2014 - A fresh start

I am writing this (or rather typing) at the first minute of the new year. In my pjs. No hardy partying for this girl. I feel so old.

So about this time, I usually come up with 5 resolutions for the year. Some are easier to keep than others.
I know some people don't like to make them, because there is no follow through most of the time. I think you need a plan of action to go with your resolutions, or it just won't work.

I have so many things I want to improve on. Exercise more, spend less, volunteer my time, read more, grade those dreaded stacks of papers! But I'm afraid I won't follow through.

So this year I won't make a list of resolutions. Instead, I want to focus on how I do things. How I will live this year. I saw a challenge on Instagram where you come up with one little word (#olw) that will define the year. There were so many to choose from: engage, simplify, love, give, create.
After some thought, I chose:

Become. A verb that means, "begin to be." Grow to be or turn into.
Synonyms: grow, come to be, change into, be transformed into, [be] more

I was listening to a sermon a while back from Alistair Begg (great pastor by the way) and it was about our standing with God. Something he said really caught my attention. He said, "Become what you are."
Not who people want you to be, or who you think you should be, but who you were created to be.

He said:

"It's not impossible to mess up, it's just incongruous. Tomorrow's a new day, a fresh start. 

Life is a journey with a series of new beginnings." 

So this is my fresh start. I want to strive every day. Even if one day I yell in my road rage at a terrible driver. Or spend the afternoon napping instead of grading. Or eating yet another handful of salt & vinegar chips. I don't want to give up when I mess up. I hope to take more opportunities this year and enjoy the little things.

I am excited about 2014. :)

Waiting place

I am blogging from a local car dealership waiting for my car alignment.

I hate waiting. It seems so pointless. It's one thing if you know there's a certainty it's going to happen. What if you're not sure? What if you wait and wait and it never happens? What then?

There are a lot of potential by-products of waiting. It builds patience. Perseverance. If you're waiting for something good, the reward is that much more joyous. If you're waiting for the not so good, it provides relief, albeit bad. Closure.

2013 was a waiting year for me, so it was frustrating to say the least.  But maybe I've gotten some benefits from all this waiting. Patience. The strength to keep moving and preparation for what I hope for.

So if you are in that waiting place, like Dr. Seuss says, "Somehow you'll escape, all that waiting and staying." 

And: And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

That's my food for thought today. :)

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I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Every year I am more and more thankful to spend time with my family. My favorite part was watching everyone open their presents.

I got so many ornaments this year, I'm going to have to buy a mini Christmas tree for my apt!
What's a good/cheap place?

Oh, I forgot to announce the winner of the blog wishes giveaway! The winner was Arriana C.!
Congratulations! :) Your gift is waiting for you.

So I have to list my favorite gift from Christmas, which is very difficult.
My favorite homemade gift was from a former strudent's mom: her special made cookies/chocolates. They are hands down, the best. My favorite bought gift is from my mom, a grey/white polka dot bath robe from, you guessed it, anthropologie! Of course, every anthro gift (all ten!) were my fav!

Anyway, I'll be thinking about my New Year Resolutions and post those soon.
Thank goodness for this break. :)

Blog Wishes 2013

What a perfect day! It's Friday and I am in my pjs, looking out at snow topped roofs and nearly silent roads.

Texas rarely gets snow days and this really puts me in the mood for Christmas.
Last year I started my blog wishes giveaway. I've always loved Christmas because it's a time where I can slow down and really think about the year. It's family time and catching up with friends time.

These past few months have been a little crazy. Okay, stressful. I feel like I've been going nonstop and this unexpected day off is forcing me to stop, look up, and see where I am. In some ways, I don't like it. But now I know what I need to do and what my goals are. So thank you God, for this break!

My blog giveaway starts this Saturday and ends December 18th at midnight. For every entry I receive, I will double that number and donate the dollar amount, half to the charity of the winner's choice, and half to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Okay, so about the giveaway! Here are the rules:

1. You need to enter through Rafflecopter below. You can receive up to 7 entries for the giveaway.

• 1 entry for commenting on this post with your name, link to your item, email, and blog site (this is mandatory).
• 1 entry for blogging about my giveaway. Please email me at madebyfirenze@gmail.com with your blog      entry about my blog giveaway including a link to my blog.
• 1 entry for liking  my blog page on Facebook (MadeByFirenze)
• 2 entries if you follow me on GFC! If you already do, I will make sure you get 2 entries. :)
• 1 entry for Tweeting about the giveaway. I wanted to do Pinterest, but that wasn't available for me. If you  don't have Twitter, you can follow me on pinterest (minjoo) and pin my blog giveaway photo above and receive 1 entry.
• 1 entry for following me on Instagram. Either like or share my blog wishes photo on Instagram for 1 entry.

I am raising the stakes this year! Your Christmas wish can be up to $100!!!

Now for your item:

• Choose one item on your Christmas list you would like. It cannot be a gift card, or 2 items. Only one.
• The item must be less than $100. No exceptions. Any items over $100 will be disregarded.
• It must also be something that can easily be bought online. No rare items or ebay items.
• It should be from legitimate sites like amazon, Anthropologie, J.Crew, or Target etc. If I have any concerns with your item, I will let you know.
• If your item requires a size or color, please specify in your comment.
• If item is sold out, another Christmas item of your choice (<$100) can be chosen.

Please follow the Rafflecopter entry rules. Any false entries will be taken out.
I will contact the winner through email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends.
Good luck and have fun choosing your item!

Here are a few of my Christmas picks this year:

1. J.Crew - Crystal Rosette Bracelet $115.00

2. ASOS - Midi Skirt in Plaid Check $65

3. Rifle Paper Co. - Citrus Floral Tin Recipe Box $34

4. Anthropologie - Eustella Ombre Infinity Scarf $38

5. BoonLook - Honeybadger Eyeglasses $99

I couldn't resist buying number 3 already. It just reminded me of the 90's. I love it!

Anyway, I can't wait to see your picks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming soon: Blog Wishes pt. 2

I know it has been a while since I've written. It has been very hectic at work and I can't seem to find the time to blog. That being said, I want to try to make more of an effort to blog more; especially since Christmas is around the corner (my favorite time of year).

Last Christmas I started something called blog wishes. It was my first blog giveaway and I loved doing it. I want to try to do this every Christmas so that it becomes a tradition. :-)

Please check back and I will post about the giveaway soon after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, what would you like for Christmas this year?

Aggie for a day

Okay, I promise this is my last post today. I need to stop procrastinating with my blog.
I wanted to write about my Aggieland experience. It has been too long since my last 30 things at 30 checklist, and unfortunately, I need to change my list to 30 things at 30 something.
So here is my twenty-sixth thing:

26. Go to a college football game 9-7-13

Caitlin invited me to go to an Aggie game with her since Ryan couldn't go. Plus she knew from my list that I have never been to a college football game (let alone a NFL game). I was actually pretty excited and a bit apprehensive. Excited because sports are much more fun and exciting if you go see it and apprehensive because I didn't know what to expect and so many people around me were just looking at me like, "Oh, just wait and see."

Anyway, we started our mini road trip to College Station that Saturday morning.

The weather was great! (in the morning...)

On our way, we went through Waco and Caitlin stopped so I could see the real (!) bears at Baylor! Who knew! Apparently everyone except me! Even my student knew there were bears there.

I wish I had gone here...

Then we were on the road again to College Station! Caitlin pointed out a famous barn that decorates on every game day:

And then it started:

Flags everywhere.

Customized SEC car.

And customized TOMs

I had to be use my paparazzi skills to take this pic because Caitlin loved it so much. We stopped by a tent sale of shirts and another shop and I bought 2 shirts and 1 long sleeve shirt. I go one day and I'm already into Aggie gear.

 Before the game, we went to eat at Potato Shack! I finally got to try it! My mouth is watering just thinking of it...

 Potato, cheese, buffalo chicken, and ranch? How can you say no to that?

We also stopped by a cute shop before heading to the campus:

 Love these stairs..

And walked on the famous bottle caps...

 

Finally we arrived.

As we walked around the campus and in the student memorial building, I began to see why people gave me those knowing looks. It is a different world. Almost everyone I saw was wearing an Aggie shirt. It was a sea of maroon. I knew I was still in Texas, but it didn't feel like Texas. 

The Century Tree

We waited inside before the game and met a nice older couple. And I mention the 'older' part because they kept mentioning a nice Chinese and sometimes Vietnamese boy named Kenny that was in the Color Guard.
And apparently I must be Filipino because of my yellow hair (or maybe it was yellow skin?). Well, I was not offended but wow, I have not been called Oriental since I was like 7. Caitlin kept apologizing on their behalf which was hilarious.

Before the game

The stadium is pretty freakin' awesome. 

Front row!!! How cool is that? :)

BTHO Sam Houston State!

And then my phone died. It's like Harry Potter all over again. Luckily Caitlin had her camera to take pictures during the game. Check it out here: Life and Love in Wonderland.

 Reflection:

This was definitely an interesting experience. I never had a true college experience because I went to UTD. I didn't have school pride or school spirit, never joined any clubs or integrated into the student body. I just commuted to school and used the library to study. Sometimes.

Being at A&M and even seeing the Baylor campus has a different feel. I got to experience what it would have been like to go to a college game, cheer for my team, and have that sense of comradery. It sounds a bit silly, but I felt like that at the game. I definitely want my future kid to have that true college experience.

My favorite part of the day was yelling the cheers (even though I had no idea what I was doing), seeing the yell leaders, seeing the band perform, and actually getting excited when they were playing well. If you know anything about me, I do not get excited for football.
The rain was unexpected but it was actually preferable to the heat. I'd rather get rained on than sweat. I joked that I was the only Asian there and we kept trying to find Kenny. I think we found him. 3 times.

Anyway, I'm so glad I got to experience what it's like to be an Aggie. Thank you Caitlin for taking me and to Ryan for those awesome seats. I still don't care for football, but at least now I don't hate it. And if I have to root for a team, it would have to be the Fighting Farmers! :)


It's a little chilly today. I think I'll wear my Aggie shirt.

:)

TMI midnight showing

So I spent most of the last part of my summer reading TMI. I was obsessed. I read those books back to back. I didn't sleep. I sometimes forgot to eat (which is surprising for me). And when I heard they were making the CoB movie, I fell in with the fandom and did fan girl things like looking up the actors, watching endless videos, interviews, clips, and reading articles on movie news, entering sweepstakes, pinning countless photos, collecting memorabilia, crafting, and on and on and on. The movie got SO much hype, and I was counting down the days until the midnight showing.

I was so excited, I took a picture of the poster!

 Tickets!

 Diy Toms!

Took a screen shot when it was time!

Well, I was disappointed. I hate to say that because it was a fun experience but the movie just did not do justice to the book which really stinks because it is such a great series. The movie was just too cheesy and trivial.

There were some good things: Robbie who plays Simon was great; he literally is Simon. Lily Collins IS Clary. Looks-wise Jamie CB IS Jace (he was a bit awkward in some parts, and for me, too serious at times). I'm not so sure about Isabelle though. Jemima is a great actress and I love her, but I don't know if she fits that role. Isabelle should be more lighthearted and vulnerable. She was too grave in the first film.

The bad: The CGI was terrible. The Midnight Flower scene which should have been epic, was so cheesy! I heard the director didn't want to rely on CGI too heavily and had them physically do the fight scenes. Why couldn't they do that for the flowers?! Like a time lapse video or something? And there was just too much changed from the book. I understand if little details must be changed, but don't put totally new and random scenes in there! Ugh. And Valentine with dreads?! He's supposed to have WHITE HAIR. At least give him normal brown or black hair. He is not Jamaican, people.

The funny: We met some cool 16 year old girls while we were sitting in line (and talked about the film, book, Dr. Who, Harry Potter, etc.). I felt SO old, but it was fun. They were like, "Omgosh! You guys are the coolest teachers!" Haha

I hope this doesn't sound like a rant post. I so badly wanted this movie to be good and I still support all the actors, director, etc. and of course the book series. It just didn't live up to my expectations.

Anyway, all that being said, I really hope the second film gets better. I'm not sure what happened to CoB. Something just wasn't right. It wasn't authentic enough. I didn't like the script. I really think that makes or breaks a movie. Someone please take over. And give Cassandra Clare more power over that. Because if they decide to go in the same direction, I'm afraid this movie series is going to tank.

Kidd's Kids Concert

I decided to separate my posts because I haven't written in a while, and I don't want to do a smorgasbord post again.

I went to the Kidd's Kids concert last month and it was bittersweet with the passing of Kidd Kraddick. I have listened to him for many, many years and was shocked when I heard he was gone. Sometimes you don't realize the impact someone has in your life until they are no longer in it.

From left clockwise: Performers, concert poster, girls we saw with cute costumes, Kelly (!) and the morning crew, and Jina and me before the show.

The performers were: Jason Derulo, Cimorelli, Andy Grammar, Tim Halperin, and the Jonas Brothers.

My favorite performer was by far Andy Grammar. He had such charisma and he killed his performances. Love love love him. Jason Derulo was also cool to see. Now, I didn't know the Jonas brothers were going to be there. It was very hard on my ears when they came out. Because apparently their whole fan base came and started screaming in my ear. Both ears. They weren't that great, honestly (sorry teen girls). I guess I'm too old for that now.

 Tim Halperin, Cimorelli, Andy Grammar, and Jason Derulo

The Jonas Brothers

We both bought shirts that had the show's outro on it. I actually first heard Ziggy the cartoon say it when I was little. It says, "Keep looking up, 'cause that's where it all is."

It's been a hard couple of weeks for me personally. But no matter what happens I need to remember God is for me and he has a plan for me. So I will keep looking up.

Back to School and Looking Back

It's hard to believe I am going into my sixth year of teaching. How did time go so fast? My first year students are starting junior high, and I am just hoping and praying they do well. I think I'll always worry and wonder about my kiddos. I hope they still remember me when they get older. I'd like to think they would come back and visit me.
That's one of the rewarding parts of being a teacher; knowing that you had a part in their lives and hoping that you've impacted their lives for the better in some way. I know they've certainly enriched mine. I remember my first year of teaching and how nervous I was. I was so clueless about curriculum and time management. I remember just nodding in meetings and pretending like I knew what DRA and ED stood for.
I was just trying to survive my first year.

Fast forward a few years, and sometimes I still feel like I don't have it together. But in a way, I think that's good. Because it keeps me on my toes. I don't get complacent. Some things have gotten easier with time and experience; I know how to utilize class time better, classroom management is my strength (thanks to the teacher I was with when I student taught), and small group instruction is becoming more comfortable. Still, I have an opportunity to grow even more this year. I am apprehensive, but also motivated to do my best this year and be great, not just good.

I know it's hard sometimes. I get tired of staying at school until 7 and grading mountains of papers. I get impatient when kids don't listen and drown you out. I get upset when parents expect so much and don't understand my point of view. I am frustrated when people think teaching is easy and they look down on me. But I honestly believe teaching is one of the most rewarding careers there is. And it's because of the kids.
Who gets a hug for giving a piece of paper? Or gets told several times a day that you're pretty? Who gets called 'mom' on accident and gets a song and dance show at recess? Or gets to experience them have that look, like a light turning on in their head when they learn something new? Who gets called talented when drawing a stick figure on the board? Or at the beginning of the year, gets told she hates math, and at the end of the year, says she loves it? I do. A teacher does.

I think back to my own teachers. I wish I had taken the time to appreciate them. Because now I know what they did. I understand now. So this is for all my teachers especially the ones that went above and beyond being just a teacher. You were the teacher that showed compassion and gave me confidence in myself. You made me love rolly pollies and wrote me back on stationary. You had a reading tent and listened to me. You gave me joy in music and a nickname. You were the one who sparked my love for reading and writing. You taught me in case of an emergency, to put low batteries under your arms for heat to electrical energy transfer. You cultured my passion for art and painting. You taught me to believe in myself and not let stereotypes or the way I look hold me back.
Thank you Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Molly, Mrs. Babb, Ms. Hall, Mrs. Turner, and the countless others that shaped my life. One day I hope to be a part of that list.

To all the teachers out there starting tomorrow.. Happy first day!

What I would say

Sometimes I'm afraid
for words to spill out
but like a tree that falls away
from listening ears,
do words unspoken
have no power?

It piles
and climbs
and jumbles up
in wicked order
rendering all speech useless
lips albeit parted

What would I say
if spoken words could not harm
Held no fear of regret?
Or is that the deadly beauty of the word
which can both cut and heal
upon its delivery

If I don't speak
who will remember my thoughts
but me
But my weighted words
will live on
in some other's memory

What would I say
if I had a chance
to convey these words
How could I say them
to make you understand
and believe

Or is what I do
better than any word
I speak?
Perhaps that's the only way.
Maybe words aren't quite enough
for what I want to say.

Foodie Friday

Happy Friday for those that work! For me, these summer days all seem like a Friday, although that's going to change in a few weeks. I am so thankful for this break because I feel like I am getting the rest I need before I start work. I am actually excited to start and oddly motivated (let's see how long that lasts haha).

This week has been quite a roller coaster ride. I mean, why should it be any different, right? It started with me being discouraged and frustrated because of my arm (it's still hurting despite going to the doctor and taking medicine daily) to being uplifted on Tuesday at church. I started going to service on Tuesdays and I really like going and feel like I can join a fellowship there. The sermon was an eye opener, and it was actually about dating. It was kind of funny because he was answering commonly asked questions like, is online dating okay? And he was saying, well, in the Bible they don't say because, they didn't have internet back then. Oh goodness. Anyhow, it just really put things in perspective for me and made be realize that I need to prepare myself first. I need to be that wonderful person for him. Prepare for what you hope to have.

There are food trucks after service so we got some ice cream! Pistachio and blueberry cheesecake, respectively.

Anyway the week is ending great with some new food escapades and discoveries.

Okay, so I'm single. And I have a Costco membership. Is that weird? I just love it there! Here are a few of my favorite things:

1. Pretzel rolls - They sell a huge bag you can keep for a few days and then freeze the rest. This is so versatile from being a sandwich bun, to just putting some Biscoff spread on! It is delicious.

2. Quinoa salad. This is ready made at Costco and maybe in the future I will try to make my own, but why try when I can just get this? :)

3. barkTHINS - This stuff is addicting. Maybe not the healthiest snack, but definitely better than a piece of chocolate cake. I just eat one of two pieces as a snack or dessert. If you love dark chocolate and pumpkin seeds, you will thank me. Or more accurately Costco for supplying these.

4. Palermo's Margherita Pizza - I forgot to take a picture, but this is my all time favorite Costco item. This is one of the only pizzas I will eat from a box. It's very thin so you need to cook it until crisp, which usually only takes about 10 minutes or less. I could eat the whole pie, but I eat half and save the other half for lunch the next day. 

Now, I know Costco is a bit pricey, but for the quality of food you get, it is worth it to me. Also, I love going for the samples they give out. Here's a good tip; never buy a product without tasting it first. You don't want to drop 10 or 15 dollars on a product not knowing if you'll like it. That's why they give samples of products for you to try. Most of it is good. Some are great. Go for great.

I also tried to make Fried Green Tomatoes this week after I saw a coworker make it on FB. I need to practice more, because my batter didn't crisp to a nice coating, but it tasted good at least. Plus the gremolata and remoulade sauce I made were so good! I could eat anything with that sauce!

Gremolata

- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1. Zest a whole lemon and use a knife to mince the peel. Put them in a small bowl.
2. Finely chop the parsley and add to the bowl.
3. Add the finely chopped garlic (I always peel whole garlic and mince them using a food processor and store it in a glass Tupperware. It lasts forever. Trust me on this. You will save so much time if you have this done ahead of time. The uses for minced garlic is endless. And I don't recommend buying minced garlic in a jar...just do it yourself!).
4. Mix the 3 ingredients together and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

This Italian garnish can be used on fish, beef, etc. It would be great on shrimp and other seafood too!

Remoulade Sauce

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons Creole whole-grain mustard
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process for 30 seconds or until all combined.

2. Use immediately or store for a few days in the refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

I also made a YUMMY banana peanut butter smoothie this morning. It only has 3 ingredients and is SO easy to make.

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

- 1 frozen* banana (sliced)
- 2 Tablespoons of powdered organic peanut butter (I get mine at Whole Foods, also shown here)
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk (my favorite is Trader Joe's) depending on what consistency you like

1. I put bananas in the freezer and let it thaw a little on the counter before peeling. Slice the "banana ice cubes" and put that, the powdered peanut butter and almond milk in the blender/food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour in a cup and enjoy!

That's as easy as it gets! Delicious, healthy, and refreshing!

*For future reference, you can also pre-peel the bananas, slice in halves or slices, put them in a zip lock bag (getting as much air out as possible), and freeze them that way. I am not sure how brown they get that way. The reason I just put the banana bunch in my freezer without peeling is, I was having a fruit fly problem and I got so frustrated, I shoved the whole thing in the freezer without thinking. So after I use up all my bananas, I will try freezing peeled bananas and update it on my blog. Peeling the skin wasn't too bad though (I had to use a knife in a few places) but as it was thawing, it came off fairly easy.

-------

Summer is the time for healthy living right? Well, attempts at least. I am really trying hard to do that.
The week's success included trying to get Caitlin a gym membership and finally it happened! I am SO pumped about working out this year and eating healthy! Tank tops, here I come! :)

Twenty-four hour Twinkies

Healthy eating @ Zoes Kitchen

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fun Filled Weekend

There is nothing better than getting to spend time with your family and friends in perfect (for Texas at least) weather on the weekend!

My dad's birthday was on Thursday, but we are celebrating next Saturday. He had cataract surgery yesterday which was successful, Thank God! I worry about him so much lately, but I know I have to let God handle everything that is obviously out of my control. I am grateful for another birthday and can't wait to celebrate next week. Love you dad!

Anyway, I met up with my sister and friend for some sushi and dessert today.

Kristine and my sister Caroline. (Do you see the logo?)

The Popcorn Lobster Roll. Yum.

Salmon Sashimi

Round 2 - Ice cream

My sister and I decided to go shopping after ice cream. I had fun trying on different things at anthropologie and found two things: a utility jacket and a black pattern romper. I love them both!

I realize this is my 2nd utility jacket, BUT the other one has a hood. And it's longer. And... okay, I have no excuse. I found the romper in the sale section. The belt loop was torn (which can easily be fixed) so the girl gave me 10 dollars off! I love it. I may wear this to the concert that's coming up in August!

Finally, I am ending this post with a special diy. There's an antique mall that sells TOMS at a cheaper price (I wrote about it here) Anyway, it's perfect for me to buy to design custom TOMS. I've already made Henna ones and wanted to make another one.

And it came to me. If you read my last post, I think you can guess what they are.

Here are my custom made TMI Toms!

Apparently the first TMI toms ever, I googled. :)

Aren't they lovely? Surprisingly, these were harder to design than the Henna TOMS because mistakes can easily be seen on these designs; proportions, size, etc. while the Henna TOMS designs could easily be camouflaged. It took patience, a steady eye/hand, and lots of white ink. I added runes to the top and front, and added angel wings on either side of the shoes. I also put a quote from the book on the inside part of the shoe:

My friend said I should design and sell TOMS.

All you need are TOMS, white fabric marker, and runes designs to look at like this:

 I still have to trace over the runes because coloring on dark TOMS are a lot harder than coloring on light TOMS. Also, I didn't quite find a white fabric marker. I thought the white paint Sharpie marker would work, but it was translucent when I tried it on the black surface, so don't waste your money on it.

I did have a white gel pen at home, and it seems to be good (although I wouldn't wash the shoes). So until I find a white fabric marker, this will have to do.

Anyway, I am happy with how it turned out. I can't wait to wear these to the premier of the movie!

You guys, I can't stop. :)