quick takes

one:
i like words, grammar, and other similarly nerdy things (despite my failure to properly capitalize anything on this blog). this includes the oxford comma. i like the oxford comma, and so should you. if you're still not sure (after that compelling argument), read this explanation of why the oxford comma is important.

two:
this... awesome. 33 things to make a small apartment better.

three:
as someone who has been on many cruises, i just want to say that the scare-tactic articles i see on a semi-regular basis about the horrors that await you on cruise ships is... well, a poor excuse for journalism.  in my experience, cruises are a great way to holiday.  yes, if a virus is going around, you and a lot of others on board might catch it.  but that has far less to do with cruise lines than with the basic fact that such a scenario is always possible when you have many people regularly interacting in a restricted amount of space.  and yes, if you get ridiculously drunk and decide to perch yourself in a precarious position off a railing, you may fall in the water, but the best way to deal with that is a) don't get ridiculously drunk or b) if you do get ridiculously drunk stay indoors! ships have plenty of indoor party spaces that rule out the risk of falling overboard.  also, know this: 1) what cruise line you choose matters, in terms of your experience. so don't automatically assume that because someone wrote an article detailing their traumatic experience on one trip, all ships and all lines are like that; and 2) what itinerary you choose matters, because some (like mexico and the caribbean) are full of folks who want to party, while others (think european ports full of history, or cooler climates) are a more even mix of travelers. last... don't knock it till you try it!
edit: see this article for a reasonable perspective on cruise ship illness outbreaks

four:
today's peek into the closet of an unfashionable blogger.

five:
i don't know any of these things for sure, because i haven't ever been married, but these seven ideas do a pretty good job of encapsulating what i think makes a marriage a happy one

six:
linguipotence, n. 'Mastery of language or languages; ability to use language.'
Etymology: classical Latin lingua tongue (see lingua n.) + potence n.¹, perhaps after armipotence n.
Pronunciation: Brit. /lɪŋˈɡwɪpət(ə)ns/,  U.S. /lɪŋˈɡwɪpədəns/, /lɪŋˈɡwɪpətns/

quick takes

a day late (a dollar short), BUT i've got ashley jones's bachelor review to share so it's alllll okay!

one:
like i said, the best bachelor review on the webs. seriously, the reason i carve time out of my life to watch forced romanticism.  read it and try not to laugh out loud or your boss/secretary/cubical pals will want to know what's going on. also i felt a moment of "THAT'S WHAT I SAID!" when i got to this reality check:

I just think its funny that they think Juan Pablo planned these dates specifically for them, when you know that once this is all over, they're going to be riding around in his car picking up Camila from day care, who will probably have sticky fingers and smell like peanut butter like all small children do.

except i wasn't as clever and just hollered at the tv something like, "yeah good luck getting dates like that when the show is done!" obviously, that's why i leave the reviewing to the experts.

two:
have you ever thought about whether "how was your day" conveys what you're really trying to say to someone? or if, just maybe, there are better questions to ask? glennon has, and i think she makes a pretty good point.

three:
i'm pretty sure this quiz is skewed (i mean, there are no country options in the music and apparently all anyone ever drinks is booze), but do you know what city you should actually live in?

four:
i love home-made cards, and photobooks (i used to love scrapbooks but those are hefty beasts that take up lots of space during AND after creation, so i went digital), and really anything paper-crafty. stamps add the best little dose of pizzazz for anything in that category.  elise over at enjoy it makes amazing stamps (i have two!), but she's closing up shop this weekend. so if stamps are your thing, get over there! (elise doesn't who i am and didn't ask me to do this, but a year of reading her blog has convinced me she (and her products) are awesome and totally deserve the recommend.)

five:
see number 18. that's my life. also the rest apply to some degree as well. and not just college, law school too. even though that was far less spectacular, it was still school. and there was football.

six:
nugacity, n. 'A trifling thing or idea; a frivolity.'
Etymology: post-classical Latin nugacitas worthlessness (Vulgate), frivolity (5th C.); classical Latin nūgāci-, nūgāx (see nugacious adj.) + -tās (see -ty suffix¹; compare -ity suffix)
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌnjuːˈɡasᵻti/,  U.S. /nuˈɡæsədi/

recipe: one-pot chicken lo-mein

ingredients:

1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

12 oz. linguini

4 medium carrots, peeled

2 medium red bell peppers

2 bunches bunch green onions

4 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. corn starch

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup water

2 tsp. evoo

directions

cut all veggies into thin, 3-inch strips. chop chicken into small chunks. break the linguini in half. add all ingredients to a large stock pot, liquids last. cover the pot and bring to a boil. once boiling, stir and reduce to just above a simmer. cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and liquids have cooked off.

--

original recipe here. this goes really well with sweet chili sauce, and could probably handle quite a few varieties of vegetables...i'm definitely adding broccoli next time!

quick takes

it's wednesday!

one:
i managed to make it through maaaybe half of the introductory episode of juan pablo's bachelor season this week before i had to go do real things in my real life (err...finish drafting a motion), but if this girl writes more reviews like this one i might make a point of watching just so i can truly appreciate her recaps.

two:
courtesy of my cousin, 16 books to read before they hit theaters this year.  i've read a few, some i don't care about reading or watching, and the rest... let's be honest, the likelihood i'll see them in theaters this year is low. but i'll add 'em to the never-ending list of to-reads anyway.

three:
have you seen this video on the absurd amount of photoshopping that goes on with stars? we all know it happens in some corner of our brains but to see the contrast is startling. also, jennifer lawrence looks ridiculously GOOD in the pre-photoshop image, and kind of freakish skinny-ified, so that's always refreshing to see.

four:
can we take just a minute here to talk about fashion bloggers? no offense to the fashion bloggers of the world, because they are clearly quite creative folk, but... who actually wears the things fashion bloggers propose as every-day attire? every so often i click on fashion on bloglovin' and within 3 minutes i simply have to click away, because ... well, it's hard to feel overwhelmed by your fashion failures for much longer than that. and i don't know about you, but i can't seem to manage warm-weather layering without looking like i gained 10 pounds, which is a bit disheartening. do you think the fashion bloggers of the world would be offended if i did a "what normal un-trendy people wear" post once a week? it would even be for the greater good - everyone who isn't a fashion blogger would feel better about their sense of style, because it is surely better than mine (just ask my mom and sister!). this here is my attempt at trendy (which is possibly 2 years behind in style, are tunics and leggings still in? i'm hoping so, since they're still in stores...)

five:
this one, re 3 students joining in the university of notre dame suit on obamacare, but on the side opposite the university, is directed in particular to the legally-minded. thoughts on this?

six:
smellfungus, n. 'A discontented person; a grumbler, faultfinder. Also attrib.'
Etymology: The name by which Sterne designated Smollett on account of the captious tone of the latter's Travels through France and Italy (1766).
Pronunciation: /smɛlˈfʌŋɡəs/

quote: gentlemen's wisdom

quote sourced here: http://lifestyleoftheunemployed.com/post/61510239589/travel-quote

hello, 2014.

my bloglovin' feed has been overwhelmed with new year posts over the past few days.  collections of favorite posts from 2013, reflections on the past year, and fresh resolutions for 2014 abound.

this is one of those posts, but also, it isn't. because i don't have any fresh resolutions for 2014. i love the states of mind i chose last january. they have served me so very well in 2013, and more importantly, in this season of my life. and my life is still in the same season as when i chose those words and their personalized meanings. so i will keep those words, keep that emphasis on those certain states of mind, as i find my way through 2014. i am hoping to make a piece of art to hang in my apartment to be a gentle reminder to choose joy, health, love, focus and peace as often as possible.

as for actual goals, they're not too far off from the ones i set for myself last year. some are ongoing goals {aka efforts to build better habits}, and some are goals that simply weren't accomplished.  still planning on using the quota/goal system i started testing out in july, because when i hit my quotas i make progress on the goals. i might find myself tweaking the 'quota' portion of the goal though, as the year progresses and life necessitates adaptation. anyway, to get to the point, goals: learn spanish, digitize memorabilia, keep reasonable hours, eat healthier, & keep active.

goal: january quotas
learn spanish: one rosetta stone activity or 15 minutes of duolingo per day
digitize memorabilia: finish digitizing 2003-2004.
keep reasonable hours: electronics off by 11 four nights a week
eat healthier: at least one serving of greens per day
keep active: exercise three times a week

looking forward to another year!

quick takes

one
laughs are good. puns bring laughter. click! laugh! enjoy some puns! http://distractify.com/fun/humor/horrifyingly-cringeworthy-puns/

two
was anyone else hugely overwhelmed by the mass quantities of "deal" emails that started last wednesday and are kind of still going? there were so many, and each was so flashy, that i simply couldn't take it all in, so i just deleted them all. marketing fail. although! i did use shutterfly's extra 20% off sale prices to bring down the cost of ordering christmas card photos through them, because let's be honest - their matte photos are genuinely nicer than the box store photo centers can produce.

three
if you're like me and have a newly discovered love of spreadsheets, but hadn't quite figured out how to get a line break within a cell, i have news! {news you could learn by simply googling "how to insert a line break in excel"...headshake at self} where you want the line break, and would normally just hit ENTER, instead hit ALT+ENTER. you will find yourself with some beautiful, beautiful line breaks.

four
holidays mean holiday music and holiday movies! my favorite of late is the holiday, but i can't deny love actually is a good one. so, to get you in the spirit, take this quiz to see which love actually character you are!

five
maybe you've seen this, maybe you haven't: one artist's imaginings of what happens after happily ever after.

six
did you watch gilmore girls? did you love it with all your heart like i did, right up until those new writers wreaked havoc with the seventh and final season and, with rory's final choice, shattered the hopes of every gilmore fan who hoped rory might escape the tangled web of unsuccessful romances that seemed to plague her mother? {not to mention everyone who had come to adore logan...} apparently these folks did too, because here are 22 really solid reasons rory was a fool for passing on a life with logan for a life on the press bus. honestly, i can hardly bring myself to rewatch that season, the endings were just so frustrating.

seven
pigsney, n. 'A specially cherished or beloved girl or woman, a sweetheart. Freq. as a term of endearment. In later use also as a term of contempt. Now arch.'
Etymology: the genitive of pig n.¹ + nye, variant of eye n.¹ (see forms at that entry); probably originating in children's talk or as a nursery endearment 
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈpɪɡzni/,  U.S. /ˈpɪɡzni/