Tag Archives: liz

weekend adventuring

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Remember back in October when everyone said “We just need to get through October then we’ll be less busy”? I sure do, and now we’re nearly in April and still moving at a crazy pace.

This weekend I spent the better part of Saturday working on preparation for a photo shoot I’m working on with some friends. It involves black fondant, and as a result all my cuticles and most of my palms are dyed purple for the duration.

Here’s a sneak at our location…pretty awesome, if I do say so myself!

Saturday night I celebrated with the lovely people from The Katniss Chronicles to congratulate them on a job well done! Then, I headed out to celebrate the birth of a lovely Ms. Caitlin!

This is a picture of Caitlin and I and our European cohorts circa 2006. Which, in case you’re counting, was 6 years ago. I’m pretty sure most of us look exactly the same.

Also, I’d like to point out that I spent every waking moment on Saturday with Becca, from 9 am until 1 am. And it was so, so fun.

On Sunday, I got up to go hiking with Liz, only to find us covered in blankets of rain. After a quick trip to the observatory at Griffith, we had the following conversation:

“You want to go to the zoo?” – Liz

“I mean…we could. Let’s do it.” – me

“Ok.” parks car. turns car off. chats for five minutes.

“I’m having second thoughts on the zoo.” – Liz

“Ok, let’s not go.” – me

“Ok, Autry museum?” – Liz

“I’m in.” -me

And we proceeded to head to the Autry museum, directly across the way from the zoo.

This is me, at the museum, pretending to be in a Western prison. Please note the ridiculous outfit, due to the fact that I thought we were going hiking.

A picture of the evidence lockers from back in the Old West.

A sample of the badges from Sheriffs across the west.

After the museum, we were hungry, and cold, and wet from the pouring rain. So we headed to Alcove to get lunch, and of course, giant coffees.

Then Liz drove me home through this river that was Los Angeles, and I headed home to video chat with Corelyn for a few hours.

This weekend was so full, but this week brings more fondant design, cooking, eating, Jeff’s brother visiting, a photo shoot, and on Sunday, we’re headed to Long Beach to paddleboard. I can’t wait for the adventures this week that’ll propel me through this Monday!

What adventures did you have this weekend?

Everything’s waiting for you…

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Hello friends! I have been in and out over here at Providential Life, and have had some things in the works. I’m back now, and ready to tell all of you that I have gotten a new job! This is a bittersweet change, as I love my coworkers, and community I have built here, but ultimately it is a great change for me as I am going to work closer to home, and will be starting (hopefully) an adventure that’ll launch into a career!

This job was my first out of college, and the first thing I have ended that didn’t have a timeline. Being an adult, away from college (which you know will end) and retail jobs (which you hope will end) it feels overwhelming to make decisions for yourself, that affect everything from your doctor to where you get your morning coffee, to your yoga schedule (which I am working on.)

I am going to miss Liz, my soul sister. I am going to miss my bosses hilarious stories, both about work and family. I am going to miss my coworkers, working with children, and working in a community that is so friendly and welcoming. I am going to miss being called Ms. Palluzzi and miss plays, class events, and those delicious staff appreciate lunches.

I have learned so much from my job, and hope to just learn more as I embark on my new adventure. I am excited to lose 15 miles each way on my commute (that’s 30 miles a day, or my entire week’s commute as of July 12.) I am excited to have a fifteen minute drive, I am excited for working near friends (coffee breaks, here we come.) I am excited for new opportunities, new friendships, and a new environment to grow professionally and creatively.

Big things are happening here, friends. Here’s to new adventures near the summer solstice. Here we go.

shower the people.

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I’m feeling love, today, friends.

And so, I shower the people I love. with love.

Mary: Happy Birthday, lady! Happy 25. Happy done with 365. Happy new job where you get paid to do what you love. Happy summer. Happy memorial day. Happy I’m glad you’re alive and we’re friends.

Ellen: I am so proud of you in your new venture. You’re a champion of the world, and I know that getting the opportunity to get paid to write is the start of something big!

Katie: Happy belated b-day, lady. And happy back to the US, been to London, and holy crap! writing mag release is inching closer every second! I miss you every second of every day.

Nikki: Happy almost wedding. I promise to be more organized from here on out ;). Happy race weekend, and happy maybe running in clouds not pouring rain? You are awesome.

Marissa: I was thinking about you last night and sending you love vibes. It was when I was thinking to myself, “Man, I have such successful friends.”

Corelyn: I miss your face. But I have big things planned for GMS. Does that abbreviation work, by the way? I don’t know if it does. Anyways, I am excited. Hug Meg and Mary for me. Twice.

SS: I saw pregnant in heels the other day. It made me want to be rich and pregnant and live in New York. You could be my fabulous (although not uber gay) best friend and we could stroll around bossing people around looking hot. Thoughts? I miss your face and wish, poor and not pregnant, we could hang out more.

Megan, where have you been all my life? Let’s hang out soon. Rebecca, I loved seeing you two nights in a row. Let’s rinse and repeat soon. Melissa, good luck today. Jen, hope you’re feeling so excited as you leave SO SOON for such an adventure! Caitlin, thanks for bringing brie to book club. You rock my socks. Suzanne, welcome to book club and I hope we don’t scare you. Liz, thanks for always understanding that I need you to go with me on my errands because I need a second opinion, always. Courtney, Memorial Day plans worked to our favor, yesssss. Barbra, Fanboy Comics has been stellar lately. You are working so hard, and I hope we can have a girls night soon to celebrate. Traci, Marc Broussard. You, me. So excited. Jessica, can’t wait to see your new place! Cricket, I think you should reconsider joining book club, because we seem to talk about you every book club anyways. I’ll even consider reading another Nora Roberts. C’mon…. Ana, I am excited that you’re not going away this weekend because I’m selfish. There, I said it.

Shower your people with love, guys! Happy Thursday!!

Sunny Five Good Things.

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1. It’s nearly Friday.

2. Last night I biked 1.5 miles more than I had Monday night, up to 11 miles, in the same amount of time (thirty minutes.) (And I biked to the gym, which seems a little silly, but I did — so that’s another mile!)

3. Tomorrow is my coworker/friend Liz’s birthday. Which means we will be doing a little less work, and a little more play, and means there will be treats.

4. This weekend holds: shopping with Corelyn, reading the book club book, soccer, baking, cooking, sunshine, and love.

5. I got three pairs of new shoes for $11 (after trading in some other shoes.)  Two of those pairs are for weddings, and are fancy.

How are all of you, chicks? Staying busy, like me? Expect some epic posts this weekend about baking/cooking and maybe about life, too!

Amish Friendship Bread.

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I went on a cruise, and the day I got back, my friend Liz handed me this:

It was a bag of mushed brown substance. “It’s a starter for bread” she insisted. I was skeptical. A bag of mush? What a welcome home. She claimed to have gotten it from a friend, who got it from her brother, who received it from a neighbor. So, not only was it a bag of mush, it was an OLD bag of mush (as Jeff pointed out.)

So I brought it home. And stared at it a little. Jeff said, “What is THAT?” and I answered, “Starter.” And he stared back, like I had brought home an alien. Poor guy.

The weirdest part about this whole situation was that the bag came with instructions. Simple ones. That said, “Mush the bag, mush the bag.” Think I’m lying?

I am not. Mush the bag. That’s it. What kind of instructions are THAT?

So I mushed. And I added on the sixth day. And on the seventh day, there was no rest. There was more mushing. But, on the tenth day, there was fermented-smelling mush to then pour into a bowl.

So I did what it said. I added flour.

And I added sugar.

And it all began to sink.

And I got bags out, to pass the Amish Friendship Bread along to four more unsuspecting friends, who would be equally confused and slightly terrified when receiving a bag of mush. With directions.

Then I finished putting the bread together — cinnamon, mainly. And when it was done, I literally didn’t even have a chance to take  a picture before half of it was gone to Andrew and Corelyn (Andrew loves Amish Friendship bread, and had a hard time waiting the ten days.)

Mainly, I had a problem taking a picture because my kitchen looked like this:

Because being who I am, I decided that making muffins at the same time was a great idea. I am sure I have photos of the blueberry muffins somewhere, although Jeff gobbled those up pretty quickly, too, but I’ll see what I can do for you. The bread is slowly being chipped at, like good banana bread, and Corelyn and I have been saved a few breakfast disasters with it. Doesn’t taste fermented at all, but more like really good cinnamon bread. Mmm mmm just the way I like it.

Most of you know that if we lived closer, I would have given you a starter bag of Amish mush. But, since we live so far apart, I will leave you with this, so you can start your own chain.