Milwaukee Madness

Oh yeahhhhh.

This happened.

I have arrived! Mecca.

I got to see my sista from anotha mista, Jana G! Easily the best part of my trip.

Pregaming with my girl Amanda. Cold shmold! We’re WI chicks!

Another year, another opening day with this guy Tradition at it’s finest (and funnest)!

Honey I shrunk the Brewer fans?

Nothing I’d rather do more…

And they’re off! The cherizo took home the win just in case you were wondering. Don’t worry guys; you don’t think I’d leave you in suspense, now did you?

Speaking of taking home the win, the Brewers beat the Rockies in a walk-off draw in the tenth inning! Go crew!!
There may or may not have been some high-fiving, fist-pumping and screams of excitement from these two gals

And of course a trip to Milwaukee wouldn’t be complete without a trip (or three) to Culver’s.

Nomonomnomnom.

Get in mah belly.

“Is this heaven? No, it’s Culver’s.”

It was real. It was great. It was really great.

Until May, my sweet, sweet Milwaukee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Fav’s

Hey friends!

It’s Friday.

And boy am I glad. I’ve been suffering from a serious case of next-dayitis; my Monday was my Tuesday, my Tuesday was my Wednesday, etc.

One more reason why I am super excited that it’s Friday?

There is only one more Friday that stands between me and Opening day of the Milwaukee Brewers!!!! I may or may not have already started packing. Speaking of packing, I’ve noticed that most of my luggage consists of winter coats, long underwear, Brewer hats, mittens, scarves and boots. Judging from the lovely Wisconsin spring weather that they have been having up there, this game is going to be a bit chilly, feeling more a Packer game than a baseball game.

But that’s okay.

Even more reason so drink beer and eat lots of hot dogs/nachos/giant pretzels to stay warm, right?

But between now and then, there stands this amazing weekend I’ve got planned. Tomorrow I’m having a gals’ day with my girl Eric, shopping till we drop and then on Sunday, I’ve got a long day of playing DVR/Nook catch-up. It’s supposed to be rainy and icky out both days and I can’t think of anything better than cuddling up with a good book, an episode of The Office (can you believe its that last season?!), and my pup to keep me company (and by keep my company, I mean sitting on my lap on the ready just in case a piece of my cookie or sandwich happens to fall within his drooling grasp–gotta love him).

The. Best.

I hope you’ve got some fun activities on the horizon too, and in the meantime, please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web and beyond in this week’s Friday Favorites. Have a great weekend!

Favorite sweet: Chocolate-covered Pretzels. Cookies. Chocolate-covered pretzels IN cookies. Yes! Yes! My goodness yes!

Favorite furball. I’ve looked at this photo at least 100 times this week, and it cracks me up every single time. I love how he (or she) is staring at a spot on the wall, concentrating SO HARD on getting that little tongue to curl. Precious!

Favorite devour: Italian Drunken Noodles. The only thing I like better than this blog post (it’s a great read) is the recipe for Italian Drunken Noodles within it. Total comfort food – I am so down!

Favorite artsy-fartsy: Come with a story and leave with another. This artist creates artwork that have your favorite storybook characters hidden within storybook characters! How neat! Any guesses as to which story/character this guy comes from?

Favorite funky find: This is such a cool idea: a bean bag for your book. I must admit I sometimes have the darndest time finding the right position to comfortably read a book, and this seems like a pretty amazing way to solve that.

Favorite thrill: The First Flyer – Grindelwald, Switzerland. I have always wanted to go ziplining through a jungle, but I think speeding down a mountain on a 2,400 foot cable, reaching speeds of 55mph just about sounds like the most fun thing ever. Look at those views!

Favorite yum: Krispie Treat Pinwheels. Snap, crackle, pop into my mouth! How cute (and easy to do)! With Easter just around the corner, these tasty little guys are sure to be a big hit!

Favorite Life Lesson: My friend Chris posted this on Facebook the other day and it really resonated with me. “There are two types of people in this world: those who are inspired, and those that inspire.” Which one are you?

Favorite fashion find: Need I say more?

Favorite project: Travel Keepsake Kits. I always have the best intentions of making photo books when I come back from fun trips but it rarely ever happens. A fun keepsake kit to hold maps, ticket stubs, and other fun mementos is an awesome alternative!

Favorite funny: And that, my friends is how baby carrots are made. Cannot. Stop. Giggling. And yes, I have the maturity level of a five year old.

Be sure to check out my past Friday Fav’s here

 

The Brewers Got SOLE

Hey guys!

So.

There are officially only 13 more days until the Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day!!!!!

13!!!!!!

Holy hot dogs topped with sauerkraut and mustard, Batman!

I am too excited for words!!!!

Because I am all things Brewer, and all things crafty, and all things nerdy….

I decided to get a little artsy-fartsy and make up some super cool Brewer shoes for the big day (and, well, for any little ‘ol occasion. I wore them to work today and everyone LOVED them! They may have not know what the heck was on them, but they LOVED them nonetheless).

I really have to say guys, I think I may have found my true calling: shoe painter.

Is that even a thing?

It was so easy, so cheap and SO much fun! I would definitely recommend trying this sometime.

And the best part is, you can design it to accommodate a whole barrel of ideas: your favorite quotes, books, food or song lyrics.

Anything!

I already have, like, 20 more ideas for twenty more pairs that I want to get started on.

For a brief tutorial, check out my YouTube video I created.

Please feel free to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Martha Stewart I am not.

Have fun guys and be sure to send my pictures of your designs!

 

Currently

I’m currently…

Reading…this book by John Green. Y’all, this one is doing a number on my heart. The Fault in Our Stars is brilliant, and made me cry over and over again, not just because it was sad, but also because it was joyful, funny, uplifting, metaphorical and just so… real.

Looking for…a bandaid. I think it would hurt less to cut off my whole arm than to get a paper cut on the tippy top of my little pinky finger. OUCH!

Listening to…this song by Fall Out Boy. This rock band from Chicago was the bane of my college experience; I wasn’t so much a fan back then but am really liking their new stuff! Check out this song and tell me that you don’t want to get up and dance. It’s nearly impossible.

Laughing…at my dog who seems to have gotten peanut butter on the tip of his nose and can’t for the life of his sweet, sweet self get it off. Poor guy; I feel his pain. It’s just like how I feel when I get a piece of popcorn stuck in my teeth and am floss-less. No matter how hard I try to tongue it out, that darn kernel is steadfast, resilient in remaining lodged in between my bicuspids.

Eating…the most delicious peanut butter, banana and granola sandwich (Okay. I may have been the cause of said dog’s current peanut butter battle). Sweet, salty, crunchy and just plain goooooood, this is a definite new lunch fav of mine

Excited about…my upcoming trip to Milwaukee for the Brewer’s opening day. Like, REALLY excited! Great friends, great team, great food, great times! Yeahhhh buddy! Not that I’m counting the days or anything

Hope you guys are having a great Tuesday!

Question of the day: What are some of your “currents”?

 

 

 

 

 

ALIENS HAVE TAKEN OVER!!!

If by aliens you mean grad school.

And if by take over you mean consume every waking breath, thought, movement and/or action of my life…

then yes.

Aliens have taken over!

Your brain. Your brain in grad school. ‘Nuff said.

I am so sorry guys for my absence as of late. I am currently in my second semester of graduate school, taking my last two core (aka tougher than dirt) classes for my Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science. I am LOVING every second of it, don’t get me wrong, but it is a lot of work.

Like, a lot, a lot. But that kind of comes with the territory. The good news is that after this semester is done, my last year (or so) should be smooth sailing. I’ll have the required classes done which opens up the opportunity for me to take course that really interest me. And we all know that learning about anything that we are passionate about makes school oh so much fun and an heck of a lot more easier.

I also have some “holy cowabunga!” good news to share with you all…

Bernie Brewer and I have become quite the BFF’s.

I landed an internship this summer working with the Children’s and Youth Services Department at the Milwaukee Public Library!!!! I get to spend all summer learning and working with some of the best peeps in the world, sharing my love of all things reading with kiddos all day, every day. Well, not all day…I fully intend on hitting up every possible Milwaukee Brewers game that I can (speaking of the Brew Crew, only 40 more days until I will be sitting at Miller Park cheering on my team opening day!!!! WHAT?!) , spending as much time as I can with my friends and fam whom I haven’t seen in forever and a day, exploring the greatest city in the world (Milwaukee, baby!) and having a blast.

One word that can describe what this summer will be?

Epic!

I hate to wrap this up so early, but this lovely research paper is not going to write itself and as much as I would like, I don’t think my pup Thunder is up for the task either. He can sneak a sandwich off my plate when I’m not looking and has an uncanny ability to pee while walking, yet he hasn’t learned the ways of the laptop yet.

Weird, right?

I promise I will be bahhcckk (Terminator style) very soonly! I’ve got so much to catch you guys up on!!

I hope you all are doing splendidly splendid!

And if you do happen to see actual aliens, let me know!! I’ve always wanted to know how they keep their skin so blemish-free

Question of the day: HOW ARE YOU?? Please fill me in on all of your life happenings!! I have to live vicariously through your fun and excitement

These are my confessions

1. Confession: “I’ll have a Brew Christmas without you…” (I think Elvis sang about that once). Apparently, my friends and family know the way to my heart. I am happily all set for baseball season, which, BTW’s is only 94 days away. I. Am. Obsessed.

2. Confession: I may or may not have had one (or five) of these beautiful babies for breakfast. And brunch. And Lunch. Cookies monster, you’ve got nothin’ on this girl. P.S. Check out the Wisconsin-themed treats; they were almost too cute to eat. Almost Thank you so much to my bestest bud Mary for the awesome WI cookie-cutter.

3. Confession: I think I am the only person who actually cried (CRIED) at the movie Ted, one of the funniest and most ridiculous movies ever. Yes, I got all teary-eyed at a teddy bear. A TEDDY BEAR! I am that girl. Oy.

4. Confession: It’s completely normal that I am starting to go through grad school withdrawals only five days into my winter break, right?

5. Confession: The other day I ran out of laundry detergent. So I used shampoo. My clothes have never been so full of body and shine

6. Confession: I JUST got used to writing 2012 on all of my checks. It’s going to be 2013 in four days. I am in trouble.

7. Confession: The last two nights I have been in bed by 10pm. I have either been really, really exhausted or have officially turned into an old lady. Or both.

8. Confession: I was on B&N.com for three hours last night drooling looking at books that I could get on my Nook with the spiffy gift cards I received for Christmas. The result? A list of over 160 books I want/need to read. I may need more gift cards.

9. Confession: Eggnog on your Rice Krispies INSTEAD of milk?! Why didn’t I think of that before?!

I hope you all had an absotively positutely fantabulous Christmas friends!

Question of the day:

How was your holidays?

Confessions of your own you’d like to share with the class?

Mayan’s Shmyans

Hey guys!

Happy Sunday Funday to you all! I hope you had an absolutely fantabulous weekend…

…as it is the last weekend you, me and the rest of the world will ever, ever have.

That is of course if you believe what the Mayan’s predicted over 5,000 years ago.

So what is all the hubub all about? According to “experts”, the people of this ancient civilization were very smart–they had knowledge and wisdom beyond their time. The Mayan calendar is actually based on advanced astronomical knowledge – the ancient Mayans studied the stars and were extremely proficient mathematicians. They constructed the calendar based off of this knowledge; it was made up of 394 year periods with a total of 13 cycles included. The significance of December 21^st, 2012 is that it marks the end of the thirteenth cycle, or, as some believe, the end of the world. How this “end” will occur they did not know for certain, but many believe that it would involve asteroids, crazy weather/climate changes and of course Hostess filling for bankruptcy, leading them to sell off all their assets including my beloved Twinkie, which was said to survive a nuclear holocaust (and confirmed by an early Y2K Family Guy episode).

Wait.

Hostess DID file for bankruptcy.

So, Twinkies, which were supposed to survive a nuclear holocaust, die 3 weeks before the end of the world?! Well played, Mayans. Well played.

I don’t believe a wink of this silly prediction. In fact, news reports claimed today that archeologists have found a new Mayan calendar that refute the world’s end in 5 days, saying now that the world will actually exist for 7,000 more years. You what that means, don’t you? Cubs fans will now be witness to 7,104 years without a World Series win.

No, I don’t believe the world will end on December 21st (how can it?! I haven’t yet invented a cure for folding fitted sheets and Zoolander 2 hasn’t come out yet) but it did get me to think a little bit…

How would I want to spend the last five days of my existence? Would I do anything differently?

Well, hypothetically speaking of course, there are maybe a few things that I would like to do.

For example, I would eat ice cream for breakfast (and lunch and maybe dinner); sprinkles, whipped cream, hot fudge, cookie dough and a cherry on top…the whole nine yards. Trying to knock off a whole bucket list in a mere 5 days would be a bit difficult to do, but you can bet your Christmas tree that  I would do everything I could to do so: skydive, visit Italy, throw out the first pitch at a Brewer’s game, learn how to finally do the Gangnam Style dance (the words included), publish my book, kiss on the Eiffel Tower and be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune (to name a few). Easy, right? I would also spend every moment I could with my closest friends, family, and dog. I would quit my job, sell the belongings and material things I don’t need and give the money to people who are not as fortunate as me, re-re-re-re-reread my favorite book (s), and finally tell that one special guy how I feel about him.

Wow.

There are really a lot of things that I want to do, so much of my life that I haven’t yet lived. You know what, just because the Mayans may have goofed on their prediction of the end of the world doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t try to do these things anyway, right? As the horrible events of last week in Connecticut have shown, there is only one person, the big guy upstairs (no, not Santa, the other big guy) who knows what tomorrow will bring. Why should we hold on to these dreams, these goals, experiences and bucket list items? Why not, and go with me on this, why not start right now truly living our everydays and nights as if the world were to really end? Make the most of what we have, when we have it.

If that means quitting your job to do something you love instead, extending a helping hand to someone who needs it, spending more time with your family and friends and eating ice cream for breakfast? Well, I say GO FOR IT!

Woofta! Good thing the world isn’t ending, huh?

Have a great rest of your night everybody!

Start living. Don’t wait. Do it now!

Question of the day:

What do you think of the Mayan’s prediction?

What would you do if the world really were to end in five days?

Honored

Hey dudes and dudets!

Happy hump day! How are y’all doing? Are you hanging in there?

I’ve got some great news! Besides having there be only two days left until the weekend is happily upon us (whoohoo!) AND that by this time next week, I will officially be a working gal again (thank golly) AND that Sonic has half price shakes every night after 8 starting tonight (I am SO there…a cookies and cream monstrosity of deliciousness is calling my name)…

I found out yesterday that This, That and the Other Thang was nominated by my dear friend and overall amazing gal Annie over at What’s Annie Making (be sure to check her out!) for the Versatile Blogger Award!

I am so very honored and grateful for Annie, as well as all of you out there who continually give me inspiration and reason to keep writing. It was a little over a year ago that This, That and the Other Thang was started. I have always loved to write and found this little blog that could was not only a great way to exercise that creative muscle ‘o mine, but it was also a way to reach out and connect with you, the readers, as well as the rest of the blogging community.  I am so very excited and truly over the moon that you all have enjoyed this journey of my somewhat crazy, silly and laughable life shenanagins and I can’t wait to see where the next year goes! Life is most definitley a rollercoaster and I am so glad that I have such an amazing group of people to ride along with with me!

As part of this nomination, I get to pass the Versatile Blogger Award on, paying it forward if you will (by the way…great movie!), to 15 of my fellow bloggers who I have recently discovered or that I have been following regularily. One of the reasons why I decided to start my own blog was largely in part to following a good deal of these fabulous bloggers and I am excited to share them with you! Here are 15 blogs that I love (and that you are sure to love too!).

1. Carrots and Cake- Tina’s blog is chock-full of really yummy recipes, exercise and wellness tiptios, her adorable pug Murphy and of course lots of of fun!

2. Peanut Butter Fingers-Julie’s blog was actually the very first blog that I have ever read and gave me the writing itch to start one of my very own. She is a lover of all things peanut butter and books (a kindred spirit of mine) is is always sharing great food, fitness and fashion advice.

3. The Hungry Runner Girl-Janae is seriously the cutest gal I have met! I say ‘met’ because it feels like we are BFF’s. She loves to write about her marathon running experiences, her love of family and friends and of course…FOOD! I am so glad that my string cheese addiction is shared by someone else besides me.

4. Eating Bender- Jenn is a writer from Chicago who is amazeballs. She loves sharing her healthy lifestyle, traveling, writing and family experiences while at the same time, serving up a whole lot of fun.

5. My Food N’ Fitness Diaries- Ashley is oh so cute! Her blog shares her life’s adventures as she tries to lead a balanced lifestyle that includes delicious healthy recipes and fun workouts (with a few treats thrown in there too)!

6. What’s Annie Making- Annie is pretty much the bees knees! Not only is she the sweetest, but her blog is always full of fun stories and even sweeter and more delicious treats and recipe ideas. You can’t help but smile when reading her blog!

7.  The Awkward List- You know those times in life, those little things that are so awkward, so bathos that you just have to say…”Oh my stars”B? This blog is composed of all of those times in life, those little things. Be ready to laugh your booty off.

8. This is the Food Life- My good friend Mal is pretty darn awesome! Her blog is super fun, full of crazy life happenings, food, family, and her pup Riley and will have you smiling from ear to ear.

9. Iowa Girl Eats- Kristin is so full of spunk and has some amazing and yummy recipe ideas.

10. Peanut Butter and Jenny- Jenny is so very kind and honest and I love her views on living the best life that you can. Both her and I struggled at one point in our lives with eating issues and I am so inspired by her strength and zeal for being healthy and happy. Something we all can relate to. Plus her photography skills are dope, yo!

11.Eat, Live, Run- Jenna’s blog is also one of the first that I stumbled upon many a year ago and fell in love upon first glance. I love her fun personality and great food and fashion ideas. Plus she has mad photography skillz, yo!

12. Reasons Why I’m Still Single- You ever have those moments where it dawns on you just how single you are? This is a page devoted to all of those hilariously tragic reminders. LOL! Too funny for words. And sad because I can relate to many of these…

13. The Problem With Young People Today is- It’s like talking to my great grandma over graham crackers and milk all over again. Super hilarious and pretty much right on the money.

14.The Blog of Unnecessary Quotes- The grammar nerd in me LOVES this blog! And it’s pretty darn funny to boot.

15. A Whole Lot of Nothing- Angie is not afraid to be her funny and crazy and all-around goofy self…and I love her for it!

There you have it folks, 15 of my favorite blogs/bloggers. Be sure to check them out and leave them a little love.

The second part of receiving this award entails me to share 7 things about yours truly.

1. I could LIVE on cereal and cereal alone. My favorite go-to? I love a little  a lot of Tony the Tiger action!

2. I am left handed (shout out to all my fellow lefties out there!) but I am also ambidextrious and use my right hand over it’s counterpart for some things. For example: I write left, golf left and eat left. I throw right and use a toothbrush/hair brush/can opener right. And when it comes to batting, I am both baby. Weird huh?

3. I have a birthmark on my left arm and when I was little, everyone at school used to think it was chocolate.

4. One of my wishes: To throw out a first pitch at a Brewers game. Hey, if Miss America can do it, so can I.

5. I can recite and playout every Seinfeld episode ever, word for word. I’ve even got Elaine’s dance down pat. Probably THE greatest shows of all time.

6. I’ve never been out of the country but my number one bucket list item is to go to Italy.

7. I am getting my Master’s in Library Science. Yup. That’s right. I want to be a librarian. I’ve always been the biggest bookworm ever and can’t imagine a better and more amazing job that this, spending my everydays and nights surrounded by books upon books. Plus, I’ve already got the sexy glasses

Have a great rest of your night guys and thank you again!

 

 

This…

…is what I have been up to the past few days.

Friends. Family. Fun.

Yup. This gal is pretty darn lucky!

Hope you all had an amazing Easter weekend!!!

Leaving…

…on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again

Good morning everybody! Gosh this is the earliest I have been up in ages! And for good reason!

Today is the say that I have been waiting for, been counting down to, been itching to ‘just come already!’ for an uber super long time…I am flying up to Milwaukee to spend an amazing couple of days with one of my bestest friends, make mad decisions (in when I say bad decisions, I most likey mean staying up all night and eating way too much sugar. I like to live on the edge), and of course, THE one and only MILWAUKEE BREWERS OPENING DAY at THE MILLER PARK!!!!!!

Golly I cannot wait!

Since I won’t be able to chitchat until Sunday (where you can totes expect a full recap of this weekends’ events), I wanted to wish you all a great next couple of days.

Take in a baseball game.

Go for a walk with a buddy.

Make (and eat) some of these.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chick-and-egg-cupcake-recipe/index.html

And have fun!

Catch you on the flip side