Remember When

Today I had lunch with two of my favorite senior citizens. I'm lucky enough that my "family" includes several family friends that are, well, pretty much family. My Auntie Claire has been a friend of the family since my dad was born, and her bff Ruth lives two houses down the street from her. My favorite thing about hanging out with these two ladies is how we can jump from talking about Charlie Sheen's latest antics to Claire's pre-WW2 childhood in about two seconds flat like it's no. big. deal. The decades that separate us in age absolutely disappear, and I'm pretty much counting the days until they can visit my little apartment. Next week I might go to Sonoma to see my Nan, and then my week will really be complete. I thought this Post Secret was perfectly appropriate.

Muffin (Wo) Man

Two overripe bananas = Bethany trying a new
banana muffin recipe via Cookie Mondays. And it was divine. I think it was the maple syrup that did the trick! Best mom tip? Take the muffins out of the muffin tins the second they come out of the oven, or else the bottom of the muffin will be well-done, rather than medium rare.

Oh Wheeere is My Coffee Maker?

Saying 'I love coffee' would definitely be an understatement. I bet 85% of college students could tell you about a long night of studying they wouldn't have survived without coffee. One of my favorite things about living in the ADPi house was the hot pot of coffee that was (almost) always brewing in the kitchen. A little milk, a little sugar and bam!, I was good to go. I'm eternally grateful to Mama Kaas for all her help in the coffee department. A coffee maker was one of my top priorities for the new apartment. For the last two weeks, I've been scouring Fresno for a white coffee maker. I kid you not, I could not find one anywhere! But lo and behold, Walmart eventually came through, and this lil Black & Decker will match my white fridge and white cupboards perfectly. Definitely did a little happy skip when I saw this display :)

PS: The title of this post is def an ode to
The Hairbrush Song, which I've found myself modifying (and singing) every time I set out for a new apartment item.

Delish

So baking is the one thing I can do in the kitchen, but I certainly don't have the artistic talent of I Am Baker. Her cakes are divine! Adding to the apartment life 'to do' list is to practice my dessert skills :) Aren't these amazing?

So Grateful

I have a couch! An accent chair! A dining room table! A spice rack! And literally could go on for a while. I think the best part about my apartment is that it is slowly but surely being furnished with pieces that once belonged to friends and family - and let me tell ya, these items are in mint condition. I can't wait to serve hors d'oeuvres on stunning antiques from my Auntie Claire (aka my 3rd grandma, yeah you're jealous), have friends sleepover on my sofa bed, and learn how to make old and new mix perfectly. Can't wait to share photos! Everything seems to be speeding up the closer we get to April 2nd, and the excitement keeps building. PS,
drum lamp shades from Pottery Barn, be mine.

Can't Stop. Won't Stop. I Must Be Dreaming.

I officially, officially have an apartment in Mountain View, and will be moving in at the beginning of April! The place is just down the block from Castro Street, and the neighborhood reminds me of Sonoma. The place is well-kept and kind of retro, with with formica countertops and a pink tiled bathroom. Groovy baby ;) Now that I have a job and a home, all that is left to do is decorate! Here are some of my favorite pics that I'm inspired by. I wish I could transport the furniture in these photos right into my place. I love eclectic sets of photos and prints, bookshelves (thanks for the tutorial Emily), and precious vintage pieces. Note the 'For Like Ever' poster... I've seen it on a couple blogs lately and just love it.

Home?

Today I went apartment shopping for the very first time in my life. Gotta love my ADPi, but I don't think I was prepared for the full scope of today. Dad had a massive checklist (natural sunlight, what?), and I am so grateful that he was on hand to help me. This is the only decent shot i got today... I'm hoping for good news tomorrow! And if you need any tips about hitting up apartments, negotiating with landlords, or old school mapping it as not to get lost, hit Bethy up ;) And if you think this looks like a trailer, I promise you it's not! Totes realized this when I showed my mama the pic.

No Words

Sometimes you read the news and there is too much sadness in the world to keep turning the pages. And all my struggles immediately seem so insignificant. This week was tough: mom standing up to the school board only to see her entire department get cut, babygirl's soccer teammate getting in an awful car crash, and the earthquake in Japan. None of it makes sense. And when nothing makes sense, all we can do it pray.

This is not how it should be
This is not how it could be
This is how it is
And our God is in control

This is not how it will be
When we finally will see
We'll see with our own eyes
He was always in control
-SCC

Black and White

I wore this lovely black and white stripedy top to Ash Wednesday services today. And when I was chilling with the pups today, I realized we were kind of triplets. No wonder Hans made this precious face when I had to go to errands.

PS: Three and a half years of no sleep has accumulated under my eyes apparently. Add the removal of those bad boys to the to do list.

Yummm

Today I made these delicious Greek Turkey Burgers for dinner. Feta cheese, I die.

And realized that apartment hunting is ridiculously addicting. I'm pretty much transforming tiny studios into charming shabby chic cottages. Apartments housed in Victorian mansions in downtown San Jose are super tempting, but maybe the "mountain view" in, well, Mountain View, might be an easier adjustment. Hoping that the road trip this weekend will make these decisions a little easier

I'm Sorry for Your Loss

Greek, how good you have been to me over these last four years. Something about starting college and joining ADPi just after this show began and associating the first season with the blissful ignorance of my first year at UCLA makes the season finale so bittersweet. I feel like I'm jumping into the real world at the same time as Casey, Cappie, Evan and Ashleigh. The show filmed tons of exterior shots at UCLA, and I practically died when I met nerdy Rusty in person on campus. After watching the episode, my heart really feels like it's going to burst, but it really fills me with optimism and excitement for my future, and for the future of all my college pals. Oh, and including "After Afterall" in the episode was the icing on the cake.

Spring is coming!

I've attempted to Tumble since last summer, but I figured a new chapter in my life deserved a fresh start. I just landed my first post-college job, and am currently residing in the 559 preparing for the big move to Norcal. So far, I've been attempting to wrangle the tornado that is my room, began finding recipes I need to learn how to cook, and spending quality time with the fam bam. Oh yeah, and trying to figure out how to put this fat cat on some kind of exercise regimen. Time, where did you go?