Goodbye, trolley people!

'Member how I mentioned the other day that I won one of Meg Cabot's t-shirts? And how I promised to blog my winning entry? This is me coming through on that promise, even though my entry was slightly embarrassing. She asked who we would trade bodies with if we had the chance and it was right before the Office finale, so I was a tad side-tracked from any of my more rational choices, like Tina Fey or Grace Kelly (albeit, an alive version of Grace Kelly) or Ina Garten. Instead, here's what I told her.

"Dear Meg,

Body swapping? Hands down, I'd pick Jenna Fischer. I don't really think I need a reason beyond the fact that she gets to KISS JOHN KRASINSKI.

In case that's not enough, I do have additional facts to back my choice up.

1. She's super down-to-earth, which you don't see a whole lot in Hollywood.

2. She's got an amazing figure, but isn't obsessed with her body image. (See: what you don't see a whole lot in Hollywood.)

3. She gets to spend her days being a great actress on the set of The Office.

4. She's, like, bff with Angela Kinsey.

5. She still shops at (and adores!) Target. Me too!

6. Her wardrobe is absolutely fabulous--she wears amazing dresses to awards shows and the rest of the time rocks the jeans and hoodie look. This is my ideal style--dressed way down or snazzed way up!

7. We both broke our backs in the past year, so I can totally relate to that.

8. She's got this ambition that I admire so much--it'd be great to have the courage to up and leave your home in St. Louis to move to L.A. to pursue your dream.

And lest we forgot...she gets to film multiple takes of smooching the dreamy JKras!

I rest my case."

I believe that is referred to as "writing for your audience." I've read (and loved, actually) plenty of Meg's work, so I tried to tailor my entry to what she'd be likely to write. Much to my surprise, it actually worked! I'm rather enamored by the irony of wearing a shirt that so boldly states AIRHEAD.

As a major bonus, the ever-so-awesome Pixie volunteered to send me her ARC of Airhead, which I'd been really looking forward to reading even before the t-shirt debacle. It arrived today, so I know what I'll be doing this weekend! (Other than homework, Capture the Flag, a possible haircut/dye, and the Beatles Tribute concert, of course.)

Who would you trade bodies with?

Also, while we're on the subject on winning stuff, City Streams is having a very generous giveaway, so go enter! (Wal-mart giftcards! I'm mostly opposed to Wal-mart on moral grounds, but my love for free stuff overrides almost any opposition. Plus, it is quite literally one of the four big stores in town, so I rarely have a choice but to take advantage of their always low prices. Always.) Happy weekend!

Top Three: Birthday Gifts--Music Edition

I would much rather buy an actual cd for a couple more dollars than purchase it online. This is why my Amazon.com Wish List has over 150 CDs (and counting) on it. Someday, I'll own you all! Until the day I become fabulously rich, I have to decide what music I want the most right now. For a music junkie like myself, it's an almost impossible choice. Here's what I would buy this instant if I had an extra $50 or so. (Weezer's Red Album would be on here if it weren't for the fact that it doesn't come out until the day of my birthday, which is exciting.)

1. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Neko Case, $12.97
One of these days, I'm going to write a sonnet about how much I love Neko Case. Hint: It's a LOT.


2. The White Album, The Beatles, $25.97
I cannot believe I don't own this yet, but I just...don't. We all know it's amazing. 'Nuff said.


3. Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, $11.99
Plant and Krauss have to be two of the most unlikely collaborators. It's like putting salt and honey (guess which ingredient represents which musician?) on a piece of homemade bread. You think it'd be weird, but it's actually really good.

Top Three: Birthday Gifts--Geek Edition

Because I'm first and foremost a geek at heart, I'm really excited for this list. w00t!

1. R2-D2 Speakers, Think Geek, $39.99
"R2-D2, you know better than to trust a strange computer!"


2. Fruity Oaty Bar Shirt, Stylin' Online, $18
Miranda... (Next time I play laser tag, my code name is so going to be River Tam.)



3. Library Science Tote Bag, QC Merchandise, $12
It's poetry in motion! (I could only get a picture of both bags, but it's the library one I want. Actually, out of all these gifts, it's the one thing I'm mostly likely to buy when all is said and done.)

For more geeky love, check out Jenn's site Must Love Geek!

Top Three: Birthday Gifts--Shoe Edition

I'm no Shoe-ru, but I like to think I know a good pair when I see one.

1. Betseyville Bernidette Pumps, Betsey Johnson, $99.95
If I could define my summer by a pair of shoes, I'd want it to look like these.

2. Showoff Sandals, Steve Madden, $49.95
The appeal lies in the simplicity.

3. Mary Jane 'Twins' Flats, Camper, $159.95
The concept of these sounds like they'd only be suitable for a 5-year-old girl, but they manage to look totally twee while still coming off as grown-up. The cameos are removable, but I don't know why anyone would want to do that.

The Weekend Song

Friday, I'm in love

No work! Instead, I came home and did...nothing. Actually, I did watch a couple episodes of AD and went over to the BFF's apartment. They had a bunch of guys over and the talk inevitably turned to the subject of dating. Within about twenty minutes of me being there, one of the guys turns to me and asks me if he can set me up with his friend who just got home from a mission. Oddly enough, I have a fair amount of experience being a RM's first date back, so I agreed. Except we somehow started talking about something else and he never got my number to give to the guy. Le sigh. I guess if he really wants to set us up, he'll figure it out, but I'm not gonna count on it.

Another Saturday night, and I ain't got nobody

I slept in and woke up to a gloriously quiet room. Let me explain...no, there is too much. Let me sum up. We started out the semester with five roommates total and lost one of them early on to medical deferment. She and I shared a room, which was cool since they're three-person bedrooms. Most people would have to be crazy to have one roommate, let alone two others in the same room. It worked out great last semester and it ended up just being two of us this semester. Once Sarah left, then Em moved in with me to even things out. About a week ago, Em announces that she withdrew from school and is going to be with her fiance instead. Whatevs. She was cool, but I totally ended up with my room! This is exceedingly cool because a) these rooms are huge--probably bigger than your average studio apartment and b) the price for the entire semester is less than it would cost to pay for a week's worth of living in your average studio apartment. Coming to college was the first time I ever had to share a room, so I'm stoked out of my mind to have my own space again. ("There's a place where/I can go and/share my secrets toooo...")

Also, I was going to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things, when I tried to convince myself not to stop into Down East Outfitters, since I'm supposed to be saving money and all. And then I realized that I was going to go in and look around anyway, because my willpower is not that great. TOTALLY worth it, because I left with a pair of 7 for all mankind dark skinny jeans for $10, J. Crew navy business pants for $3.50 and a Le Tigre red mini cable knit sweater for $3. All brand new, too! Oh yeah, it was a total savings of around $230. I rock the shopping hizz-ouse.

I spent a few hours in the brain imaging lab and when I came home, our FHE (Family Home Evening) brother John called and invited us to go play Ultimate!Frisbee. First game of the season, natch! I show up a few minutes late and see a large group of people playing touch football. I roll my eyes, thinking that they changed their minds, but decide to be a good sport anyway. (Pun.) I don't see John, but I do see a couple of people I know and join a team. I can't stand football and about halfway into a play, I notice a new group of people across the field. Frisbee friends! I finish up the play (and by "finish up" I mean continue to stand there and pretend like I know what's happening) and politely excuse myself to go and get my Ultimate! on.

Ohhh yeah, frisbee is so my game. I was a bit rusty, but warmed right up. (That's what she...never mind.) "Football is like rock and roll, it's just bam-bam-boo... And basketball is like jazz, you know?" If Michael's right, then Ultimate! is definately the indie rock of sports. A little more unconventional, more fluid, and a smaller following of very devout fans.

Moral of the story: Not exercising for months (on doctor's orders, mind you, following the back break) = a very sore next couple of days following physical activity

Also, I restrained myself from buying ice cream after and ate an otter pop instead. Maybe I do have a smidge of will power!

Sunday morning, rain is falling

Church was nice--I had to play the piano in both Relief Society and Sacrament Meeting. I talked to the fam and the bff. KK and I went over to our friend's house for dinner. They're locals and just got back from Europe and their mom is officially the coolest lady in town. A hearty, homecooked meal is always a plus in my book. I played around on my guitar a bit and watched the "Dummy" episode of Pushing Daisies.

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Unless you like the rain and it's a holiday! I intended to make the most of my day off, and boy howdy, did I ever! I did some more of this rare "sleeping in" thing and wanted to make a big breakfast. Then I remembered I don't really like real breakfast food for breakfast and would rather just eat lucky charms. I imported some music to my iTunes and updated my Amazon wish list. I put in a new shower liner and left my hair wavy. I stocked up my purse with ritz and lemon drop soda and went to the movies. Have any of you seen Penelope? I was really looking forward to it and ended up being mildly disappointed. I mean, it was cute and James McAvoy continues to be Mr. Briti-licious, but here are my beefs. Minor spoilers... 1. The mom, played by Catherine O'Hara (who will always be the mom in Home Alone to me), is so obnoxious. Her character isn't supposed to be exactly likeable, but she had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. We get it, you're really good at high-pitched squeals. 2. Christina Ricci (a.k.a. Creepy-face [with or without pig snout] who talks like a twelve-year-old) has never been my favorite actress. 3. The story was very rushed and the script seemed patchy in places.

The lab took up a couple hours of my afternoon and I came home and made brinner! (Turk-speak for breakfast for dinner.) Like I said before, I don't like breakfast foods in the morning, but I love them for night foods. Yummy! I made this:

The BFF got home from her trip and I took over her birthday gift. The card has two fish saying "What do you call a fish with no eyes?" "I don't know... What?" "FSH!" Because if anything defines our relationship, it's corny fish jokes. She got a 4-quart ice cream maker, because it's not every day you turn 21. Happy birthday!

Now I'm gonna write up the rest of this week's posts (mostly just gift lists...we'll be back to normal blogging next week). Maybe I'll study, too. I know this was a bit ramble-y, but I just needed to write something.

Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention that Tib's having a surprise giveaway. Go check it out!

Top Three: Birthday Gifts--Jewelry Edition

I like to look at jewelry more than I like to wear it. I think these serve both purposes.

1. Silver Forget Me Knot Ring, MOMA Store, $65

2. Typewriter Necklace, QA Creates, $12.99

3. Chalcedony Cascade Earrings, Linda Trent Jewelry, $38

Top Three: Birthday Gifts--Art Edition

Etsy is the awesomest way to waste your time ever, am I right or am I right?

1. Scarf For Two print, theblackapple, $18

I hear they can suspend your Indie License for 30 days if you don't like scarves...

2. Home, Sweet Home print on fabric, Aunty Cookie, $18

...and not liking stuff with birds on it is a six-month probation of your Indie Cred. You probably have to go to remedial classes, also.

3. Sky Over Nova Scotia photograph, Broomhill Pictures, $20

My living room wall: "Hey, Gretchen? It's getting a little boring in here, don'tcha think?"

Me: "I've been really busy and I have these posters of Europe I've been meaning to hang up..."

My living room wall: "STOP MAKING EXCUSES. You know what? Buy me this photo and we'll call it good."

Me: sighs "Yeah, sure."

Gretchen, stop trying to make 'fetch' happen!

The lovely Brooke over at Oh My Seven tagged me for the six things meme. I thought about doing another six degrees theme, but that was kind of an effort to link it all together and today is not a "put-forth-effort" kinda day. Instead, you get:

Six Random Things About My Name
or
This is actually a lot more interesting than it sounds

1. "Gretchen" is German for "little pearl." It's a pet form of Margaret. (Margaret + chen (meaning "little") = Gretchen...I'd never put that together before just now.)

2. In numerology, my number is 7 and my soul urge number is 9. ("Soul urge" sounds like more of a musical movement than a test of my character.) My inner dream number is 7. The whole analysis is scary accurate. "You dream of having the opportunity to read, study, and shut yourself off from worldly distractions. You can see yourself as a teacher, mystic, or ecclesiastic, spending your life in the pursuit of knowledge and learning. At full maturity you are likely to be a very peaceful and poised individual." Heck yes!

3. I took a New Testament course my freshman year. This marked the first time where I WAS NOT THE ONLY GRETCHEN IN THE CLASS. Holy cow, this threw me off! I think it threw her off, too, since the prof would be all, "Gretchen, what did you think about this verse?" and we'd both start to talk. It was a bit of a blow to my ego, since I'm so used to being That Smart Girl With The Weird Name.

4. Over the years, I've garnered quite the collection of nicknames. Gretch-a-sketch (naturally), Gretch, Gretcher, Gretchie, Fetchin' Gretchen, GretchieGAL, Gretchizzle, and Hen.

5. I've had my own personalized version of "Hey There, Delilah" sung to me on the radio. You see, my friend Dan interned as DJ at his local Minnesotan radio. (Quick backstory on Dan: We met last summer and he could make me laugh like no other person I know. He's on a mission right now in Argentina. He's a couple years younger than me and apparently carried this massive torch for me...but it was sadly unrequited.) Anyhow, he got some friends together for the background vocals and at approximately 2 AM in the morning, the following song airs. "Hey there, Gretchen/What's it like in [hometown], Utah/You're a thousand miles away/But girl, tonight you look so pretty/Yes you dooooo/Temple Square can't shine as bright as you." He even managed to sneak in a "That's What She Said" during his dialogue. The whole thing was so amazingly cool.

6. Remember Recess? And the character Gretchen Grundler? I'm convinced her character was based off of me. In high school, I was a proud member of MESA, because I guess I needed to be even nerdier. So we buy our hoodies and in a moment of dorkiness, I decide to get "Grundler" embroidered on the hood. Two weeks later they arrive and I have one of those "Oh crap what have I done" epiphanies. I spend the rest of the year with the tip of the hood tucked in, so the name isn't visible. I'm not sure what I was so afraid of, becuase I'm sure the fact that I was wearing a Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement sweatshirt entirely NEGATED any minorly geeky cartoon reference I could have made. I still have it, too, but these days? I wear it with pride.

My previous tags (Elise, Marlayna, and KK) still stand, because I haven't seen your six random things yet, girls!

Top Three: Birthday Gifts--Books Edition

The best gift I've ever recieved was a copy of the 1887 book "Gretchen." I hadn't ever heard of it before, in fact, I'm pretty sure Dad picked it up at a thrift store. See, what makes it so rad is that it was published exactly one hundred years before my birth and it's an old book. I have this thing for old books--the uneven type, the yellowed pages, the fabric binding, and gold-embossed titling. They just don't make 'em like that anymore. New books are super awesome, too. They have the advantage of glossy covers, new book smell (is there anything better?), and precise design. I rarely actually buy books. Instead, I'm a library regular, but I would not mind adding these to my collection.

1. The Host, Stephenie Meyer, $14.29

I can't wait to see how she handles sci-fi.

2. 125 Best Cupcake Recipes, Julie Hasson, $12.89

OM NOM NOM.

3. I Am America (And So Can You!), Stephen Colbert, $17.81

Please come back to the presidential race?

In which I play at being a photo blog

I took these a couple weeks ago during our neuroscience lab on "photography as a tool in science." Yeah, you got me. Still, I had a lot of fun re-living the photography days of my youth. (I won the New Mexico State Reflections Contest in photography during 8th grade, with a completely staged picture of the Lil' Bro whispering secrets to a sunflower. He probably hates me for bringing that up.) Enjoy!

Maybe I'm going into the wrong field...

Top three: Birthday Gifts--Shirts Edition

Today marks the beginning of my birthday countdown gift lists! It's not so much for me to come across all consumer-hungry and "Oh, it's my birthday, buy me stuff!" (Unless you happen to be one of my parental units, in which case, listen up.) Think of it more as a way for me to introduce y'all to some really cool merchandise on the interwebs. Kind of like a fake audition for Oh My That's Awesome.


I'm a die-hard shirts and jeans girl. I wish I were better about dressing up, but given the choice, I'm sticking with my Threadless collection, thankyouverymuch.


1. I Love Katherine, Nuda Tees, $12



2. The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter Tee, Blue Collar Distro, $16
I don't talk nearly enough about Josh Ritter on here. I love this man and his music so much.



3. Forever Jung, Mental Floss, $14.95
The psychology nerd in me needs this.

Sharing is Caring

If the internet were a person, I'd marry it. For real.

1. This parody version of Baby Got Back is book comedy at its finest. Cheryl Klein wrote it, with lyrics like "So ladies, if lit's your love/And you wanna make like Nabokov/Dial 1-800-READSALOT/And we'll read those banned novels/Baby got book!"

2. Golfwidow dreamed up the hilarious LOLdiner, which would be Teh Successful IRL.

3. Rachelskirts introduced me to Daily Lit. Get a couple pages of a book emailed to you every day for free!

4. Naomi, a.k.a. the "Cupcake Ninja" was recently featured over at Cupcakes Take the Cake. Her fondant designs are the tastiest little bites of pop culture I've seen.

5. Download Ben Gibbard (*dreamy sigh*) singing Rilo Kiley's Silver Lining here.

6. Miss Erin got an ARC of Shannon and Dean Hale's Rapunzel's Revenge and recently reviewed it. Color me jealous!

7. Mark your calenders! This Tuesday is Eliza Doolittle Day!

8. I totally won an Airhead t-shirt from Meg Cabot! I can only imagine there were hundreds of entries and I was one of the thirty! When it arrives, I'll post my entry for who I'd want to trade bodies with if I had the chance.

9. Edge created a list of her top twenty songs in my honor. Thanks again!

10. Moshi moshi! Did you know The Office originally started out as a Japanese show?



11. My new (and final) header is up! Feed readers, come give it a looksie. (Question: I can't figure out for the life of me how to make it link back to the home page. Any advice?)

12. I'm going to be participating in Pink of Perfection's May Project for the next week. The theme is Media Detox, which means I'm going to cut down on all non-essential internet surfing. Um, which is a LOT of extra time I'll have on my hands. Hey, homework? Let's be friends again!
I'm going to try and draft my posts tonight, so I'll still blog, but I might not be around so much on twitter or commenting or the like. Wish me luck!

What "Friends" alum starred in films with Bruce Willis?

Who wants to take odds on the likelihood of SNL trying to recapture the "Lazy Sunday" dream world of magic tomorrow night?
Steve Carell + The release of Prince Caspian + Season Finale=Bring it on!



Check it out, yo! The Anthrocite Museum!

Top Three: Pet peeves, as illustrated by the LOLcats

(Get it? Pet peeves? Ahahaha!)

I thought after Wednesday's rather serious post, I'd lighten the place up a little with the help of my friends, teh LOLcats.
I considered elaborating on each of them, but I think they LOLspeak for themselves. Also, #3 is the most serious infraction you can make.

1.

2.


3.

I'm in love with you: The Jim and Pam Saga

Quick raise of the hands—who remembers what you were doing the night of May 11, 2006?

If you’re anything like me, that date has been forever stamped into your brain as the original airing of Casino Night, the Season Two Office Finale. Also known as The Most Singularly Great Work of Television Ever Produced. As a stand-alone episode, it’s fabulous in many regards. But as the capstone to the best season of tv ever, it is monumental. (I’m completely serious here. I’ve watched a lot of shows and nothing, I repeat, nothing can hold up to the begin-to-finish of Season Two. You can disagree, but you’d also be wrong.)

I should point out that this post obviously spoils everything about the episode, but this isn’t a post about how wonderful Casino Night is as a whole. I’d have plenty of material—there is nary a weak joke to be seen. The show needs to utilize Steve Carell’s writing more often, but that’s challenging when your main star is also one of Hollywood’s current comedy darlings. If you want to read a really comprehensive and well-written recap of the show, James (the creator of Northern Attack) wrote one here.

Instead, this is a post about Jim, Pam, and how the journey of two fictional characters completely altered the course of my life. Dramatic, much? Yeah, but it’s also true. I watched a few episodes of The Office back in the first season and loved it immediately. Unfortunately, I was also wrapped up in AP tests, boys, and getting ready to leave for my first semester of college only a few weeks after graduation. The show didn’t enter my radar that fall, because our lousy tv only got fuzzy, tin-foiled reception of ABC and PBS. (This lead to a short-termed McLoveAffair with Grey’s Anatomy.) I caught The Injury a couple months into my winter semester at home and that was that. I trolled the internet for spoilers and read the scripts of the episodes I’d missed. I was in love. Like any good story, a large part of my love was built into the romance of one Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly. Also like any good story, the romance didn’t come easy. This is namely because of one tiny, dull, $80 diamond on Pam’s left ring finger. (Stupid [swear word] Roy! Sorry, I just have to get that out of my system once in a while.)

And you know why nothing happened between Jim and Pam in the five-plus years they worked together? All in all, they’re average people just like you and I who are terrified of pushing boundaries and really exposing who they are. There are exceptions to this rule, but if there’s anything I’ve learned as a psych major, it’s that people don’t like change. Jim and Pam could stay within their carefully constructed borders of flirting and pranking without much modification of their outside lives. Both wanted something different outside of Dunder Mifflin, but it was comfortable. The comfort level was more so to Pam, because she had her engagement to fall back on, but even Jim tried dating to no avail. And heck, who isn’t scared stiff by the mere thought of telling your best friend that you truly, madly, deeply love them? (I kind of hate myself for quoting Savage Garden just then.)

Despite the fact that Jim and Pam were both too chicken to own up to their feelings for so long, it being television, you knew something was going to happen in the season finale. I mean, how nice would it be if real life worked this way? “Oh, it’s mid-May. I guess he’ll be kissing me in the next couple days.” But I digress. In the episodes leading up to CN, progress was made fairly rapidly. Jim was planning on being in Australia for the wedding, they practically acted like a couple during Michael’s Birthday, and Pam eventually realized that Jim wasn’t thrilled with hearing wedding talk all the time. Even the progression of CN seems to echo the intensity of their S1&2 interactions, as seen in the following scenes.

1. The opening prank with Dwight and the coat rack. These two kids work seamlessly together. Good fun and it illustrates just how close they are as friends.
2. ‘Til Death Do Us Rock! Banter and note how Pam grabs Jim’s hand. Physical contact is rare, but when it happens, it’s chaste and Jim still gets worked up by it.
3. The poker scene—they’re both taken in by the glory of the warehouse-turned-gambling parlor and let their guard down a little. Here the flirting is public. The co-workers would have to be blind or Creed not to pick up on the cues that get sent out every once in a while.

Finally, FINALLY, in The Parking Lot of Doom, the dynamic is instantly transformed. My hats off to Jenna and John for some of the best acting they have ever done. I watched this in slack-jawed, stunned silence. That raw honesty that Jim exudes is enough to make millions of girls go weak in the knees. (There’s a brief interlude in which Michael unknowingly sums up the show in a few words. “Love triangle drama. All worked out in the end, though. The hero got the girl. Who saw that coming? I did!”)

Cut to the dimly lit and abandoned office. Pam does what any sensible girl would do and calls her mom (from Jim’s desk, of all places). The “Yeah, I think I am” line is merely another log on the fire of heated speculation that filled out that summer. What follows is the clincher for my already-obsessed mind—Jim strides into the office and wraps up Pam in his arms and kisses her so passionately and tenderly that even Wesley and Buttercup couldn’t compete. Ladies, am I right in saying that all we really want is to be kissed like that? Guys, it wouldn’t hurt to take notes of Jim’s technique. Fade to black and fin.

The beauty of these scenes lies in the fact that I can watch them over and over and still get as emotionally involved as the time before. The kiss encapsulates everything that I think love should be— straightforward, sincere, ardent, and reciprocated. I don’t know everything about love, but I do know that I want someone who loves me as fervently as Jim loves Pam. It’s like what Mac said in Juno, “In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with.” Holla, J. Jonah Jameson! To my hopelessly romantic heart, the Jim and Pam narrative is a romance that will go down in history with the likes of Elizabeth and Darcy. I don’t know how their tale will end, but I know it will be epic.

(Okay, I’m going to try my hardest not to go into S3, because the JAM story line was so disastrously screwed up from the beginning right up to the penultimate episode. Beach Games was good and The Job was great, but neither can make up for the [swear word] that was the Jim and Karen catastrophe.)

Tomorrow night is the Season Four finale, a season that has been far too short, thanks to the [swear words] over the AMPTP. I’m not sure what to anticipate, but I have very high expectations. I do not think it will match the majesty of Casino Night, but I’m still going to wear my Dunder Mifflin shirt, eat grilled cheese, and (fingers crossed) maybe slightly relive how I felt two years ago.

Dinkin' flicka.

Top Three: Toppings for Ritz Crackers

Does anyone ever (Edit: Fetch! I hate it when I don't catch my mistakes, especially when it's 24 hours after posting!) really make those recipes they have on the back of the box?

I didn't think so.


1. Apricot Jam--With a name like Smucker's, it has to be good. (Honestly, the name Smucker's doesn't sound that appealing. Good jam, though.)


2. Leftover cream cheese frosting from Pioneer Woman's Carrot Cake. (Ree is my latest blog obsession! Anyone that can convince that it'd be fun to give up my modern comforts and fall in love with a smoldering hot cowboy and herd cows has to be someone very special, since I'm, uh, mildly terrified of cows. Shut up!)


3. Peanut butter and melted marshmallows--some assembly required. First, you take the graham. Wait, wrong recipe! (I'm on roll with the Sandlot references! "I thought you said the great bambi...") Okay, place about 6-8 crackers on a pan and spread with your choice of peaunt butter and top it off with three mini marshmallows. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until the marshmallows are golden brown. Sandwich another Ritz on top. Then you scarf. Kind of messy, but good! (Have lots of milk nearby.)


Tangent time! I love Target more than Jenna Fischer loves, well, Target. Enter here to win a $100 gift card.

Word to my mother!

Dear Mom,

I wish I could be there when you realize that your favorite (okay, and only) daughter is writing a letter to you ON THE INTERNET. Heaven forbid! Anyhow, I just wanted to thank you for being an awesome mom to me for these past almost twnty-one years. From you, I’ve inherited a love for the library, atrocious handwriting, common sense, a complete lack of coordination, and let’s not forget my striking good looks. You’ve taught me many important lessons, including (but not limited to) the following:

1. You can do everything, you just can’t do everything at once.
2. Nobody ever died from not being able to fall asleep. (Actually, this isn’t true, but it got me through many a sleepless night in my youth.)
3. Find people who are not only good to you, but good for you.
4. You’ve got to get up every morning and show the world all the love in your heart. (Technically, this belongs to Carole King, but it wouldn’t be a letter to you without acknowledging our mutual love of the best female singer/songwriter out there.)
5. You’ll want to wear a slip under that skirt.
6. Also, nylons. (Well, at least I follow #5.)
7. You don’t need to measure out everything in the recipe exactly.
8. Nothing quite makes a home like fresh flowers do.
9. Beauty is pain. There’s no getting around it.
10. Do things that help restore your soul.

The year I came up for my sophomore year, you mailed me a piece of paper the size of an index card. It reads: “Love learning! Eat well! Be happy! Be healthy! Laugh lots! Always remember—you are loved!” I’ve kept that card by my bed ever since and tried hard to follow the rules listed. Really, I don’t think there’s much more anyone can ask for in this life.

I love you!

Love,
Gretchen

P.S. Someday we’ll go to Italy together—I just know it.

This is such an Idaho thing to do

http://xkcd.com/421/

Also, I've been playing around with the banner. It will probably be in a continual state of flux over the next week or so until I find something that really fits my blog. But you feed readers should still check out my pretty mountain picture while it's up. Ironically, it was taken in Utah and not Idaho, although the tag line would imply differently.

Edit: One more thing! The very talented Lil' Bro wrote me this haiku.

"Andy and Michael

Dwight Angela and Jim

Stanley Roy and Pam"

Haha! He also concluded the email with "Feel free to blog that." You got it, kid.

Kevin Bacon Bits

I never liked playing tag in elementary school, because I am the opposite of a fast runner. I'd always get tagged first and then spend for-EV-er [/Squints] trying to get close enough to the other kids so I could end the misery and maybe catch my breath, if I was lucky to last that long. But blog tagging? Everyone wins! I believe what it says on the Alamodome--we are all winners! [/Miss Texas]

Elisabeth tagged me for the six random things meme, which I've always kinda wanted to do, so yay!

Post the rulez on your blog:

- Write six random things about yourself in a blog post

- Tag six however many people you want in your post

- Let each person know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

- Let the tagger know your entry is up.

(Intro: In a fit of brilliance and/or boredom, I decided to do this Six Degrees style, a la Ken Jennings.)

1. For all the post-strike episodes, Office Tally has arranged for fans to ask questions of the writers. Brent Forrester and Justin Spitzer wrote "Did I Stutter?" and actually answered my question! How cool is that? I have had semi-contact with the writers of The Office. I'll let you guys figure out which question was mine... Also, am I the only who thinks it's weird that Dwight keeps putting odd substances on Michael's head? Last week it was vaseline and the week before it was peanut butter. Oh, Dwight! You need to get back with Angela STAT.

2. In second grade, we had a writing prompt about what we would do if we opened a brand new jar of peanut butter and "HELP!" was scratched into the otherwise shiny top? My story involved using a recliner-turned-rocket to go into space to save the aliens. (The aliens were the ones in distress, natch.) To this day, every time I break out a new jar I wonder if this will be the time I find the call for help.

3. Help! is an incredible Beatles album, but it's not my favorite. That honor goes to the one and only Abbey Road. It's so tightly-crafted from start to finish, which is ironic given that the band was so not tight at that period. George Harrison is at his absolute peak and John and Paul aren't half-bad, either. Maybe someday I'll do a full review of what I love about it...there is so much I could write. From the opening shoop of "Come Together" to the bizarre and yet somehow apropos finish of "Her Majesty," Abbey Road will forever hold a place in my musical heart.

4. While other girls dreamed of being the long-lost daughters of Her Majesty the Queen, I dreamed of being the long-lost daughter of Tim and Jill Taylor. Yes, I wanted desparately to be the fourth child on Home Improvement. This show was my first taste into traditional sitcoms and it was the one show we would watch as a family on a weekly basis. Remember when the NASA astronauts visited and Gothic Mark and jokes about Al's mother? Amazing.

5. I had this astronaut uniform as a young'un that I'd decorate with badges from the Forest Service and my grandpa's old Army pins. I wanted so bad to go into space. That dream turned into deciding to be an aerospace engineer in high school and that dream turned into one day of engineering classes in college. Yeah, not for me. I liked the idea of it, but the thought of actually doing that for the rest of my freaking life had me a little keyed up and not in a good way. I dropped those classes like they were hotter than Ben Affleck in Armageddon and moved on.

6. I keep a keychain of Malibu Barbie on my keys. The reasoning behind this is tri-fold. 1) It's really easy to grab out of my purse. 2) It reminds me of my time at the toy store and also of high school, when a few friends called me "Barbie." Blond and skinny will get you that. 3) Depending on my mood, it signifies that a) I can be a strong, capable, multi-talented woman, because Barbie's an awesome girl power symbol or b) I don't want to be conformist (see: high school) and Barbie's the ideal symbol of people who need distraction from the pathetic emptiness of their meaningless, consumer-driven lives. [/Kat Stratford] Plus, she's also super cute and probably has a slew of hot boyfriends, named Brent or Justin.

Tag! The Roommate Edition: Marlayna, KK, and Elise! You're it!

And Brenda's probably dead!

This is one of my favorite movie scenes ever, no battle. Elizabeth Shue, I adore you!

Top Three: Weekend-y things

1. Friday night was one of those booooring nights. At least, it was until 9 o'clock, when I looked up times for Be Kind Rewind and five minutes later left the house to go see it. I went by myself and sat down in the back and had such a good time. The movie's about two kinda weird guys--one who runs the ghetto VHS rental store and the other who just hangs around when he's not living in the junkyard. At one point, the psycho neighbor played by Mia Farrow praises the sweded version of Driving Miss Daisy because "it's got heart." Be Kind Rewind at first seemed like an unlikely candidate for a movie with heart, but it's more sincere and sweet than any movie I've watched in a long time. Jerry's version of the Ghostbusters song had me laughing hysterically, as did many other moments. I would also make out with Jack Black in an instant--I can't explain why I like him, I just do.

2. Q and Edge tagged me for the book meme, so here goes!

The Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book.

2. Open to page 123.

3.Find the fifth sentence.

4.Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people and post a comment to the person who tagged you once you've posted your three sentences.

From French Women Don't Get Fat, by Mireille Guiliano: "Alternatively, before putting the vegetables through the food mill, reserve 2 cups and add them to the soup just before serving. The 'crunchy' vegetables will contrast with the velvety soup and will also force you to eat more slowly and thus satisfy you will less. This was the evening version; the smooth lunch variant was accompanied with Mother's yummy pancakes."

Clearly, it's from a recipe page. I'm actually not that far into it yet, but since it's non-fiction I felt okay about skipping ahead. So far all the book has accomplished is to make me crave French pastries more. I'm going to be a Bad Blogger and not tag anyone, just 'cause I don't really feel like it right now.

3. Speaking of pastries, I've been on a major cupcake blog kick right now. Heck, who isn't into the cupcake trend? I used the vanilla cupcake recipe from the Magnolia Bakery (made famous by SATC, immortalized by Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell). It's no wonder people shell out insane amounts of money for these, because they are t to the a to the s-t-e-y. (Okay, I KNOW that's not how tasty is spelled, but I can't pass up an opportunity to quote Fergalicious.) I've tried a few different recipes before (Martha Stewart's are too dense for me), but these were heaven. Buttery and moist and oh-so-scrumptious! I also cheated and used Betty Crocker chocolate frosting--next time I'll make the real stuff and actually decorate them.

How was *your* weekend? Also, what movie would you Swede if you could? I'd pick Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, because the show-down with Voldy at the end would be classic.

Top Three: Pieces I'm craving from Anthropologie

If I were a cartoon character, my day-to-day outfit would be dark jeans, a plum hoodie, and my camo Ked slip-ons. But for those "special occasion" episodes, I'd like to think that my outfit would look a little something like the following.

1. Splish-splash flats Every time I wear flats, I praise the starry heavens above that they're in style.

2. Chuparosa Dress I don't really know what a chuparosa is, but it sounds like something you'd buy for dessert at Taco Town. I'd pair the dress with a light, cottony cardigan from J.Crew.

3. Cute-as-a-button Clutch The detail on this is stunning. I mean, it has real buttons and leather buttons and also tiny leather leaves!

Bonus: Ribbit Necklace You can't tell in this picture, but there's a miniature golden frog on the pendant. I don't pull off chunky necklaces very well, which is why I love delicate accents on my jewelry.

Sorry for all the white space in the pictures; they're the best I could find. Also, if someone wants to magically give me the $842 dollars to buy everything in this post, that'd be great. Or it is my birthday a month from today. Just something to consider...