Anthropologie Alert

I. want. you.

That is all.

The long haul

Today was such nice patio weather. I went to lunch (Patrizio's) with a friend and we ate outside. I wish every day in Texas was like today, but of course, this is a rare occurrence.

Yesterday I went to the Antique Mall in Plano, cash in hand. Last time I went, I didn't know it was cash only, so I was excited to return to see what I could find. Nowadays, going to thrift and antique shops are becoming more popular (probably because of cost). Here are some interesting things I spotted:

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets! Look at all those TOMS!

Haha.

The glasses reminded me of The Capitol, in the Hunger Games. I'm sure Effie would approve.

An antique Underwood. Unfortunately some of the keys didn't seem to function.

I saw some cool metal signs there too. Of course, Wizard of Oz caught my eye!

 For my brother in law who's a Batman fanatic.

And for my coffee loving friends :)

If you plan to visit your local antique mall, carve out a few hours for yourself. I was there for 3 and a 1/2 hours. When I was checking out, the store owner said, "You're still here?!" Haha.

Anyway, here are my antique finds!

Now, some of you may be wondering, why a typewriter? I'm not sure myself. But I could not pass it up. I probably spent half of those 3.5 hours circling the store, trying to decide whether or not I should get it. I love writing. When I was little, I used to write at least one poem a day. I would sing songs and write them down, or write in my little diary about my day. I just remember as a child reading and writing a LOT. Reading flourished my imagination, and writing helped put my thoughts out there. It was always easier for me to write what I thought/felt than speak. I want to try to type more of my poems and even possibly write a story this summer using my typewriter. Someone said they rarely got writer's block with a typewriter. I hope so.
It seems in working condition, although, I think I may need a new ink ribbon.

The teacup was a rare find. I try to only get teacups made from England, especially Royal Albert. Sadly, I didn't find the matching saucer, so I am on a hunt for that. It's called "Lady Carlyle" and it was $4.50. I love the details on the cup! So far this is my third teacup. I'll need at least 5 more if I want to host a tea party!


I'll end with a recipe I learned about from one of my favorite shows, Psych. If you have not seen this, you are missing out! It is hilarious and the dynamic between the two main characters is amazing. I finally got my friend to watch this show because we basically do the same thing they do: kill the conversation until there's nothing left. :) It's called Cuatro Queso Dos Fritos. It is twice fried. It has cheese. It quite possibly is bad for you. But it is delicious.
I pretty much followed the recipe here and I took her advice of using panko instead of regular bread crumbs.
I also took the skin off the potatoes; I thought it would have a better texture that way. Oh, and make sure you sprinkle kosher salt on the potatoes before you stuff it with cheese. This step is crucial before you stick your potatoes with toothpicks.

Oh, and make your friends come to you. It doesn't travel well. :)

Now I need to prepare myself for the long haul; 12 more weeks of school. 56 potential school days. Let's see if I make it!

Spring Break

It's already Wednesday, and it looks like I'll be spending the rest of it at home. I took my car to the shop and got a rent car (which was a pain yesterday) so I am trying to be cautious. That means I'll actually have to clean my apartment!


My break started off great with a brunch!

The teacups were the perfect touch!

I also went to the movies and saw Oz, which was good. It wasn't as great as I thought it would be (I guess I hyped it up in my mind too much), but I'm glad I finally got to watch it.

On Tuesday I did something VERY unexpected, for me at least. It's been a while since I've done anything on my 30 things at 30 list, so here goes:

27. Shoot a rifle 3-13-13

Guns are very foreign to me. Being a 2nd generation Korean girl who grew up in the suburbs, I did not even touch a real gun or rifle until yesterday. Of course I was terrified, but I actually tried the rifle, hand gun, and even a pistol.

Left: It's a smile of nervousness. Top right: Shooting close range with a hand gun. Bottom right: Step back Wrenn.. Kristin is packin'.


Here's a video Wrenn took of me with the rifle. Notice the laughter in the background. Thanks a lot Wrenn. :)

After about 30 minutes, I was ready to stop. I wish I could have tried skeet but I don't think I'm a  sharp shooter. This experience was enough to last me a lifetime. Thank you Frei (Rich) for teaching me the basics and a special thanks to Kristin and Wrenn for helping me cross another thing off my list!

Now I have 26 more things to check off by October 8th. I really need to hurry up. Hopefully the summer will give me lots of opportunities. Hmm, what should I try next?

School Post

School has been pretty hectic these days. Although it is stressful, there are those rare moments of the day when all the students are actually doing what they're supposed to. :)

One day I snapped some photos of my kids partner reading with each other. They were being so polite to each other and helping each other with words; it was so great. It was one of those rare moments I wish I could capture in a bottle.

We learned about contractions:

When I told them they could skip 8 years of medical school and be surgeons, they were so excited!

We also learned about homophones this week:

They've been working on autobiographies for Open House. It's taking a while because of editing, but hopefully we'll get them done! Here is an example from one of my students:

Isn't he adorable?! I love his spiky hair. :)

Yesterday was the last day of enrichment class. The students made bracelets and necklaces to raise money for Jump Rope for Heart. Having kindergartners were difficult, but it was actually pretty fun and the kids seemed to really enjoy it.

 One of my favorite  bracelets!

I let them keep one bracelet and we're selling the rest. We also made paper beads! The kids had a hard time rolling them tightly but they got the hang of it. It was the best day when they made these beads. They were so efficient and so determined to finish making them all (I cut at least 50 strips of paper).

I actually learned a new craft from this class! Making paper beads are easier than I thought. I can't wait to make more. :)

Long overdue post

I know it's been a while since my last post (almost a month!). There has been so much going on at work, so it's been a little crazy. I feel like I've been running a mile a minute (or 3.10 miles in 38 minutes).

I'm just really glad for this Spring Break! Will I think about school? Perhaps. Or perhaps I'll bake, craft, shop, read, vegetate, eat, and take long unnecessary naps.

This post is a modge podge of events, so excuse the chaos.



Valentine's Day

I decided to make these treat bags after I got inspired by a craft by we love citrus. I am in LOVE with glassine bags now! I need to order some things when I get my tax return. I want those stork scissors!
I ♥ citrus!

At school, my students made these ADORABLE mustache and lip lollipops with their reading buddies:

They also made tissue paper flowers:

Our last class party of the year was successful. They decorated cookies and made goop and homemade lava lamps. The kids had SO much fun; I've never seen them so happy!

Birthday dinner

We celebrated Love unni's birthday at Cafe Instanbul at the Shops at Legacy. It was interesting to say the least. The food was just ok, and the belly dancer was strange. :) The pita bread and company were good though!

Engagement at school

The most exciting thing that's happened this past month was Kristin getting engaged! Her fiance Wrenn asked me to help and I was so determined to make it the best day possible, especially with everything going on at school (that's an entirely different subject that deserves its own post). Anyway, it was so hard keeping it a secret especially when we were on the topic. Now, if you know me, I am a HORRIBLE liar. So I kept asking questions to avoid detection. Like, 'Oh, you looked at rings?' and 'You think it will be later on down the road?' Haha

The plan was to surprise Kristin in the library by having the students hand her a rose one by one and have Wrenn surprise her at the end. I (and a few other teachers) were a jittery mess up until that moment. I think I scared one of my students as I told her to quickly come with me to the library without any explanation while the rest of my class went into my coworker's room.

But everything turned out great and it was adorable and like my coworker said, perfectly imperfect.
The imperfect part was me photo bombing at the exact moment of the proposal. Why me?!

I managed not to bawl because of the kids :)

A lot has happened in this short amount of time, some great and some not so much. It's really been an emotional roller coaster.

Recently my uncle passed away from lung cancer and complications. He was my dad's brother and even though I hadn't seen him in a while, it was really sad to see what my aunt and cousin were going through. It made me reflect on my life and my parents too. I should be thankful for every moment I have with them and cherish my time. 

I didn't mean to leave on a sad note; I am posting a school post soon, so check back. :)

Cupid's Chase 5K

Happy Saturday! It's been such an exhausting week at work. Last week was busy with parent conferences, and this week, with observations, tutoring, and a few more conferences. All I want to do is lay on the couch and do a Psych marathon, but this morning, I got up at 7:00 AM and got ready for the Cupid's Chase 5K Run. My coworker Kristin told me about it, which is run by Community Options, a nonprofit organization that helps house and provide services for disabled people.

The shirts were so cute; the red means you're available, and the white shirt, you're off limits. Although we saw some people wearing the red who were clearly married. Hm..

It was SO COLD. Kristin and I were battling some decreased lung capabilities, so we had low endurance, but we ran/walked 5K in under 45 minutes! Not bad. We're going to beat that time on our next 5K! I just need to shape up and start going to the gym I've been paying for, for about 1 year now. And how many times have I gone? Oh, about 5 times. I'm horrible.

Lately I've been obsessed with cupcakes.
Thursday was the 100th day of school, and my coworkers room moms made cute 100 day cupcakes.
My sweet friend also gave me a cupcake charm from Fossil! Now I have 4 charms! I love them all!
I saw this book online and saw vanilla bean cupcakes. Doesn't that sound and look delicious?! That's my next baking mission.

I love Daily 5. My kids love Daily 5. It's so great because I don't have to worry about them playing around, and I know they are engaged. After hearing my small group read, I usually walk around to check how the rest are doing, and I had to snap this cute photo of my student reading to Bonita Broccoli in Read to Someone. :)

Recipe of the day: Steamed Banana Bread

Here's a quick recipe for banana bread that requires NO eggs, oil or added sugar.
All you need is 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix, and 3 super mushy bananas. You can also use a little bit of soy milk or just water.

Put an inch or two of water in a pot, and put a metal steamer in the pot. Line the steamer with parchment paper. Bring the water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large glass bowl, mash the bananas with a spoon. It shouldn't be too hard if the bananas are really ripe. Add the cornbread mix, and add a little soy milk. Mix until just incorporated.

Reduce the heat slightly. Carefully pour your mix into the pot lined with parchment paper. Cover with a lid and steam the bread for about 25 - 30 minutes. Carefully lift the steamer out (use oven mitts) and let it cool on a wire rack. It's great for breakfast; just store it in a plastic container with a lid.

It's a bit crumbly, but DELICIOUS!

My friend just made banana bread with no eggs or butter using a combination of rice and regular flour, so I am going to try that out soon.

I found this quote recently which I love:

Well, there goes my healthy eating.

I knew saying I wanted to ease back into eating regular food was me basically fooling myself into thinking I would. The 22nd day of my 21 day fast was pretty much my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

It started out with me feeling very sick. Like throw up sick. At church, I curled up in the corner and passed out through the whole service. Then, on the way home, my car stopped in the road. Granted, it was my fault (I was low on gas). And I drove right past my  usual gas station because I wanted to avoid those annoying people that sell products outside. I was feeling sick, and I didn't have the energy to deal with that. So I drove past to go to the one near my apartment, and it just stopped. Good thing my sister was home and was nice enough to come and fill my tank just enough to drive to the gas station.

It did not end there.

I was still feeling sick, but I was determined to end my night well by going to Hopdoddy. I went to the location in Austin, and fell for their Ahi tuna burger. I had planned this as my fast celebration, so sick or not, I was going.

I couldn't even try the Nutella Milkshake :(

I was still feeling sick, so I barely ate half the burger. The truffle fries were good. I need to back and try a milkshake!

Anyway, I was feeling like I should just go home and end the day by going to bed. But sometimes it doesn't work that way. My strange day ended with my toilet completely flooding my bathroom floor. As I watched the water gushing out, I just started to laugh (hysterically perhaps?) because sometimes that's all you can do. So I spent nearly 2 hours mopping, bleaching, scrubbing, and bleaching again.

I went to sleep hoping the next day would be better, and it was. Thank God.

I found a recipe at lemons and anchovies for Nutella Banana Bread a while back. I finally got to make some. I made the recipe as listed, but next time, I think I'll put less sugar. I don't think it needs as much, especially with the Nutella and bananas.

Last night I watched Les Misérables with Ari. It was so good and so sad! I love all the music and I wish I had watched the original cast in the musical. I saw the 25th anniversary version on tv a while ago and they were great also. I just love musicals!

Urban Outfitters before the movie

I discovered two good places to eat today. One is in Harry Hines called Ahjumma "Old Lady" in Korean. They have good Korean snack dishes and it was so packed.

I need to go back to try other dishes!

After eating lunch, we went to Brown Sugar Cafe in Carrollton for some waffles! It was delicious. I am definitely going back!

This weekend is going by so fast! I feel like I've been working nonstop for the past two weeks. Parent conferences, meetings, deadlines, grading etc. are wearing me out. Let's make it to Spring Break!