0
18
Sep

Most Awesome Week Ever // 9.18.11

Today I’m celebrating the most awesome week ever.

It's fall y'all.

my niece is crawling! // Jeffrey is recording the new Hand to Claw album as we speak // quiet weekend with my pup // takin care of business // gettin out of my comfort zone // sharing my idea in the face of fear // mad pageviews // puppy tracks // taking the entrepreneurial leap // long talks with mom // the first fall days // looking forward to a visit to the cider mill // spending way too much $$ at whole foods // happy hot dogs // gettin blog love // switchin up my class schedule // receiving hand-written notes from customer service reps // sharing old school photos with the internet

What awesomeness are you celebrating this week?

xo Em

2
17
Sep

Awesome Eats // Crack Cake

Alright folks. I realize this may be a little dangerous, but I am going to give y’all the recipe to the birthday cake that Jeffrey and I enjoyed a couple of weeks ago.  I figured I would just nickname it Crack Cake, because well… yeah.  It’s formal name is “Butter Pecan Cake with Pecan Pie Filling, Coconut Pecan Icing, and a Chocolate Glaze”.  YEP.  THAT’S RIGHT.  Use that imagination for a second and pretend you are tasting those flavors right now.  Mmmmmmm.  It’s ridiculous.

Don’t like pecans?  Don’t like coconut?  Well, this here cake’s gonna change that.  Believe me when I say that there is NO WAY you cannot like this bitchin ass baked good.  I myself have never cared for pecans, pecan pie, butter pecan… none of it.  Some people would say that is pure insanity in itself.  But this pecan-laden sugar monster beat me into submission.  So I, dear friends, am here to pass that glorious experience on to you.

A disclaimer of sorts: we didn’t make this from scratch.  When we were concocting the recipe, we weren’t really sure if it was going to be as good as it seemed.  We didn’t want to waste a bunch of time baking with nothing to show for it, so we used pre-packaged cake and icing mix.  It was my birthday after all, and we had a damn romantic comedy to watch!  If you want to take this to the next level and bake it from scratch, GO FOR IT.  Just promise me you will report back.  So, without further adieu…

Crack Cake

Ingredients

1 package of butter pecan cake mix (we used Duncan Hines)
eggs, canola oil, & water as called for in the cake mix
1 prepared pie shell
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tub of coconut pecan icing (we used Duncan Hines)
1 bottle of chocolate glaze (again, Duncan Hines… they should be sponsoring this post damnit!)

Directions

  1. Prepare the cake mix as instructed on the box.  Make sure you make two layers… we did 9″ rounds.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Combine beaten eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, molasses, butter, flour, salt, and vanilla in a bowl.  One variation would be to add chopped pecans to this as well, but we didn’t since I don’t like pecans (or so I thought!).
  4. Pour mixture into the pie shell and bake for 30 minutes. The filling won’t be completely set at this point, but this is what you want.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  5. Flop one of those cake layers out onto a plate and start scooping out the pie filling and piling it up on top.
  6. Once you have as much pie goo as you can get on this layer, flip your other cake layer over and put it on top.  The filling is going to ooze out of the sides… don’t worry, it will still be delicious.
  7. Pop open that tub of icing and get to town slappin that stuff on.  Whatever you d, make sure you use it all.
  8. Follow the directions to heat up the chocolate glaze and pour that stuff over the cake as you see fit.
  9. Try as you might to allow the cake to sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you dig in.  But if you can’t help yourself, that’s okay.
  10. Enjoy!

 

You’re welcome. :)

xo Em

0
13
Sep

I Know That’s Right

Via Swiss Miss.

7
11
Sep

Most Awesome Week Ever // 9.11.11

Today, I’m celebrating the most awesome week 2 weeks ever.

gckb tattoo

turning 31 // my new macbook pro!! // late nights on the porch, home-cooked meals, and lots o laughs with my BFF Jen // a new tattoo! // eatin a meat banana // the spectacle of full-contact jousting and watching our dude win // magic hat no. 9 // people watching at the ren fair // fresh corn chowder… mmmm // organizing my backpack for the first day of school // discovering the “campy b movies” section on netflix // larabars //napping with my puppy // singing songs with the hubs // kickin it with cousin Carolyn // coding // springing for omnifocus to keep me super organized // all my teams–LSU, FSU, Michigan–winning 2 weeks in a row

What awesomeness are you celebrating this week?

xo Emily

0
10
Sep

Back to School Y’all

Site/flow mapping
CC BY-NC Flickr user boxman

This week, in addition to revamping my blog a bit, I started fall classes at SI.  As much as I dread the insanity that a full load of graduate classes brings, I LOVE “back to school” season and all of the hope and excitement that it brings.  Before the readings, before the boring lectures, before the all-nighters, there is this.  This feeling, this hope, that perhaps one of these classes you’re about to dive into will be the one that changes your life.  And of course, organizing your backpack and folders and buying supplies is pretty awesome, too.

So far I’ve only attended one class, as most of my classes are on Mondays.  And last Monday was Labor Day, hence, no class.  So it’s like I get TWO first weeks of class.  I mentioned once before–really confusingly, I admit–what I am studying, but I’d like to share a little more about my actual classes.  Chances are I’ll be showing off some of my work here over the next few months and it would probably help to know where it’s all coming from.  So, without further adieu… my fall schedule:

Database Application Design

Bright and early Monday morning I’ll be diggin into some MySQL and PHP code with my favorite instructor, Dr. Chuck.  He’s got some great resources on his site, so if you’ve ever wanted to learn how to program in Python or build an app with Google App Engine, check it out.  Anyways… in addition to honing my database coding skills in this class, I’ll be doing some group design/consulting for a client with some fellow students.  People like to hate on group work in school, but it is seriously the best way to learn how to apply skills in the real world.

Interface & Interaction Design

Ooooo doggy, this one’s gonna be exciting.  As the name implies, this course is the flagship user interface/interaction design course at SI.  In addition to learning the basic concepts of UI/IxD, I’ll get to do some practical application in class and design/build something for a client with another student group.  That’s two, if you’re counting.  I’ll likely be doing some of what is pictured above… BRING ON THE DRY ERASE MARKERS!

Content Management Systems: Configuration

I’ll be wrapping up my Mondays with this course, which is often referred to as “the Drupal course” even though there are 3 courses in Drupal at SI.  You’d think with a title like “Content Management Systems” we would be using more than one, but Drupal is the most robust, complex, and scalable of them all, so that’s what we work with.  However, I may be dropping this one as I’ve done a lot of work in Drupal recently and this course may be a little too intro for me.  And, it requires another client project.  That would be THREE. GROUP. PROJECTS.

Programming

More coding.  This time in Java, which I am completely new to except for some haphazard JavaScript I’ve played around with.  I’ve already attended two of these classes and the good news is: I like the teach.  Bad news is: the textbook cost me $130.  Seriously.  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Transformative Learning & Teaching with Technology

This course is my cognate, meaning it is hosted in another school.  In this case, it’s the School of Education, which I am mad familiar with thanks to my M.Ed..  I’m pretty sure this is a theory course, so I’ll be reading and writing mostly.  About technology as an educational tool.  Oughta be interesting, as well as give me a break from all the coding.

So there you have it.  This is what will be occupying 60% of my time this fall.  Probably more like 80%.  Shit.

Are you a student?  What’s kinda learnin you got goin on this semester?

xo Em

 

 

0
9
Sep

Awesomania Housekeeping

Aloha dear readers!

Cleaning
CC BY-NC-SA Flickr user inf3ktion

In case you didn’t notice, things are lookin a little different around here.  I finally got a little bug up my ass to cross some things off of my Awesomania to-do list.  This week I…

  • Migrated my blog from a WordPress.com hosted site to a self-hosted WordPress site.
  • Installed a bunch of kick-ass WordPress plugins, including some that Sarah at Silly Grrl recommends.
  • Installed a new theme because the default just didn’t do it for me.
  • Redirected my feeds to Feedburner.
  • Set up an Awesomania Facebook page!

I’ve got a lot more to tackle, including designing a custom theme for myself, fancyin up my RSS feed, and adding a lot more awesome in general. So be on the lookout for ch-ch-ch-changes as time goes on!

Most importantly–thanks a bunch to everyone who stopped by during the transition and didn’t flame me or anything. Y’all so sweet.

xo Em

 

 

 

3
6
Sep

Awesome Friends // Facebook Love

So, I have a Facebook page for my blog now.  Partly because I felt bad pushing auto-updates to all of my friends and partly because it is part of my INTERNET DOMINATION STRATEGY!  Just kidding.  Or am I?

If you’ve ever set up a Facebook page–for your blog, your freelance business, your band–you know the sad and lonely feeling of having “0 likes” staring at you.  It sucks.  And it makes you feel like a total loser broadcasting your page to all of your friends.  It’s like, “Hey guys… nobody else likes this stupid thing.  Why don’t you?” People ignore you.  It’s common and understandable.  We’re all so overwhelmed by social media these days!

This is why a little incentive is needed on occasion. The other morning I was staring down 25 likes on my page–which is the point at which you can assign a username to your page, btw–with a mere 4 more to go, so I put out the following call out to my Facebook friends:

The next 4 people to like my blog’s FB page will get a really exceptional shout out on the interwebs!

And I’m glad I did, because not only did I meet that 25 likes goal (31 and still going!), but I get to tell YOU, dearest internet, about these awesomely fantastic people.  Yeah yeah, I said “the next 4 people”, but the extra 2 are bonus material.  Feel free to thank me later.

stepMeet Stephan!

I first met Stephan when I interviewed for the Director of Student Development position and my first impression was “this dude knows what he’s doin”.  I got the job (obviously) and spent the next two years chattin and collaboratin with this stud on the daily.  What makes him awesome?  He’s a super-smart, driven, and unabashedly confident guy who is a student affairs badass.  And we could all use one of those, couldn’t we?

 

 

alliMeet Alli!

Talk about a blast from the past.  Alli was my bona-fide BFF back in the 7-9th grade era.  We shared a love of Alice in Chains and all things hilarious.  She is credited with introducing me to Snoop Dog (well, her and MTV) and we often battled over who was hotter: Eddie Vedder or Scott Weiland.  What makes her awesome?  These days she’s gettin her autism and neuroscience research on up in DC.  I know how to pick em smart, don’t I?

 

 

kellyMeet Kelly!

Although I met Kelly in person many moons ago through an ex-beau of mine, we’ve been internet buddies for a good 6 years or so.  Lucky for me, she’s back in the flesh as the foxy fiance of a friend of mine.  Perhaps you remember when she was in the running for a free wedding.  What makes her awesome?  A woman of varied interests, she brings the awesome wherever she goes.  With a rad attitude and a willingness to hang with us GCKB goofballs, she’s proven herself to be the cat’s pajamas.  Oh, and her mom reads my blog!

 

mattMeet Matt!

Could there be a more awesomesweetsmarthandsome dude on the planet!? I THINK NOT! This spectacular man is my little brother Matthew and OF COURSE he would help me out. That’s what awesome brothers do. I could write forever about what makes Matt awesome… a little tidbit or two: he invented his own monkey language in high school and is a killer drummer. And yes, ladies, he’s single! Unless something has changed in the last week or so.

 

 

jamieMeet Jamie!

Oh sweet, sweet Jamie.  AKA “Slow Poke”.  It’s been way too long, but Jamie holds a special place in my heart… we were kickin it on the reg during the time in my life that I would consider my “coming of age”.  What makes her so awesome?  She is easily one of the most humbly talented women I’ve ever known.  She can sing like a old-school jazz diva and dance like a chorus girl (to Eye of the Tiger, no less).  She’s got great taste and a serious obsession with all things Japanese.  Love her!

 

tinerMeet Tina!

Tina could easily be my new friend find of the entire decade.  Friend of a friend turned ride-or-die bestie.  It’s been a few years since we were inseparable, but that’s life for you.  Damn you, distance!  What makes her awesome?  Let me count the ways: she’s a beautiful, spiritual, blast to be with gorgeous dancer, with an open mind, a deep heart, bitchin style, and great taste in music.  Oh, and she can cut a mean hairdo, too.

 

 

amyMeet Amy!

Aww hell.  It feels a little unnatural putting Amy up there as she is and always will be P to me.  Besties since the nineties, this girl captured my heart when she put the moves on me in our high school calculus class.  What makes her awesome?  YOU WILL NEVER MEET A FUNNIER HUMAN BEING. Seriously, you cannot hang with his girl and not have a good time.  She’s a sweetheart with the mouth of a sailor and the hollow leg of a pirate.  And she is a culinary ASSASSIN!

 

 

So, there you have it folks.  Six totally awesome friends of mine that have shown their support for me and this blog.  I feel so lucky to have them and all of the other friends and family who have supported me and my projects over the years.  I hope I never forget to communicate my gratitude for having them in my life.

As for you, dear readers, I hope y’all will: (1) like this blog on Facebook; and (2) never forget to give a shout out to those who support you, no matter how ridiculous your idea might be.

xo Em

 

PS – I sure have some good-looking friends, don’t I?

 

2
29
Aug

Happy Birthday to Me! And Hurricane Katrina.

Thirty-one years ago today, yours truly was dragged from the womb… kicking and screaming and covered in blood from where the doctor sliced open her head while sawing through the gut of her mother.

Birthday cake at work!

True story.  One with a happy ending, of course.  But true nonetheless.  I even have the scar to prove it.

I’m typically quite excited about my birthday, but today I’m feeling a little morose.  Not so much because I’m another year older.  Come on, getting older just means getting AWESOMER.  No, today I’ve been thinking about Hurricane Katrina.  Which, in case you don’t remember or have yet to be reminded, occurred 6 years ago today.  Thanks to some recent conversations and a timely NPR segment about a new Katrina documentary by Harry Shearer of Spinal Tap fame (!), my skepticism about what really went down in the Crescent City has been renewed.

As a gulf coast native, New Orleans has always held a special place in my heart.  Many long weekends of my youth were spent wandering the French Quarter, munching on beignets, and celebrating the music and debauchery of America’s most culturally rich city.  And don’t even get me started on Mardi Gras.  Meemmorriiiesss!

Anyhow, every time I think of Katrina I can’t help but remember the conversation I had with a bartender in New Orleans two years before.  In 2004 Hurricane Ivan struck the gulf coast and decimated Pensacola, my hometown.  It was a crazy storm, but we survived unscathed for the most part.  But after two weeks without power, my friends and I decided to drive over and spend some time in NOLA while they got everything back up and running at home.

Naturally, we spent most of our time there in bars.  While much of the trip was a blur, a conversation we had with a bartender still sticks out.  As we were explaining the reason for our trip, we got on the topic of how devastating a hurricane would be to New Orleans.  We tried to imagine how the historic downtown areas we loved would avoid the swells of the mighty Mississippi, but she interrupted us with “Oh honey, we don’t even worry about the Quarter.  Everybody knows they’ll blow the levees uptown to save the historic districts.”  Now, maybe she didn’t know what the hell she was talkin about.  But maybe she did.  Somewhat, anyways.

Enter the NPR segment: Harry Shearer was promoting his new Katrina documentary, The Big Uneasy.  In the film, Shearer explores the unreported (at best) reality of what caused our country’s most expensive “natural disaster” and how our government has failed to correct the issues that brought about the floods in the first place.  Complete with whistle-blowers!  I haven’t seen it yet, but as soon as I can get my hands on it…

So, although I’m deliriously happy and grateful to live another year… I’m still thinking about the thousands who weren’t so lucky six years ago.

xo Em

 

 

0
28
Aug

Most Awesome Week Ever // 8.28.11

Today, I’m celebrating the most awesome week 3 weeks ever.

Dreamin.

surprising the shit out of my bestie Autumn for her 30th birthday // seeing old friends and making new ones // spending a day full of good conversation and laughs with my locked-up homie Wes // getting pedicures with my momma // laying on my mother-in-law’s couch while we talked and she watched bad television // love and excitement from my puppy after being away for several days // lazy days full of many episodes of Mad Men // starting my new web design job and loving it! // making future plans with Jeffrey // good music and stiff drinks // Jeff driving us all the way to Baltimore // not falling off the boat // medicine! // being in Pensacola // planning autumn adventures // picking up choice records from Jojo South // meeting Jeffrey’s childhood friends // long talks on a great front porch // touristin’ it up with the hubs // driving through an area of the country I’ve never seen before // meeting my new doggie friend Hawkins // delicious food with a spectacular view // writing long letters… with pen and paper //a sneak preview of fall weather // wrapping up my summer internship // wifi in the sky // surprise birthday party at work // sorta-kinda job offers // the first birthday texts rollin in // birthday party with the fam //presents! // also, this:

What awesomeness are you celebrating this week?

xo Emily

0
25
Aug

Awesome Summer Adventures // Part 1

Chicago

I do believe I mentioned it before, but I started off my summer travels with a long weekend in the Windy City with my GCKB comrade and BFF, Jenny.  She lives in Atlanta and was heading there for the HOW Design Conference because she’s a bad mamma jamma Creative Director now.  Since Chicago is a mere 5 hours away, I hopped on a train to join her for the weekend.  It turned out to be a splendid trip because not only did I get to see her beautiful face, share in her design learnin, and check out (some of) the wonders of a new city, but my train ride to Illinois knocks off #79 and (almost) #84 of my 101 in 1001 list.

Unfortunately our time in Chicago was limited, so I stuck to the touristy Loop area while she was in sessions so we could meet for lunch.  Nevertheless, I got to check out some of the downtown Chicago greats like the Bean (or Cloud Gate, as it is officially called), Millennium Park, and the collection of badassery at the The Art Institute of Chicago. Check out my crappy picture of their awesome lions:

I also muscled up the courage to step out onto the sky decks on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower. I didn’t get too far, though. There were 47 people crammed onto a 3×6 glass ledge and, well, I just didn’t trust it enough to hold us all for very long. Here is proof that I do have some balls:

103rd floor.

Look at that fantastic view!

What a view.

After a few days of goofin around as tourists, eatin well at Ginos and The Purple Pig, and lounging around in our dope hotel suite, we wrapped up the trip with a boat tour of downtown Chicago architecture. Which was a lot cooler than it sounds. Here go Jenny… ain’t she a beaut?

jenny

I had an awesome time.  However, thanks for the final memory of my trip goes to the girl who was giving her boyfriend a hand job across the aisle from me on the train home.  Way to go, kids.

x0, Em

PS – If you’re lookin for a more in-depth tourist review of Chicago, check out Gala Darling’s International Playgirl’s Guide to Chicago.  She actually did stuff.