This is going to be short and sweet. First time using my blogger app on my iPhone due to higher ups being a little on edge today. So in order to run with the iPhone theme I through I would share my guilty pleasure apps.
The CW app has to be my all time favorite hour eater app. You can watch full episodes of shows for free and in HD. Love it! Stick your earbud in and it's like you're listening to Pandora, which is acceptable front office behavior???
YouTube obvi! Same concept different content.
Pinterest is key to my day. Can't say I love the app as much as the site but in a pinch it works.
Style.com is a must have! Love their pics! All of the behind the scenes photos from great parties.
Those are just a few of my faves. Covert blogging is fun. Maybe I'll post again later today!?!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Totally Behind the 8 Ball...
GIRLS
So I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to comment on this very coming of age, surprisingly realistic show about 20-something girls. I watched the first 3 episodes today back to back and found myself literally laughing out loud. And yes, this is another one of those things that is great for my moral but probably not the best for my employer.
There were so many scenes where I could remember myself having those same conversations with my friends. Everything is out in the open because you struggle together, you've grown up together and you are all that the other has. Hot button issues like STIs, abortions and drug use are common place in this show. It is literally like being a fly on the wall, except when you watch it on HBO you have a better view. It's funny and witty and most importantly it's true. When Hannah says she's the voice of her generation, she's right.
So I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to comment on this very coming of age, surprisingly realistic show about 20-something girls. I watched the first 3 episodes today back to back and found myself literally laughing out loud. And yes, this is another one of those things that is great for my moral but probably not the best for my employer.
There were so many scenes where I could remember myself having those same conversations with my friends. Everything is out in the open because you struggle together, you've grown up together and you are all that the other has. Hot button issues like STIs, abortions and drug use are common place in this show. It is literally like being a fly on the wall, except when you watch it on HBO you have a better view. It's funny and witty and most importantly it's true. When Hannah says she's the voice of her generation, she's right.
Watch the show on Sundays on HBO!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Forbes...Who Knew?
Forbes is doing a series called Youth in the Office. It's center on 20 something women that are navigating their way through the business world.
The first article I came across was Why We Need To Take 20-Somethings Seriously. Seriously, go read it. I had one of those, "OMG! That's me!" moments. It didn't have any solutions for the problem but I could definitely relate to those feelings and situations.
Highlights:
- According to a new report, half of recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, scraping by with low-wage service jobs.
- And while the choice conundrum (what should I do if I can do anything?) may leave some paralyzed, “not making a choice is a choice,” warns Jay.
- ... 20-somethings are more sensitive to surprise and criticism, says Jay.
*All quotes came directly from the Forbes article mentioned above. Please click the title of the article to be rerouted to the site.
If I thought I had found myself in the first article the second one hit me over the head. True Tales of a 26-Year-Old Receptionist. Really? Seriously? When I saw this article, I had to click on it right away. Not a week after I start this blog I stumble upon this!
After reading the article, I knew that although we had some similarities my situation was definitely not as bad. My boss doesn't attend anger management classes at nigh nor does he ask me to not speak until he's looking at me. And yet, there was still the same feeling of, "How did this become my life?"
Then, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, a third article. How I Found Career- Changing Mentors Half way in I couldn't contain my disgust. I would love a mentor. I've cold-emailed (yes, that is a term now) a dozen of women that I think could make a profound impact on my life. It's just not that easy. Does this girl think that she is shining some new light in the dark corner of a cave? We know that getting a mentor is a must-do when it comes to kick starting your career. The knowledge part is not the problem. The problem is having someone bet on you.
So, I putting it out there, here and now. There should be a website for women to connect with mentors. It would be like e-Harmony except for strong motivated women that want that extra bump. Each mentee would create a profile and each mentor would be responsible to email their mentee once every two weeks maybe even just once a month. Like any relationship, each would be responsible to outline their wants and treat the other with respect. And again, like an relationship, it would be what each person brought to it.
This would be an invaluable resource to 20somethings around the globe. Oh if only I could code!
The first article I came across was Why We Need To Take 20-Somethings Seriously. Seriously, go read it. I had one of those, "OMG! That's me!" moments. It didn't have any solutions for the problem but I could definitely relate to those feelings and situations.
Highlights:
- According to a new report, half of recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, scraping by with low-wage service jobs.
- And while the choice conundrum (what should I do if I can do anything?) may leave some paralyzed, “not making a choice is a choice,” warns Jay.
- ... 20-somethings are more sensitive to surprise and criticism, says Jay.
*All quotes came directly from the Forbes article mentioned above. Please click the title of the article to be rerouted to the site.
If I thought I had found myself in the first article the second one hit me over the head. True Tales of a 26-Year-Old Receptionist. Really? Seriously? When I saw this article, I had to click on it right away. Not a week after I start this blog I stumble upon this!
After reading the article, I knew that although we had some similarities my situation was definitely not as bad. My boss doesn't attend anger management classes at nigh nor does he ask me to not speak until he's looking at me. And yet, there was still the same feeling of, "How did this become my life?"
Then, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, a third article. How I Found Career- Changing Mentors Half way in I couldn't contain my disgust. I would love a mentor. I've cold-emailed (yes, that is a term now) a dozen of women that I think could make a profound impact on my life. It's just not that easy. Does this girl think that she is shining some new light in the dark corner of a cave? We know that getting a mentor is a must-do when it comes to kick starting your career. The knowledge part is not the problem. The problem is having someone bet on you.
So, I putting it out there, here and now. There should be a website for women to connect with mentors. It would be like e-Harmony except for strong motivated women that want that extra bump. Each mentee would create a profile and each mentor would be responsible to email their mentee once every two weeks maybe even just once a month. Like any relationship, each would be responsible to outline their wants and treat the other with respect. And again, like an relationship, it would be what each person brought to it.
This would be an invaluable resource to 20somethings around the globe. Oh if only I could code!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Something To Get You Through the Last Hour...
These girls always bring a smile to my face!
Just something to get you to 5!
Recipe: Make It Your Own
A few days ago, I saw this Chicks Dig It Chicken recipe on Damsel in Dior. The BF and I had just gone to the store the day before and I knew I had enough in the pantry to make a version of this recipe.
Here's Jacey's recipe with my edits:
7 slices of parma prosciutto (trim the fat if a lot)
7 slices of provolone (grande is better; the mild provolone will
lose presence next to the big flavor of the chicken and
prosciutto)
Toothpicks or cooking twine
1 cup of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc , Pinot Grigio)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
#2: Lay a piece of prosciutto and provolone on each of the pieces of
chicken. You don’t want any meat or cheese to go over the sides of
the chicken or too close to the top, try and keep the edges of the chicken clear. You might have to split each piece of prosciutto and provolone in two.
#3: Starting at one edge, start rolling the piece of chicken while keeping the prosciutto and cheese in place with your middle fingers. When fully rolled, take a cut piece of cooking twine and make a few (depending on how big the piece is) ties to enclose
the chicken.
Once done, lay a little sauce on a serving platter, snip the twine from the chicken, and pour rest of the sauce on top of the chicken. It’s going to be delicious and your guests are gonna LOVE it!
Best served with red baby potatoes and asparagus.
Here's Jacey's recipe with my edits:
Ingredients:
Two chicken breasts split and pounded out very thin (ask your
butcher to do this)
butcher to do this)
I used chicken breast tenders that were on sale at Trader Joe's and left over from a meal the night before. I would say I had about 6.
1 ½ cups of seasoned bread crumbs
I used 1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs.
3 generous tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
1/6 of a cup of cheese.
Olive oil (a lot), salt (preferably kosher) and pepper (preferably
ground)
ground)
lose presence next to the big flavor of the chicken and
prosciutto)
2 packs of baby bella mushrooms sliced (you can be creative
here ; crimini, shitake, etc. just not white mushrooms – they are
watery, don’t have much flavor and very low nutritional value)
here ; crimini, shitake, etc. just not white mushrooms – they are
watery, don’t have much flavor and very low nutritional value)
1 package of crimini mushrooms from Trader Joe's. They were all on the small side.
3 cups of chicken broth (more or less, depending on how much mushroom sauce you want. Make sure it is the less sodium kind. Don’t want to over salt this dish!)
3/4 of a cup of low sodium chicken broth.
2 cloves of chopped garlic
Two good pours (turn the bottle upside down and let wine splash in the pan, don't hold for any amount of time) of Chardonnay I opened the night before. About a $20 bottle on sale for $10. Any decent drier white will do.
One package of thin asparagus. I prefer my asparagus about the thickness of a sharpie. If you like it thicker just cut into smaller pieces.
Directions:
#1: Lightly brush each side with olive oil and season with salt and
pepper. In a small bowl, combine (3 tbs) parmesan cheese, (1. 5 cups) seasoned breadcrumbs and enough olive oil to make the mixture a little dense to form a paste. Spread the mixture on one side of each of the chicken breasts
pepper.
Use a pie tin or in a pinch a plate and put the breadcrumb cheese mixture in it. After brushing the chicken with olive oil pat both sides of the chicken in the dry mixture to bread the chicken. Repeat patting twice to make sure chicken is thoroughly covered.
chicken. You don’t want any meat or cheese to go over the sides of
the chicken or too close to the top, try and keep the edges of the chicken clear. You might have to split each piece of prosciutto and provolone in two.
the chicken.
TIP: This is a good hosting recipe because you can do everything up to this point hours before your guests come over. Stick these chick-a-dees in a roasting pan with a little broth on the bottom, cover in saran wrap and place in the fridge. Then, whenever you’re ready (40 minutes or so prior to serving) you can continue with the recipe.
#5: Heat olive oil (enough to cover bottom of pan) in a large enough saute pan to fit all the chicken pieces. Add one two cloves of chopped garlic. TIP: Heat the oil long enough on a mid flame so the oil gets hot, but then lower the flame before adding garlic – don’t
burn the garlic! If you burn the garlic, start over, chef’s rules! Add the chicken pieces and let them brown (about 2 minutes/side, but use your judgement).
burn the garlic! If you burn the garlic, start over, chef’s rules! Add the chicken pieces and let them brown (about 2 minutes/side, but use your judgement).
I always find that approx. cooking times are incorrect. The chicken breading should look golden brown. Not blond brown but brown. People often make the mistake of not browning the outside enough.
#6: Add about ½ ALL of the mushrooms and stir. Once all the mushrooms are coated, turn the flame back to mid, add about a ½ cup of chicken broth, and stir. After about a minute, add about a ¼ cup of white wine. Keep stirring, you’ll notice a nice sauce starting to form. Season a little with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
Throw in the chicken broth. You should hear an immediate sizzle and steam should shoot out at you. Don't be afraid just back away for a minute. Stir the dish and leave the heat on med-high. After about half of the liquid has evaporated pour in the wine. Add a couple of turns of a pepper grinder. If you don't have a grinder about a pinch works. Continue to stir the dish.
#7: Coat a roasting pan with olive oil (I like to use a cooking brush here, but a paper towel works fine) and add a little chicken broth to the bottom.
#8: Once your chicken is browned, lay them in the pan and pour your
mushroom sauce over the top of the chicken, and around the sides Bake for about 20
minutes, checking on it at least twice to turn and baste with the mushroom juice. If you see the juices starting to go down, add some more broth and a little more wine and stir.
mushroom sauce over the top of the chicken, and around the sides Bake for about 20
minutes, checking on it at least twice to turn and baste with the mushroom juice. If you see the juices starting to go down, add some more broth and a little more wine and stir.
I took Damsel's suggestion but just threw the asparagus into the pan. I washed and dried the whole package and snapped off the dry ends. (If you hold the asparagus horizontally take the back end between two fingers and pull down it will break where it's supposed to.) I cut the asparagus into about 1 1/2 in long pieces and threw them into the pan. It only took a couple of minutes for them to cook and still be crispy. Keep stirring when you add the asparagus.
Then viola, dinner in about 20 mins. You can add a starch if you want but the BF and I ate it without. A great piece of crusty bread or some red potatoes would be nice too.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The Never Ending Quest
So I'm always on the lookout for a new blog. Something that catches my eye, great content and maybe even a practical tip or two. Below are the blogs that I can't wait to see come up on my google reader as new.
I chose this screen shot because it's extremely inspiring. Not only does DKNY PR GIRL post inspirational quotes but has great PR tips and behind the scenes photos!
damsel in dior
Fashion:
DKNY PR GIRL
I chose this screen shot because it's extremely inspiring. Not only does DKNY PR GIRL post inspirational quotes but has great PR tips and behind the scenes photos!
damsel in dior
Jacey Dupree puts together outfits that are classic with and edge. All of her graphics (like the one above) are beautiful. They make me aspire to be a graphics person.
Home:
Love this blog because it has a little bit of everything. Some fashion, some home, some design. It's place to come to be inspired as well as just kill some time looking at pretty pictures.
Design Darling is like Kate Spade on steroids. It's clean and fresh. It makes me want to be a jcrew model and travel to the East Coast. She has a great eye for graphic design and has her own little boutique where you can buy some of the great products featured on her blog!
Life:
I put Cup of Joe under life because she really does have a little bit of everything on her blog. From Motherhood Mondays to hair tutorials, Joanna Goddard is the woman I want to be in 5 years. She cultured and sophisticated but extremely accessible all at the same time.
_________________________________________________________________________________
These are all extremely popular blogs so I'm sure if you are reading this, you've already stumbled upon these. Just wanted to share how I pass the day at my desk and sometimes what gets me through the day. Hope this gives you some good reading material to eat up the hours in a very slow day!
**All pictures are pulled from owners blog. Please click the name of the blog to be directed to the page. You will find all original sources of picture there.
Monday, April 23, 2012
The Extended Quarter Life Crisis
Today I had had it up to here. (Please envision a 5'4" girl with at least 4" heels gesturing above her head.) Nothing particularly eventful or noteworthy happened this morning, but a general grey hazy overwhelmed me. How could I sit at a computer another day feeling like I didn't matter. Cue: Quarter Life Crisis.
Today was different though. Today I had had it up to all 5'8" (with heels) of me and I was going to do something about it. First, I looked for inspiration. I landed on The Everygirl page. I LOVE this website. It's for girls that are just starting their careers, looking for that jump start and maybe, if their lucky, a connection. It's a fun website with practical tips. Now remember, today was my day of action. I clicked on their contact us tab and emailed their info@ address. I wrote about how I was in an extended quarter life crisis and was just looking for someone to "help" me. (Help is a loose term because what I really need is a life makeover.)
To my surprise, I got a response from one of the founders about an hour after I sent my email. She was apologetic about how she was super busy and could not help me personally. I was floored. I could not believe that someone that had such a busy schedule would take the time to actually write to me. From info@ to the founder is a huge jump. She was incredibly sweet and said she knew exactly how I felt. She also said she knew that there were other people that felt just like I did.
That is the inspiration for this blog.
If you are sitting behind a desk and want to get out, this blog is for you.
If you are 20-something and can't seem to figure it out, this blog is for you.
If you are sitting behind that desk and can't seem to find enough blogs to fill your time, this blog is for you.
I don't have a focus. I like fashion, yoga, cocktails and wine, non-profit work, cooking, eating and exploring my city (LA). This blog will hopefully encompass all of that and more. Hopefully, along the way I can get myself out of this extended quarter life crisis.
Today was different though. Today I had had it up to all 5'8" (with heels) of me and I was going to do something about it. First, I looked for inspiration. I landed on The Everygirl page. I LOVE this website. It's for girls that are just starting their careers, looking for that jump start and maybe, if their lucky, a connection. It's a fun website with practical tips. Now remember, today was my day of action. I clicked on their contact us tab and emailed their info@ address. I wrote about how I was in an extended quarter life crisis and was just looking for someone to "help" me. (Help is a loose term because what I really need is a life makeover.)
To my surprise, I got a response from one of the founders about an hour after I sent my email. She was apologetic about how she was super busy and could not help me personally. I was floored. I could not believe that someone that had such a busy schedule would take the time to actually write to me. From info@ to the founder is a huge jump. She was incredibly sweet and said she knew exactly how I felt. She also said she knew that there were other people that felt just like I did.
That is the inspiration for this blog.
If you are sitting behind a desk and want to get out, this blog is for you.
If you are 20-something and can't seem to figure it out, this blog is for you.
If you are sitting behind that desk and can't seem to find enough blogs to fill your time, this blog is for you.
I don't have a focus. I like fashion, yoga, cocktails and wine, non-profit work, cooking, eating and exploring my city (LA). This blog will hopefully encompass all of that and more. Hopefully, along the way I can get myself out of this extended quarter life crisis.
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