OMG, NEW YORK!

September 6 - September 10

2013

I arrived at JFK airport with a giddy git-up in my step.  When I turned on my phone I was delighted to learn that I wouldn't have to take a cab to Rachel's house.  I think her supervisors name was Isaac, so we'll call him that.  Isaac then drove us far and narrow (because with so many cars in one place it's no where near wide) to a yummy little taco-hole-in-the-wall-with-a-car-in-it called Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos.  Isaac stole my tacos, but it was okay because his choices were delicious!  After lunch, Rachel still needed to finish out her last day of work so they took me to her house where I watch a movie I had never hear of.  Heath Ledger was the star, so the title escapes me.  When she returned we hit up the metro and made our way to the MoMA.  There we later met up with Perry.  Pizza was on our minds!  Somewhere in the midst of all that I met Josh+Cali, now the proud renters of a Brooklyn apartment (at least I hope they ended up getting it!) previously residing somewhere in California.  

Saturday Perry had to work.  To celebrate a Perry-Free day...JUST KIDDING...carry on.  Today was the day that Rachel wanted me to show me the Farmers Market.  Rachel had a run-in with the Coffee Police, which is just her craving for coffee and she has standards people!  After we chowed down a muffin from the market we headed to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  It was so lovely I wanted to stay there forever and a day.  I just love flowers so it was definitely one of my most enjoyed experiences.  For lunch we enjoyed frozen Mojitos and Chips with salsa from La Habana.  I was then drunk walking through the flea market a ways away from the restaurant.  Oh well!  I made it.  That evening we had an amazing oriental feast with Josh+Cali, Rachel+Perry, Hutton+HisGirl.  I think you get the point...I was the 7th-wheel.  No bigz.  We may have watch New Girl this evening...or something about being stuck in a mirror.  Live in my shoes. << Click there yo.

Sunday morning Perry+Rachel, and myself went to a yummy little place for breakfast called Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop.  I stuffed my face and smiled at the older gent behind the counter probably fishing for small talk.  After yums we walked around the town passing through a park with dogs! and humongous "yarn"sculptures!  They were so lovely, I wanted to kick back and relax on them but they were roped off.  Proceeding with our journey we ended up down by the Brooklyn Bridge Park where we people-watched and later it became more extreme when we watched people doing mass yoga.  I don't even know what to call that:  People+Massyoga-Watching.  ***One of these days we went to the Guggenheim, but it escapes me what day*** 

Monday, after a yummy pancake breakfast for two, Rachel took me on a ferry to see Miss Lady Liberty.  I spent a couple minutes taking glamour shots of another fellow tourist, but it was fun nonetheless.  Let it be noted that I didn't once get motion sickness, including all of the subway rides.  Rachel also took me to Central Park where we did all these cool tricks you see in the photos included with this post.  At one point I had to shank a Russian so that we wouldn't have to take his tour of Central Park.  I may be over exaggerating.  Maybe.  That evening we met up with Josh+Cali, and much later post-margaritas, Perry joined us at Pequena!  It was another lovely Mexican restaurant where I got drunk and felt myself falling for the waiter.  To show him how much I loved him I opened the door for him because he opened the door for me the first time I went pee.  It's called breaking the seal.  Google it.  To cure our drunk-munchies we followed our dinner with ice cream from a block down the road.  Yums. 

Tuesday we woke up early to arrive on time to the airport where I was to return back to Texas.  I had an amazing time and hope to return soon.  Heather picked me up with Caleb in tow and we ate up some Schlotzbox before I had to return to my not-as-exciting-as-a-life-I-could-have-in-Brooklyn life. 

 

MAKING PRETTY STUFF

I made these awesome flag banners the other day and it was so quick and simple...and to make things better, it was free! Of course at one time we paid for it all, but my point is that I didn't have to leave the house to make it.

You'll need a hand-held multipurpose electric saw, a ruler, and a marker, a clamp to keep your board in place...oh, and no fear! I just made different sized triangles. Do whatever makes you feel good okay?!
After you cut them out you'll need a ruler and a marker to mark places where you'll drill holes. So you'll need a drill, duh. Clamp a small stackful together so you can do more than one at a time.
Now you need paint. Choose bright and fun colors making sure to make varying shade because it just looks cooler that way.
I used embroidery string though I would've preferred twine to string them all together.
Hang them all together staggered and such. That's what fancy people do afterall.

Well...that's all for my craft rant. Love you bubye!

A 3-Day Weekend Sha-bang

 

It's been a long time since I got to enjoy my weekends fully.  And now I'm about to experience a 3-day weekend!!!  What?!  Outrageous!  I've done so much already on this Saturday, that I thought it was Friday.  It didn't make much sense to me either since I worked all day Friday.  I made an omelet to share with the family last night since my mom was planning on just baking fish sticks and French fries.  I had to stop the madness...even if I decided to cook the fish sticks anyways. 

 

Today I woke up late, ate a slice of my late-night banana bread for breakfast, went grocery shopping (where I slapped my eyes on a lovely piece of fireman), ate a lunch full of cheese, then I came home and did a mixture of picking up before the HoHoHokansons came over for the game/watching Wilfred on Netflix/painting the shed out back/reading/eating dinner.

 

That base of that shed has been a lot of things.  It was from a friend from church.  Apparently it was originally the base to a hot tub, they didn't want it anymore so my dad took it home with him.  It was later turned into a sandbox...then a two storied play house with a gigantic slide (I remember eating girl scout cookies up there)...then I wanted to tear it down and turn it into a play house.  I painted it green and added a floor to the bottom...and then it got filled up with my dad's stuff.  I'm finally taking it back!  I decided to repaint it since my friend is having her Bridal Shower at my house in the back yard.  I want to decorate is so it can be a focal-ish point. 

 

Ta-da!!!  It matches the house too :)  I must finish a second coat on the trim tomorrow.  It's going to hopefully be where I put my pottery kiln!  That's right!!!  I also want to add wine/beer bottles around the bottom, like so:

 

 

I ordered my pottery wheel today!  I'm super excited though also a little crazy over the fact that I still need $1,400 more for a kiln, and that's with a little saved up already.  My parents want to loan me some money, but I'd rather it be over the "smaller" stuff like clay and other supplies.  That's easier to pay back as I go.  A little here, a littler there.  Plus all those loans I have from school!  Ahhh!  It's not too bad, especially since I'm about to have 2 jobs.  I put about $50 aside per paycheck to my savings, and pre-camp I was putting money on loans as well each paycheck.  During the summer so that I could keep up I just paid as needed.  I need to get back to paying on them every paycheck.  The sooner those go away the sooner I can focus on saving up for getting the heck out of dodge....whatever that means. 

 

I have to spring-clean my room big time!  I will do that starting tomorrow.  Another thing I'm also excited about purchasing are the 3 books of the Beautiful Creatures novels.  I got a Target Debit card so I get free shipping AKA saving on gas so I don't have to go to the store.  It has a 4th book but that's with pre-order since it's not out yet.  Having money in the bank is dangerous, but I have to get my out-of-this-Vida-de-Emilia-experience somehow. 

 

Super excited about my trip to New York Friday...so much that I didn't even realize it was so soon.  Haha!  The calendar is so strange to me.  I look at it one day, and then the next it's on the wrong month!  Time flies when you're having fun.  I never ever hear what "they always say" but they say they always say it.  Now that's a confusing mess.

Watch out! I'm back to baking!

I made the most yummiest banana bread.  I've never been steared wrong, but it's probably because I never go by the recipe when it calls for 2 bananas.  We never have just 2 over-ripened bananas.  You must be crazy.

Emily's Version of Banana Bread

Pre heat oven to 325*F and spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray.
Stir together: 1/2 c. unsalted butter, melter and 1 c. white sugar
Stir in: 2 eggs and 1 t vanilla
In separate bowl combine: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup coconut flour, 1 t baking soda, and 1/2 t salt
Combine dry ingredients with wet.
In the same bowl you used for the dry ingredients mush together: 1/3 c. sour cream, as many over-ripened bananas as you want (I could have used all 4 that we had be for whatever reason I didn't...I regret it!!!), 1/8 c. sliced almonds (I didn't have walnuts), 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsals, and 1 t cinnamon.
Fold the mush into the other stuff.
Poor batter into pan.
Bake for an hour (this depends on your oven I'm sure)

I wanted to take a picture of my bread but light was terrible...just imagine yummy everywhere!

It's about time I told you about my summer...

SUMMER 2013, was amazing.  Maybe I've said this before but it was truly the best summer of my life.  Thank goodness, because camp life 2009 used to be the best summer of my life, so I'm glad it stepped up. 

A FEW THINGS I LEARNED are as follows:
      PATIENCE through having to teach a group of kids how to not cut their digits off...even if they came close.  Also through just teaching in general, or  how to talk to kids.  Some days I was iritable and talked to them mater-of-factly, but some kids need that over some cooing adult. 
      LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE towards everyone.  You miss out on a lot of amazing people if you shut someone out just because they seem annoying.  I opened my heart to everyone so that everyone could not only be my friend, but that they would actually want my friendship. 
      FORGIVENESS is key in any situation, big or small.  Outside of camp life I still struggle due to that person giving me the cold shoulder, but relationships can be salvaged when you work things out and forgive. 
      PRAYER.  Don't forget that God hears everything you have to say, even if it's in your head.  I'm am turning to God more now than I ever have.  I feel as though people were even praying for me when I returned home and I was blessed with a job oportunity right out the gate. 
      KEEP IN TOUCH.  I'm going to do my best to do this with my friends I have made that are especially close to home, such as UT and TLU.  I have a few new pen pals and I hope to touch base with many more.  I'm sure the less important ones will weed themselves out over time, not to say that some are more important than others...it's just the only way I know how to word it right now, but I'm willing to attempt to do my part.  The Lord knows that this new 9-5 job takes up my normally crafty schedule...which is funny since I'm being crafty from 9-5.  Haha!

Here are a few friendly faces I met at camp:

 They're all just such lovely people!!!

LIFE AFTER SUMMER is going as such:

• Mondays are now "Snow cone Mondays", where I go to the Bahama Freeze after work and get a new flavor combo I've never tried before.  I've only had 2 so far and the flavor combos were kiwi and lime, then mango and pineapple.  The latter was not so super of a choice for whatever reason.
• Tuesdays are dedicated to the gym.  I want to join the dance class that happens upstairs.  Yesterday was my first gym day post work and it ended short not only because I had to pee, but because I thought it'd be a good idea to change before going out to each with the bridal shower planning crew.
• Wednesdays...are apparently Target days.  I'm just kidding, but I really didn't have anything planned for today.  I'll come up with something.  
• Thursdays will be doughnut day!  A breakfast for queens, from Donut Taco Palace II.  Legit.  
• Fridays will be...Yay!  It's Friday.

Like I said, I'll have to fill in the spaces.  Maybe Wednesdays can be for crafting!  Anyways...Crackerdog will start up again after my trip to New York to see Rachel and Perry.  I'm so excited...and I'm totally about to check my Pinterest for packing light.  I don't want to be that girl that has to get the trunk opened for her by the taxi driver.  That's right!  I get to take a taxi to their house since they won't be home from work yet.  I'll do my best to act like a natural New Yorker.  Howdy y'all! 

To sum it all up:  I'm super excited at how well I'm doing with the candle making.  I'm super pumped to go to New York and hang out with my peeps.  I'm also super duper happy to be involved with the bridal shower for Rachel and I'm so glad it's at my house because girl you know I'm gonna find a way to decorate everything by myself the morning of.  Hey guys, yeah...I decided to go ahead and do it all.  Hahaha, Yeah right...but maybe!  I guess I should start on some things now.  That's always best since time always flies. 

Back to inner space

Camp Chrysalis,

 

98 acres of awesome God and beauty. 

 

This panoramic is off since you can't look at the sports court and see the front of the swimming pool...but you catch it's drift of it being amazing...though this picture was from the beginning of the summer so it looks a little bit more green than it was at the end.  Either way, this summer was amazing!  I don't know if I'm speechless or if I have too much to say that it's overloading my brain!  I know I am blessed to have been a piece of the Cross Trails Ministry staff this fine summer.  I met a whole lot of people and managed to find a positive attribute about every one of them.  Sure, lots of people can say, "Well I did too!", but not all of them built friendships off of those things. 

 

That was the hardest part this summer, having to deal with people who didn't get along with each other.  I was surrounded by it, so I chose to just speak my mind truthfully whenever something came up. 

 

All I know now, is that I'm back at home, doing the same stuff I always did, minus Crackerdog.  I emailed a candle making company about my ability to help them out so we'll see where that takes us.  For now, at least, I want to catch up on my brain cells...though I'm certain it doesn't help to be painting things with smelly fumes involved.  My outgoingness and my ability to just say "okay, sure" has been brought out of me since camp.  I'm glad, and I hope it doesn't wear off! 

 

As of now-now, I'm redecorating the front porch.  I used oil-based paint because I was sure it was a good idea, but the so-called self-leveling SUCKS...just saying.  It's gonna take a while to dry too.  The yellow and rusty swing is now Fire Orange and needs help getting tied into the rest of the porch.  We need a new entry mat for sure!  The teal door looks amazing though.  Seriously!  Oh, and by the way, if you're going to spray paint on the porch leave the dirt.  I looked down and thought I destroyed the cement, but turns out I could just sweep it off because the orange was attached to the dust, not the ground.  This has been life-hacks with Emily. 

 

Lastly, my nick name at camp was Em Hoh.  

What recognizing can do for ya:

I totally just realized my problem!  Guess what fixed it?!  I'll tell you, because it's pretty funny.  Today was "Love and Acceptance" day at camp.  Those of us who believe in an unconditional loving God would understand that God loves and accepts everyone around us.  Anyways!  So, I was pray-thinking (God-tangent-Epiphany-thing) in the scrubadubdub shower and was thinking, "I came to camp to find myself, and my idea of finding myself is finding someone to fall in love with" cheesy, I know, but get over that because then this happened:  today during the opening narration of worship Cupid was taught that love isn't just between two people, its about sharing it and finding it within everyone.  Then I realized that maybe I have already found myself, I just had no idea!  I could be looking for love in the wrong place since I really should be looking for it in places!  Now, guess what?!  I don't think I really know because I'm tired...but I'm going to try and work on my finding love outside of a box by continuing to do what I've been doing BUT ACTUALLY REALIZE IT THIS TIME!