Finally...A Real Valentines Day!

Well, it took me my lifetime to find somebody to treat me right on my birthday and Valentines Day, but it has happened :) My boyfriend totally spoiled me this past weekend.  It had to be tough since my birthday is the day before Valentines Day, but he gave me the best birthday weekend of my entire life.  We spent the weekend together, had dinner with a bunch of friends at Eatonville (delicious, BTW, especially the fried chicken, and they have Abita Purple Haze!), he took me for drinks and dancing, he arranged for a piece of cake to be delivered with a candle both at the group dinner and the dinner last night (my actual birthday), he took me out to dinner on my actual birthday and today for Valentines Day, gave me presents for both.  We went to The Guards in Georgetown for dinner yesterday, it was amazing.  I highly recommend this restaurant.  I swear, I don't think I can ever go back from this! I had the shrimp and tenderloin, my boyfriend had the crab cake sandwich.  They also brought me a piece of cake with a candle to celebrate my birthday.

We had gone to Target on Saturday before dinner at Eatonville and I had said that I needed a new dutch oven/stock pot, and pointed out one I planned on buying.  On Sunday, he had taken me to Wegmans (j'adore Wegmans, in case you couldn't tell, LOL) and I had mentioned that I really liked a turquoise/green/yellow kitchen linens set.  So when I opened my present last night, he had gone back and gotten me both things.  He had also gotten me tall black leather boots.  I told him a few weeks ago I needed new ones, and he remembered.  He even looked at other shoes I had to see what kind to buy! Good stuff here.  I also got my first real Valentines Day gift this year.  It meant so much to me that he made such an effort to give me a great birthday and Valentines Day.  Love it :)

Let's Talk About Books!

I love to read.  LOVE.  It's always been my favorite hobby.  Ever since I got my Kindle for Christmas my reading has been taken up a notch :)  I discovered a site called Pixel of Ink that posts links for free Kindle books several times a day, so I am accumulating books far faster than I can read them, hahaha.  You can also borrow books from the DC Public Library in Kindle format, which is great.

Because of this borrowing feature, I've read quite a few good books over the past month.  Catherine Coulter is an author I've discovered, she writes mysteries.  I've read "The Cove", which was great.  It had quite a few twists and turns that I totally wasn't expecting, which I like to see.  I'm reading "Tailspin" now, which I also borrowed in Kindle format from the DC library.  I heart libraries.  As fast as I read, before I had a Kindle, it was my godsend, since I'd be bankrupt if I had to buy a book every time I wanted something to read.

"Project Daddy" by Kate Perry was a book I got for free via the Pixel of Ink site.  It was a great, fast read.  I read it in a day :)  I'd put in the chick lit category, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another book I read on my Kindle was "Confessions of a Call Center Gal" by Lisa Lim.  I actually bought it on Amazon.  And wow.  It was HILARIOUS.  I guess I could really relate to the main character, since my first job was in a call center.  A totally different industry than the book's premise, but still.  Also, the main character loves to read.  It was one of the best books I've read in a long time, and I can definitely see myself reading it at least a second time.

I now just waiting for the latest books by Eric Jerome Dickey and Jen Lancaster to come out.  They are my two favorite authors, and for them, I splurge on the actual hardcover book the day it comes out!

FML. For Real.

So it's almost my birthday.  Yay! Normally I look forward to the actual day.  Not so much this time.  Why? Because I am spending the morning the getting a root canal.  Who's jealous????? Not me! Oh well.  I am celebrating with friends on Saturday night at a restaurant I've been wanting to try for a while, Eatonville.  And I going to my make my boyfriend (and anybody else who wants to come, LOL) go to Alero with me afterwards so I can have my favorite drink ever, the Mojito Gold.  SO. DELICIOUS.

In other health news, I more than likely have glaucoma in my right eye.  Yikes. It never stops.  I am falling apart :( But I don't like to dwell on things, so moving on.  I finally have my apartment decorated the way I envisioned it, so I am very happy about that.  All I need to do is get a few pictures reframed in darker wood so it matches my furniture.  I also really, really want to get the picture "Enchanting Keys" by Monica Stewart.  It would match my studio perfectly:

I guess I should just buy the print and have it framed at Michaels or AC Moore, since Art.com wants to charge $170 to frame it.  Yikes.

I have tried a few more scents by Front Porch Candle Co and Kim's Tarts, reviews coming soon.  I love both of those vendors, and they have such a huge range of scents.

Lastly, I made Not Really Ranch King Chicken, it's a recipe I got from the Cooking Light message board, but I tweaked it a little.  Most notably, the recipe calls for 10 tortillas. I bought a package of 8 whole wheat ones from Target, and only used 4, even 8 would have been way too much, in my opinion.  The end result was delicious.  See my picture below.

Not Really King Ranch Chicken

1 pound cooked chicken -- shredded or diced
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies -- plus extra if needed
1 10 3/4 oz can 99 percent fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 15 oz can black beans, drained

1 15 oz can whole kernel corn -- drained (I used frozen corn instead)

1/2 to 1 pkg chicken taco seasoning
(I added a cup of frozen green peas)
10 corn tortillas -- torn into 1 inch pieces (I used 4 whole wheat tortillas)
1/2 cup cheese -- grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine chicken, tomatoes, soup, beans, corn taco seasoning and tortillas in a deep casserole dish or 13x9 inch pan. Mixture should be thick but still soupy. If too thick, add more tomatoes or some picante sauce. Top with grated cheese.

Bake 45 to 60 minutes until hot and bubbly. Microwaving mixed canned goods until hot, then adding chicken, taco seasoning and tortillas before pouring into pan and topping with cheese will cut baking time in half.

Let's Talk about Tarts (Wax Tarts, That Is)

I love for my apartment to smell good.  I grew up with Yankee Candle, so that's usually what I use.  I have a few large jar candles, but I mostly use their tarts.  I have a tealight warmer in the living area of my studio, and an electric warmer in my kitchen.  It's a fast, easy, and cheap way to make your space smell fantastic, and it works a lot faster than an actual candle.  I've recently been trying to branch out of my YC comfort zone, and I've discovered quite a few great tart vendors.  YC will always be my first love, but it's always good to expand your horizons.

I tried Kim's Tart Candles about a year ago, and they're great.  I don't have any more (my stash ran out) but I am planning on placing a new order soon.  My job situation is a little uncertain at the moment (apparently the company I work for is having money problems, but that hasn't been confirmed), so I am waiting to clarify things.  I've also been job hunting, so hopefully something will come through soon.  Quite frankly I would be better off with new job, at least one with stability.  Once everything is straightened out, I'm going to splurge a tart gift to myself!  It's my birthday in two weeks so I deserve it :)

I have a photo box filled with my YC tart collection, and I have an overflow box with tarts I need to melt.  I also have a collection of Better Homes & Gardens wax cubes.  They are sold at WalMart, and are FANTASTIC.  You get 6 cubes for $2, and one or two cubes fills up my studio, and lasts for close to 10 hours.  So far, my favorites have been Orange Clove Pomander, Iced Cranberry, and Wild Berry Cheesecake.

Front Porch Candle Company is a great independent tart vendor.  I have been more than happy with every scent I've ordered, they're strong and last a long time, and shipping is free and fast.  My favorites so far have been Grapes & Huckleberries, Ecualyptus & Peppermint (GREAT for sinus headaches) and Fruit Loops.  I'm looking forward to trying Monkey Farts, Apple Cider Bread, and Saturday Farmers Market, so I'll report back.

I also really like Village Candle, especially their simmerblends, but they're not very readily available.  You can order them online, but no retailers in the DC area carry them.  I have a few left over from before I moved here, and I'm hoarding them.  My favorite is Key Lime Pie, it is amazing.  I have two left, so I am going to break down soon and melt it since I love the scent so much.  I might have break down soon and order some other simmerblends online, I just hate to pay the shipping.  Oh well.  A small price to pay for my happiness LOL.

Lastly, I tried a new tart vendor on EBay, called Ash's Country Tarts.  I wanted to love them, but honestly, they had hardly any scent.  I had to hover over my tart warmer (I ordered two, so I tried one in each type of warmer).  Maybe it was a fluke for the particular scent (Orange Cinnamon Spice), so perhaps I'll try another order to give them another chance.  Shipping was very fast.

If anybody out there has any other tart vendor suggestions, please let me know!

Libraries, Books, and More

Let's talk about books.  I love to read.  Love it.  It has always been one of my favorite things to do, even when I was a baby.  So when I received a Kindle from my sister and brother-in-law for Christmas, I was pretty psyched :)  I don't think that e-books will ever take the place of real, bound books, but it's nice to not have to always be lugging a bunch of heavy books around.  I've read 5 books on my Kindle so far, and it's really easy to find free books on Amazon!

I also love libraries.  When I was living in MA, the librarians knew me by name since I would use the inter-library loan system to request books that my particular library didn't have.  At first I was kind of embarassed, but then I embraced my inner geek and was happy my library knew me :)

Now I work right down the street from one of the DC libraries, and it was a lifesaver when I first moved here.  If you read my posts from back then, you may recall that my movers were the WORST EVER, and never showed up in MA to pick up my stuff and move it to Maryland.  So I was living in my apartment with two suitcases and an air mattress for a week, and did not have anything to read.  Anything.  As somebody who would usually rather read than watch TV, this was not acceptable.  I was able to get a library card on my second day of work, and was super excited to finally have books to read!

Anyhow, the DC public library system allows you to borrow books on your Kindle, which is fabulous.  Most of the books have a wait, so if you really want to read it, you'll have to just get the actual book.  I have found a few I don't mind waiting for, and it's very easy to check them out once they're available.

I finally have all of my books in my apartment, after having my mother ship several boxes, and shipping some to myself when I was home for various holidays, so my nerdiness is satisfied now.  Plus, now I have a Kindle! What could be better?  My first Kindle purchase (well, first non-free book, LOL) was Momfriends by Ariella Papa.  I haven't read it yet (I am saving it for a day when I can just read, and not be interrupted), but I am sure it will be great.  I have her three other books--On The Verge, Up and Out, and Bundle of Joy?, and I love them all, I've read them all multiple times.  Momfriends is only available in Kindle format, otherwise I would have bought the actual book.  Point being, I recommend her books.

I also bought 10 Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) in Kindle format, which was very entertaining.  Sarah Mlynowski's books are very entertaining, I actually already have Milkrun, which I have also read quite a few times.

All in all, I love books.  And I love reading :)  Feel free to give me some recommendations on new books!

Looking for a Pet Sitter in the DC Metro Area?

I recently joined www.Care.com and set up a profile to try and build a pet-sitting business.  If you are a pet owner in the Washington, DC metro area, check out my profile!  I am background-checked and can provide references.

Silver Spring Pet Sitters or Dog Walkers >

Happy New Year!

Well, 2011 has come to a close.  What a year it has been.  Who would have thought at this point last year I would have a new job in a new state, and have a serious boyfriend? Certainly not I :)

It's been a year with ups and downs, but the ups certainly outweigh the downs, and I'm not one to dwell on things.  I'm looking forward to seeing what 2012 brings me!  I have a few resolution-type ideas in my head, but I'm trying to put things down on paper, and be realistic about what I strive to do.  I am thisclose to having my apartment organized the way I want, and decorated the way I envisioned it, which has been an ongoing goal for me.  I will be pretty psyched once everything is all set.

That's all for now, I need to finish up a few things and get organized for the upcoming week.  2012, I salute you!