafting Happiness.
I want to reach out to the bloggers who inspire me, and comment more.
Help me do this by commenting on my blog if you are a reader, so I can check out your blog too!

*I am sure there are other areas that I will think of later,
but for now this is a great start.
~*~*~*~*~*

And, because this post didn't have any pictures, here is one of me antiquing today:

Yes. I purchased that vintage veil.

And no Mom, I am not engaged ;)

I will write more about my antiquing adventure tomorrow!

I am off to take a bubble bath, and start yet another Jonathan Tropper novel.
SO happy to have found a cool author that I love!
AND I still have 3-4 of his books that I have not read yet.

Hope you have some fun evening plans lined up too!

PS Speaking of The Law of Attraction, how ahhhhmazing is this home?!

I wouldn't mind this too, ya know ;)

Let's Talk About: GROCERY SHOPPING.

2011-12-29T10:09:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you, but I LOVE talking about food!

AND I'd like to do so more around here,

okay? :)

Today = Grocery Shopping

It seems like I have managed to get my weekly grocery shopping down to a science in the past couple of months.
I like to take care of my main things about once a week, usually on Sundays, but that is by no means set in stone.
I have a notepad and pen that I keep on the fridge, where items that are needed/wanted can be written down. I make sure to check this list before heading out to purchase items.
I actually go to 3 different places to get all of the groceries I need.

1. Giant Eagle for the basics.
My favorite is the Market District location, in Robinson.

I happen to live with a meat eater who LOVES meat and junk food.
This is totally cool with me.
It means that we get most of his things at Giant Eagle, along with some of my basics.
And then I can use those points on cheaper gas too!

Basics I pick up from here [for me] include:
*Vegan Cheese
*Vegan Bread
*Vegan Soup [I like Pad Thai flavored and Tomato]
*Gatorade
*Hot Tea
*Keurig Coffee Pods
*Sriracha [My obsession. I literally use this EVERY meal! I think I will have to do a separate post on this soon]

2. Trader Joes.
Here I get unique, fun items.
I LOVE different salsas and sauces, produce, and snacks.
I always make sure to pic up a few frozen burritos [soooo good!], for cozy nights in, when I just can't be bothered with cooking.
I took some pics of some of the items I purchased yesterday, to share, for fun.
It was an extra fun trip, as I had a gift card from my man's parents to use.
Isn't it more fun to spend money when it is not your own?! ;)

Here were some of my fun items I picked up yesterday:

My food obsession.

My favorite flavor = hickory smoked.

I eat slices dipped in spicy peanut sauce,

as an easy, quick snack.

These are PERFECT for an easy dinner.

Just unwrap and pop in the oven.

Serve with a side of Sriracha, of course.

Thought these could be good to enjoy with a cup of evening vanilla almond tea.

I like my hashbrowns with hot sauce AND ketchup.

Not gonna lie- I ate half of this container on the way home from the store.

LOVE me some good Dolmas.

I eat this with a fork, but I bet it'd be good as a more traditional salsa, on chips, as well.

Can't wait to try this!

I LOVE spicy foods.

I am not sure what to try this with.

I am thinking about spreading some in a tortilla and dipping it in hot sauce.

I love sparkling drinks.

and
3. Sunny Bridge.
This store is somewhat new to me, since I have moved to the Pittsburgh area.
I am really into it!
It is on my way back from Trader Joe's too, so I usually stop into both when I make a trip.
Yesterday I even tried a smoothie- they have a juice and smoothie bar, and a bakery with tons of vegan goodies as well.

The smoothie was the perfect after work out snack.

Things I pick up at Sunny Bridge:
*Spicy Kale Chips
*Soy cheese, vegan pizza
*Vegan Ramen
*Fresh baked Vegan goods

*I also LOVE Whole Foods.
However, the closest one to me now involves driving into heavy traffic, into the city of Pittsburgh. So, for now, whenever I go home to DC, one of the first things I do is stock up on goodies at Whole Foods.
My favorite? The vegan general tsos "chicken", on the hot bar.
Wish I could eat it RIGHT NOW!
~*~*~*~*~*
All this food talk is making me hungry.
Think I'll make some ramen with Sriracha, and have a side of spicy kale chips.
Sounds PERFECT for a freezing cold, snowy day like today.

I would LOVE to talk about food more.
Have grocery shopping advice?
Want to do a guest post?
I'd LOVE to have you!
Email me at Jessicascutecupcake@gmail.com

*PS Next Up- I am working on a Law of Attraction post- on NEW FRIENDS for the NEW YEAR.
Yay!

Tweedy isn't my new friend.

We go way back.

BUT I still think he's pretty cool ;)

A Few Things:

2011-12-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

gym mode from yesterday.

it was LEG day,

my favorite.

Today = Chest.

A Few Quick Things,

on this super cold Wednesday morning:

1. I spent the morning drinking butterscotch-flavored coffee, cuddled up with my favorite fuzzy blanket in my favorite recliner chair, working on the Official WVU Law Student Blog.

I have SO many ideas for it, be sure to keep checking back.

2. Watch this video.

It's pretty hilarious,

and also pretty right on.

3. I came up with a great drink combination, and you should try it.

Diet Cream Soda and Fluffed Marshmallow flavored vodka.

YUMMY.

4. I'm off to get ready for the gym, and hit up Trader Joe's.

AND, Speaking of Trader Joe's, be sure to check back later for a post about some of my T.J. favorites!

my relaxing, post-work out treat yesterday.

I LOVE winter break!

Two More Weeks of Vacation!

2011-12-27T10:16:00.001-05:00

Ab workout at the gym yesterday.

Burns SO good.

Two more weeks off from law school and my law school job sound like a lot of time.

BUT I do have maaaaany things that I want to squeeze into this time!

This morning I sat down with my To Do list journal
[of course ;) ],
a cup of coffee, and some inspiring music [The Flaming Lips].

I came up with a list of things that I need to/want to do in the next two weeks.
I thought it'd be fun to share some of my list.

Fun Things to Do:

*Dinner out with friends for New Years Eve

*Virginia Comes to Visit-

Out to dinner Friday night,

outlets and thrifting Saturday

Places to Go:

*Gift card shopping-

Anthropologie, Forever 21, H&M, Sephora, Home Goods

*Gift card meals-

Sesame Inn, Olive Garden, Red Robin

*Movie Theater Gift Cards

To-Dos:

*Put away Christmas stuff [after New Years Eve]-

get organized with storage system

*Get prepared for new school semester- [LAST semester of law school, EVER!]

-Get new school bag, text books, note books, find out info on online class

~*~*~*~*~*
I'm off to get in a good gym work out, before grabbing Starbucks and going to get my nails done.
I piled on the red glitter polish for Christmas, and now I can't seem to get it off! Ha.

Hope you are enjoying your Tuesday!

Cozy cowl neck scarf and a good book last night = perfect.