Inspiration

I have a love-hate relationship with skirts, but I am in love with these.  The patterns, colors, and flowy nature of the fabrics makes these skirts, oh so fabulous! 

Photo Credit: My Amethyst

Parents in town

What a great weekend! My parents were visiting from out of town and it was sooo nice to be with them.  Of course it is always too short when they come, but as I see it, it's better than nothing!  My mother and I went to a great little coffee spot near my place and while I was waiting for her to bring the coffee's we had ordered, I had some guests.

 This little guy actually jumped on the table and tried to take a bite.  Unbelievable!

I took my mom to one of my favortie stores, TJMaxx Homegoods. 

I get into way too much trouble there. 

Waking up early

As part of my new years resolution I have been attempting to wake up earlier than usual everyday this week.  I have been somewhat successful (emphasis on the somewhat), waking up a whole 30min earlier than normal each day (trust me that is a big deal for me).  I have also tried to be in bed by 11:00pm so I fall asleep by 11:15 the latest, so I can wake up early (meaning 8am) but that hasn't worked out so well.  I lie in bed for at least an hour, counting imaginary cute sheep in my head trying so hard to fall asleep.  I've still been falling asleep at 1am, so although I am trying to wake up earlier, I think I need to figure out a better way to fall asleep.  So I tried sitting in bed by 11pm last night and surfing the internet until my eyes got tired.  That took about an hour,  so I fell asleep by 12:00pm and therefore waking up at 8:00am was difficult (it didn't happen).

Some of you may be shocked at how late I wake up! Yes I know most of the world is up at 7am, but you know what...GOOD FOR YOU!  I DON'T LIKE WAKING UP EARLY.  Why should I anyways, when I can come into work when I need to (of course I end up staying later, but whatever).  Psht!

Freaken story of my life!

How to remove wax...

I know I have always had a problem with this, especially when hot wax gets onto your favorite tablecloth or wood surface.  Here is a nice how to guide on how to remove wax from most surfaces.  I wish I had known about this before I scrubbed the life out of my cute red tablecloth and made it worse.  

What I find the most useful:
From Fabric:  Take a 2 step approach.  First, place the fabric in the freezer for 30 minutes.  Remove the fabric and scrape off the cold wax.  Next use a warm iron and paper bag to remove the wax stain (paper bag on the cloth and iron on the paper bag).  Lastly, apply a little laundry detergent to the stain and wash. 

Zucchini Bread

One of my favorite types of bread is zucchini bread and I have a fabulous recipe to share.  It tastes really good, and actually one of the very few things that I make that I actually like.  It is really easy to prepare and takes less than 20 minutes.   


Ingredients
1 1/2 cup white flour

(I've tried this recipe with 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white and it still tastes great!)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil)

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 beaten egg

1 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini

1/4 tsp of salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (if desired)

• Pre-heat your oven to 350F
• Grease your loaf pan and set aside (I use Pam, or occasionally a bit of butter)
• Mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda in a separate bowl.  
• Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.
• In another bowl, add the egg, sugar, zucchini and oil.
• Mix until moistened (don't over mix).
• Add all the wet mixture to the dry mixture.  
• Mix until moist (don't over mix), mixture will be lumpy.
• Fold in the nuts.
• Pour batter into your loaf pan
• Bake at 350F for 50-55 min, depending on your oven
• Cool before cutting!

Bon Appetit! :)

The 39 Steps

I'm the type of person that usually has to have things planned ahead of time and I'm not really one to do spur of the moment things.  But, at the last minute I was given 2 tickets ("invited dress rehearsal") to see a play by a very dear friend who wasn't going to be able to go.  It happened to be at 7:30pm that evening (yesterday).  I thought about it for a while and decided it wouldn't be bad idea to go (as I really couldn't think of anyone else to give the tickets to and we don't really do much during the school year).  So my dear husband agreed to come with me (I felt so bad for pulling him away from his work) and we planned to go.  We left late and we hit some traffic and ended up getting there about 15 minutes late (all the while my heart was just pounding until we got there as I was so excited to see it), but ended up not missing that much.

This play was very different from most plays I've been to.   At first it was hard to get accustomed to the way they were doing things, but it ended up being an amazing play.

The story line involves a man who is trying to help a German counterespionage agent who is murdered.  He is accused of her murder and goes on the run to both clear his name and stop the stealing of some top secret information.   The concept of the play requires a cast of 4 and due to this, each cast member plays multiple roles throughout the play and also multiple roles within the same scene, thereby making this a very comedic reenactment of a serious thriller story.

 Intermission 

I want to see it again!!! :)

Pomegranate

Yum...one of my favorite fruits.  I would eat pomegranate all the time if I could, if it wasn't so expensive and didn't take so long to prepare.

Two really fat pomegranates filled up a large bowl (you can't tell but it really is a large bowl).  20-25 minutes later and lots of spots all over my apron and counter, they were ready for devouring.  Try it with a pinch of salt...it makes it even more scrumptious!

So Frustrated

What a wasted day.  I went into lab this afternoon to set up an experiment for Monday.  I have been trying to be really efficient, in the hopes that I get some good results, as soon as I can.  I have been in this program for a year and a half now and I HAVE NOTHING to show for it.  No results, nothing, zero, nada.  I've been coming in on the weekends, repeating experiments over and over again in the hopes that maybe it's a small thing that I keep screwing up.  I've spent the holidays in lab, in the hopes that maybe by being efficient, something will work, but still nothing.  On Friday I was speaking with my PI about the drug stock that I have been using to treat my cells.  Thats one of the problems I'm having.  The drug doesn't do what its supposed to.  Tons of papers and even the other graduate students in the lab have used the drug and shown that it has an effect on the expression of cancer causing proteins, but NOT ME!  Can you imagine how frustrating that is.  Can you imagine how upsetting and angering it is that I can't get it to work.  I keep thinking I'm doing something wrong.  Maybe I'm really stupid.  Maybe i'm not cut out for this. Something that should be so simple should NOT TAKE THIS LONG.

Finally on Friday, my PI pointed out that it may be the drug stock I am using.  I assured him that it occurred to me and I made a fresh stock of the drug.  He said no, this stock may not be any good.  I was confused and asked him what he meant.  He said well, why are you using this brand and not another brand (known to work).  I said because this is what the other graduate student told me to use.  She said both forms work.  He said, try using a different brand.  I agreed, that that is probably best, quite annoyed that every time I mention this to the other graduate student she tells me the stock is fine.  What do I know,  I trusted her. She has been working in this lab for almost 7 years now.

I went into lab today to set up and experiment to treat my cells with the other brand of the drug and realized we HAVE NONE.  All of my setup was for nothing.  I couldn't find the drug stock anywhere.  Now I have to order it and its going to take a week to get here.  Meanwhile all my efforts in growing my cells was for nothing.  I wasted my whole day in lab today and I won't be able to reproduce this experiment till next week, which also means, I fall a week behind. Not only has this not work over the past year but tack on another week. Fabulous.  I just want to shoot myself.  I texted the senior grad student to ask her about the other stock and she kept telling me we have some somewhere.  She has told me this quite a few times, but finally today she says, oh we might not have any.  I got even angrier.  Why do you tell me that now???  She also told me that both forms work and I can't tell you how many times she has told me that the form won't matter, but ALL the papers I have looked at don't use the form I was working with and I can guarantee that this form DOES NOT WORK.  Why does she keep telling me it works?  I feel like I have just been wasting my days away on a project that could have worked had I had good direction.

If this other form doesn't work, God help me! If it does, I will be relieve, but I will aslo be REALLY MAD that it took over a year for me to get results and it was a simple switch of the brand of the drug.

Now, I just realized, as I'm writing this, that it's raining.

What a blessing, rain makes the miseries of life so much better.  Thank you God!

My Run In With Life

So this has been a very interesting and hectic week.  It was the first week of school and I was super excited about the class I am taking this quarter (Cancer Biology).  It is finally something relevant to my field of interest and I am hoping to learn as much as I can from it (since I really don't study anything on my own).  The first class was a basic intro into Cancer, stuff I had already learned in undergrad, but nonetheless great to hear again.  The second class was on the pathology of cancer and something I knew nothing about.  Being super excited for this class, I unusually leave the house late and get to campus 5 minutes before the start of class.  I am being cheap this quarter as well and decided not to buy a permit and instead opted to get a day permit for a few hours.  Little did I know, depending on what section of campus you are parking, the price per hour is more expensive.  So realizing that I would have to pay $8 for 2 hours, I decide to move my car at the last minute (already late so who cares) to a section that will only charge me $4 for 2 hours.  I luckily find a spot to park quickly, get the permit, run back to my car, put it on my dashboard and make a run for class in my not so great shoes (why do I do this to myself). 

I make it to class about 10 minutes late.  I come to open the class door and it is locked.  You have got to be kidding m!.  I think to myself, idiot, you were so late that they moved the class.  Luckily someone hears my tapping and opens the door.  I walk into class and stand at the door for 30 seconds, looking around myself in comeplete confusion, as I can't recognize anyone in the class.  I didn't recognize the professor either, as this class has rotating instructors.  A new one everyday or every week.  So finally it occurs to me to just sit, but I keep pausing.  Eventually I turn to the guy nearest the door and ask him if this is indeed Cancer Bio and he looks at me, like the idiot that I am, and says YES, it is!.  So I sit down and try to get myself together, pull out my notebook and pencil and start to listen to the lecture when all of a sudden my nose starts to run.  Thankfully I had a tissue, so I bend down to get and it and all of a sudden (thankfully in time) realize my nose is bleeding.  Completely mortified, I grab the tissue and quickly run out of class and to the bathroom (which of course took me a while to find).  So grabbing all the tissue I could, I could not get my nose to stop bleeding.  I did also the fancy bending and pinching I could think of but nothing. 

For what seemed like eternity (probably really only 10-15 min) my nose kept bleeding.  All the while I am thinking, why now.  Why when I actaully have a class that I care about does this happen.  It's not that hot outside, I don't have a cold and I definitely am not looking for an excuse to skip class.  Eventually I realize the angrier I get the longer it;s going to take for this blasted nose to stop.  Eventually it seems to start clotting up, and I get back to class, with a wad of napkins in one hand.  I am so unfocused over all this it really takes me a while to get myself together again.  The class goes on and I learn quite a lot, but all the while feeling so embarrassed that this new lecturer thinks I am a disrespectful student who probably could care less about where I am and who he is (Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine).  Little did he know I was just having one of those days.  So class finishes and I walk back to my car to realize that in the rush of things, not only did I not lock my car, but I hadn't actually gotten a parking pass for 2 hours, but for 1 hour instead.  By Gods mercy I did not get a ticket.  If I had, I can't even tell you what I would do.

Moral of the story, get your lazy @#$% out of the house earlier next time and always have a tissue on hand!     

Happy Weekend

Friday has finally decided to grace us with its presence.  I know I won't have a very relaxing weekend as I most likely will be in lab working, but I hope the rest of you have a good one.

I'll leave you with this: Where was this photo taken? Any guesses?

Crochet Floor Cushions

I'm always on the lookout for comfortable and elegant looking cushions (for when we sit out on our balcony), and these cushions are tres unique and tres chic.  I love the knit look and totally in love with the colors.

Photo: A. Brusaferri

What about a cover for a basket stool?  So cute...

Morse Code Jewelry

What a great way to make a statement without others knowing.  Wear jewelry designed and personalized by COATT with words, phrases, or even names in morse code.  What a great gift idea for friends or loved ones, or a great way to spoil yourself :) teehee!

KISS ME

AMORE

LUCKY

Random Tidbit For The Day

Today is the birthday of Nicolas Steno.  A 17th century Danish scientist and Catholic bishop who is considered to be the father of stratigraphy and modern geology. He is also credited with discovering the parotid salivary gland, also known as Stenon's Duct (did you know that??). Google has honored him today with a Google Doodle. It would be his 374th birthday.  How cool is that.

Pillow Talk

Back in the day when my husband and I were doing the long distant relationship thing, this would have been a great thing to have.  There is a company (Little Riot) that is working on creating a way for long distant lovers to connect.  I think if they ever get their first prototype out, it will be great.  BUT, i'm just not sure about hugging something with sensors.  The scientist in me is a bit skeptical.  How will they prevent the lights from generating heat? How do they make the pillow soft enough to sleep on with all the necessary parts in it? I'm sure if it needs to be connected wirelessly to some box that receives a signal, it will be giving off radiation.  I get enough radiation from my cell phone, thanks.  Don't need to hug a life size version.  If they ever develop this, free of any health hazards, I think it will really take off.  

The 15 Friends Project

This is something that I came across on the blog by Twig Creative and wanted to share.  It is called the "15 Friends Project".  It is an effort by 15 distinct bloggers from all over the country to produce a piece of art that can be later auctioned off for a good cause. What I found the most fascinating about this project was the creativity that stemmed from the bloggers imaginations.  The 15, very different bloggers produced a piece of art that seemingly flows as if produced by one.  They started out with 2 clean canvases and each blogger received their canvas, added their touch, and shipped it on to the next person.  The canvases are still traveling, with 2  bloggers left to work on each.  I'm excited to see the outcome.

CANVAS 1:

CANVAS 2:

With Good Company

One of my best friends was visiting from out of town Sunday, and I decided to take her to, what I thought would have been, a "good" breakfast spot.  I was quite disappointed in the food, the prices, and the serving size, but nonetheless, I was in good company and it was great :) I ate my food really slow to not get too frustrated with the small portion for the price I paid. Of course, I had to get some tea.  I loved their little hot water pot :)

Haute Cakes Cafe 

By the way, they ONLY gave me 4 pieces of fruit.  Very generous of them.

I got a great little sweater from Anthropologie for $20 (original $158). 

Steal deal? I think so...

Interesting looking flowers and beautiful colors.  They looked like cabbage, maybe they were.

Things That Make No Sense

There are quite a few things that really get to me when I am out shopping.  Shopping has become quite taxing over the past few years with the loss of high quality, chic and affordable clothing.  Most of the time, I just peruse the aisles and end up so frustrated with the prices, quality of the fabrics and cuts that I charge out of the store, vowing to never shop again.  I don't want to dress like a 16 year old with holes in my clothes or jeans so tight, I can't breath.  Why can't there be something that is both chic, classy and yet reasonable (on a students budget), and well, that possibly fits with my personal style.

What is this? Why can't they just hem the skirt.  How tacky!

Why would you wear something with ants all over it? This dress was $100 by the way.

Torn Jeans?? Why would you pay money to wear something torn?  

I am not old fashioned, this trend just needs to stop.  It is not chic.

On another note, what is going on with people and bringing their dogs into stores.  Animals should not be allowed in the store, PERIOD.  Not just for cleanliness reasons, but some people have allergies and dog hair gets all over everywhere. God forbid you have severe allergies and you bring something home with dog hair all over it.  Be respectful of others and leave your furry friends at home. 

At the Anthropologie store:

Really, again? This dog kept dragging his behind all over the floor...I could no get out of there faster.  

At the Apple store:

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE animals (more of a cat person myself), but nonetheless, I love all furry animals, but there place is not in stores, especially not clothing or grocery stores.  There needs to be a law passed for this...

Tea For My Soul

Tea, Chai, Le Thé, چای...however you pronounce it, it is one amazing drink.

I drink tea in the morning to give me that needed boost to wake me up.  It is the first thing I do, even before both my eyes are open.  I drag my sleepy one eyed self to the hot water kettle and turn it on and then go on with my morning routine. I drink tea during the day when I can't think of anything to do, when I need to de-stress, when the weather is cold, hot, rainy, or bright and I even drink it before I go to bed to help me sleep.  It is my go to drink, reviving me and calming me, bringing a smile to my soul.

If I actually drank as much water as I do tea, I would probably have flawless health... 

Here is my life line:

I am on the search for super cute and unique teacups.  I have yet to find any, but am totally in love with these:

Sigh...

Photo Credit: Hijabs & Co.

As my dad says, "Tea me, please".