Quotes

INSPIRING ME THIS WEEK.

November Mood Board Inspiration Winter Holiday Inspiration
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Hope ya'll are having a good start to the week! A few things I've come across that are inspiring me this week. And that quote, I'm certainly guilty of standing in my own way more often that I'd like to admit, and think I'm going to put this up on my bathroom mirror for the week to hopefully serve as a daily reminder.  I tape quotes to my full length, bedroom, bathroom, and hallway mirrors, not to mention on the refrigerator and even framed in the living room (ok, so maybe I go overboard with the quotes, but they really can be motivators!).   Do ya'll have any quotes or favorite words of wisdom you tape somewhere you'll be certain to see on a daily basis for inspiration?  If so, I would love for you to share them with me, because (just in case you couldn't tell), I absolutely love the power of words and quotations. 

ADVENTURES IN COOKING.

Now that is a fabulous mindset to have, isn't it? Hope ya'll had a fabulous weekend & Monday yesterday to kick off Thanksgiving week. This weekend, I made the most AH-MAZING Grilled Cheese Sandwich and if you're anything like me (and consider yourself a cheese-ologist) then this recipe will be sure to light your tastebuds (or your oven quite literally) on fire.  I'm not what you would call a seasoned chef, heck, I'll be honest, I'm not even a decent cook unless you are referring to picking up the phone and ordering delivery (sorry, mom, it is true).  Now baking, I can do, but a real meal, not gonna happen without something going terribly wrong. 

Craving a delicious grilled cheese, I thoughts surely this recipe would be no problemo to whip up for a quick meal.  AND to spice things up (or in the words of Emeril, kick it up a notch) I decided to go rogue and add bacon (the oven-baked, crispy, delicious kind).  After pre-heating the oven, I put the bacon in, set the timer, and began to work on the red onions.  About 10 minutes later, Boo Radley began frantically sniffing and pacing in the oven/kitchen  area-to be honest, I'd go ahead and call it the living room/bedroom/hallway area as well.  I really didn't think anything of it until the smoke alarm started blaring over & over getting loud with each repetition.  Well, I opened the oven to check things out, & found in the bottom, underneath the sizzling bacon, what used to be one of Boo Radley's squeaky tennis balls, now engulfed in flames.  If you're wondering how one of her toys ended up in the oven, your guess is probably better than mine because I have no clue.  In an attempt to shut the smoke alarm off, I decided to wave a towel in front of it and in doing so, knocked off the hallway sconce which shattered into a million pieces throughout the front hallway and bathroom.  DISASTER.  Moral of the story, always check your oven before turning it on, you never know what you might have hidden inside.  Would love to know what you think of the grilled cheese... guarantee it will not disappoint...and highly recommend adding bacon.
Grilled Cheese, Best Grilled Cheese Recipe
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ONE YEAR...


HAPPY ONE YEAR IN NYC TO ME (and Boo Radley too, of course!).   I can't believe I did not realize that my one year anniversary as a NYC resident was several weeks ago.  To be honest, I completely forgot about it with my mom being in town and a few other things going on...it just hit me this weekend that I have lived here over a year now!  WOW and what a year it has been. I'm so thankful for the amazing experiences I've had this first year in New York, and for all of the wonderful friends I've made so far.  I could never have predicted in my wildest dreams the past year to turn out the way it did but I'm immensely grateful for each and every experience life has thrown my way.  I also believe now more than ever that with each new experience there comes a chance to learn a lesson or something about yourself and the world around you.  That certainly is the case here in New York, because every single day, without fail, I see something new.  It's really quite interesting to think what used to make me stop in my tracks to take another look no longer warrants a second glance anymore.   For me, that is one of Manhattan's biggest allures, and often the biggest drawback for those outside the city. There is something I've come to love about the day-to-day craziness, and the belief that truly anything can happen in this city, and quite often it does!

I absolutely love this article by Brett Nelson titled "Fifty Important Lessons New York City Taught Me." Such a great read and definitely recommend it to anyone who currently lives in NYC or is thinking about making the move here.  Another good article to take a look is Goodbye To All That by Joan Didion. 

Looking forward to what the next year brings in NYC and if you're ever on the fence about moving to NYC or really just outside of your comfort zone to try something new, I would say DO IT.   Don't wait.  You could convince yourself forever that you'll never have enough time, money, friends living in the city, job opportunities, whatever the excuse, they are all just that...excuses.  As the inspirational Randy Pausch, once said, "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people." If you want it badly enough, you'll figure out a way to make it happen, whether that is moving cities or not is something only you know, but the reality is that if you want to move, then move, because I can guarantee you it will be worth it and change your perspective on life allowing you to see the world through a different, larger, lens.  I'm working on a list of my NYC favorites for anyone who is visiting and in need of recommendations, make sure to check back in a few weeks and hopefully I'll have it posted by then!

TINY BITS OF TRUTH...

This was too funny to not share with ya'll:
A new PSA launched by the Oregon Dental Association is taking brushing your teeth to the next level with the video "Teach Me How to Brushy" sung to the tune of the all to familiar "Teach Me How to Dougie." With lyrics including, "Pull out your string and it's time to get your flossy on.. All my teeth love me because I do the brushy" kids everywhere are running to join in on brushing their teeth, or are they? What do ya'll think about this PSA? It's pretty funny, you can see the video for yourself below:
 
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