A Vein Excursion on V-day

 

I can't remember exactly what my first thought was this morning (perhaps, "crap, I have 20 mins before I have to leave!) but I can assure you it had nothing to do with valentine's day. For all the single people out there it's not exactly an occasion to celebrate (Single Awareness Day, anyone?) but I did want to celebrate in my own way by---- donating blood!

 I didn't plan on it but the truck was at school today and pulled up right as I was coming into work which, to me, was a sign. I don't have the best track record when it comes to donating however; I've donated three times before and fainted each time. So naturally, being the masochist that I am, I donated and I'm OK! I made sure to eat a good lunch and drink a lot of water and I made it a point not to look at the needle.

I learned that it's best to take iron supplements or food that contains iron such as broccoli and raisins to decrease the chances of fainting. If you're ever near a Red Cross center or the mobile comes to you, donate if you can. It doesn't cost anything and you're helping not one but three people with a pint of blood!

So I've decided to make Valentine's day mean more than a Hallmark card and make it a tradition to donate every year. I figure if my heart doesn't skip a beat (but I sure hope by this time next year it'll have reason to) at least my beating heart could be of use :)

Have you ever donated? Do you know your blood type? I'm O+

Spinning and Sickness

Everyone around  me was getting sick and here I was thinking I had been able to avoid it. I was wrong. On Tuesday I had my modern dance class, Wednesday I worked out on the elliptical, did some rowing, lifted weights (basically I used a lot of equipment) and Thursday I tried Spinning for the first time!

Check out their site

You see that? I was riding that baby for an hour and by the end I was drenched. At one point, the instructor had us stand up and continue cycling. It was intense but an awesome workout.

How does my cold play into this?

I was rushing since I had  half an hour before class started so I took a quick shower and ended up walking out into the cold with wet hair.

I'm hoping to feel better by Monday. I had a friend tell me shots of ginger worked wonders for her... hm.... I'll have to think about that one.

Have you tried any new work outs? I really want to try Zumba next.
Also, please share any home remedies :)

Literary Imagination

Have you seen The Pagemaster? With MacCaulay Culkin (I had to google his name to spell check haha!)... well when I was little I loved the idea of getting so lost in a story that you're completely immersed in the action as you're reading it. This is why I will always prefer books over movies but I digress.

Amazon

The reason I bring this up is because I recently finished The Time Traveler's Wife and yes, it was good and definitely better than the movie. Don't get me wrong, I love Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana (especially Eric Bana) but, as always, so much was glossed over. I loved how the story is told by Henry and Claire so that you can really appreciate how they each deal with the situation. The novel is much more sexually explicitly, which I didn't expect but enjoyed nonetheless and the ending it much more endearing and not at all like the movie.

I found myself happily anticipating the time right before going to bed when I could continue reading and at about 540 pages, it took me awhile. I loved how Niffenegger thought out the concept and the science behind it (Dr. Kendrick and his genetics talk was way over my head but it's effective). But it's really about the loss of control and the question of fate that will linger after you finish reading. I'm sure we'd all like the chance to travel in time but the lack of control over that power will undoubtedly make it less appealing.When Henry travels to his childhood and sees the younger version of himself so happy and carefree with his parents and then you juxtapose it with the harsh reality he deals with as an adult, you feel his pain as much as he does.

I also appreciate how all the characters are so far from perfect and this love story reads as both endearing and sweet while also raw and tinged with the flaws all real relationships encompass. One particular sentiment that stood out to me was when Claire states that she secretly enjoyed her time alone when he was time traveling but that she always loved when he returned. I think that is a sentiment many women share despite not having a time-traveling partner!

Overall it's a novel story (no pun intended) and an enjoyable and also tearful read. I highly recommend it. Kudos to Niffenegger for writing such an amazing story although I'm a little envious that it's her FIRST novel.

also, a cute blog post I came across about dating a book worm. Enjoy! ;)

Have  you read the book? seen the movie? as you know, I'm always open to book recommendations.

White Tattoos and White Weddings

So two things are currently on my mind: my (potential) tattoo and the upcoming nuptials of a dear friend. Tattoos have been around for as long as I can remember so the thought of getting one is not new however, I'm thismuch closer to getting one. Two dear friends each pitched in for my new tattoo as part of my birthday gift knowing I've been toying with the idea of a white tattoo on my hip (or wrist... no definitely hip or my... never mind definitely hip!). We are planning to check out parlors today and I reached out to a tattoo artist/old friend so I should be reporting back with a new tattoo in the near future. Stay tuned.

courtesy of Pinterest Lovely but I can't imagine getting this~

so pretty! via Pinterest

As for the wedding- it's my first time being part of a wedding and my first time as maid of honor! So it's a little nerve wracking but fun and such a learning experience. Thursday all the bridesmaids are gonna go dress shopping or at least window shopping to get a feel for what's out there. We know the bride chose burgundy but she gave us the freedom to choose our own dress and style so yay! for an awesome bride.

I've not gone dress shopping  for a major event since Prom (2004 yikes!) so this should be interesting. I've been browsing online and found a few dress styles I like but we'll see what we find in the shops.

love the style and color but maybe not MOH appropriate via Weheartit

LOVE THIS! I know the back is too revealing but imagine it in burgundy? via Pinterst

 Any advice regarding tattoos and/or dresses? I'll keep you up to date with both.

Happy (belated) New Year!

do I look 26?

New year, new me. Well as far as resolutions go- I made none! Not officially at least. Normally I write a list and look back on it after the year is done but this year I feel like my resolutions haven't changed much. I still have a semester to go in grad school and I'm HOPING for a full-time job by the time I graduate. That's number one. Number two is to move to a place that allows my two dogs (both over 50 pounds) to live comfortably with me. Number three is totally up to fate but let's just say I'm hoping I find my Mr. Darcy (for all you lit buffs out there!).

But I'm not just delineating these for new year's because today is also my birthday. Yup, I'm now officially past my mid-twenties (26 to be exact). No biggie, right? WRONG. For some reason 26 feels like I'm over the hill (read: an aging spinster). I'm ok being single but no one is ever going to choose being single over love. 2012, what do you have in store?

 I thought I'd be married by 25!

Now on to some fun stuff... FOOD. I have been dabbling in both the familiar and unfamiliar territory when it comes to food. Behold three of my most recent foodie experiments.

Alfredo

Sweet Potatoes

Salmon Cakes

 For the alfredo, I followed my dear friend Alyssa's recipe

The sweet potatoes were baked with evoo, parsley and paprika. Simple yet delicious.

Salmon cakes are quick, easy and very filling. I buy the salmon in the pouches (boneless and skinless) but fresh is always the best choice. I got the original recipe from  Chicken of the Sea  and I always tweak it a little each time. It's really according to what you like but I definitely recommend dill, green onions, garlic, red pepper and lemon. Italian bread crumbs add to the flavor but if you have plain toss in some paprika, black pepper and creole seasoning. Trust me ;)

Any recipes that are your favorites? Did you make resolutions this year? And... do you have a "scary" age?