Big Girl

This post is a long time coming, but GUYS...Brian gave me a KitchenAid Stand Mixer for Christmas. And it's green. And it's pretty much the best thing ever. I've officially made it to the big leagues in kitchen gear - Mrs. Bronson calls this the "Big Girl Mixer." Sadly, 10 days after I got it, we both decided to go on a pretty hardcore diet so I'm unable to bake to quite the extreme I had envisioned when I saw the box on Christmas Eve. The closest it has come to making sweets was when I made meringue cookies in the picture above. I can't wait until my bikini-wearing days are behind me on March 9 to really put it to use!

Crafty

I love this idea. As someone who loves to craft (when time, budget, and - let's be real - space permit), Etsy's Special Delivery: Share Your Love 2011 is just the encouragement I need to bust out the construction paper, scissors and Elmer's glue. Sadly, the rules clearly state you cannot use glitter. Maybe I should host a pre-Valentine's Day party so I can practice my Cake Pop making, and we can all make cards for those less fortunate. ...kinda puts those dozen roses in perspective!

GChat

One of Whitney's friends recently posted a blog entry looking back at your very first gchat. As of 2:39 PM on January 6, 2011, I have exactly 8318 gchats logged in my account. The very first one was May 29, 2007, but is only one sentence long, saying "helllllllllllllo" to Connie. The first one of relevance was a month later on June 29. I gchatted with MOD who, at the time, was just finishing the traditional backpack-across-Europe post-grad trip. At the time we talked, she was in London with a boy from JMU who was her travel buddy. The trip didn't turn out as planned and she was ready to come home, asking who could pick her up from the airport since our gang was all headed to Mevans' beach house for the weekend.

At the end of the conversation, we talked about our new lives in DC after graduation and how "we will just have to find stable, normal boys in D.C." This was the perfect first conversation (ok, so technically second) because, fast forwarding to 2011, I'm living with Brian and MOD recently got engaged to her long-term boyfriend, Scott - both of whom we met in DC. Looks like everything's working out just as we planned!

Saw this at Monograms & Manicures and had to copy!

1. Keep in touch with friends and family more. This includes birthday cards, more phone calls, and now, ichatting! With one of my best friends expecting her first baby boy this spring, I must keep up with everything and everyone much more in 2011!

2. Learn more about wine and beer. This is a rollover from 2008 and is solved by making frequent trips to Lost Dog Cafe and gazing through their beer doors. I would also like to get to Screwtop Wine Bar this year, and maybe make RFD our pre-Caps-game spot.

3. Blog more. With a new computer, relatively new camera, and new apartment to spread out in, I need to get better about updating...not so much for everyone to read, but for me to look back on.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! Last night Brian and I hosted a few friends for a low-key New Year's Eve. After several years of spending too much money for too little fun we took matters into our own hands, making meatballs, pigs in blankets (WITH KETCHUP!) and other yummy treats. It was great to ring in 2011 with close friends, and even better being able to walk 10 steps to my bed!

Here we go, 2011.