Congratulations to the 2011 Stanley Cup Champs

So happy to see the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup! I'm perfectly content with keeping the cup out of the Northwest Division until the Avs bring it back.

Saying No

I have finally started admitting to myself that I have a difficult time saying no to people. I've always been like this, but it has finally gotten to a point that it bothers me because I want to be a strong woman that can stand up to people and hold my ground. Unfortunately, I've always been someone that cares way too much about what other people think of me, and it's crippling. I'm always wondering, "Is so-and-so going to be upset," "Are people going to think I'm not helpful," etc.

There are a few reasons I have a hard time saying no: I want to help people, I don't want to be rude, I want to be agreeable, HUGE fear of conflict, I don't want to offend anyone, and I don't want to burn bridges. However, enough is enough. Now that I'm in the "business world," it is time for me to assert myself and present myself as the strong, independent woman that I am.

Now the tricky part. How to say no. Being agreeable is not only a character trait, but also a habit, so I imagine this will be a tough process. I think for me, the best way to change my habits is to start small. For instance, the other day I wen to Bath and Body Works to get kitchen soap. They were out of the kind I usually get, but the girl was like, "This scent is great. Do you like it?" And it was good, but not my favorite. However, not wanting to say not or hurt her feelings, I bought it. Good thing the scent is decent otherwise I'd be in trouble! But the point is, instances like those are great opportunities for me to start saying NO!

If I have any breakthroughs, I'll be sure to let you know!

"I Love You Fake Michael"

For those of you that might not know, I am a huge Michael Jackson fan! His "Dangerous" album was on repeat when I was growing up, and to this day, "Black or White" is quite possibly my favorite song. Well on Friday night, a MJ Tribute show came to Red Rocks and of course I went! The plan was to wear my bedazzled glove that came with my wii MJ Experience game and my fedora, but I forgot the glove at my apartment, and my neighbor didn't want to deal with me and the damn hat flying all over the place because of the wind.

The night started off tailgating at Red Rocks, which was so much fun. We brought sandwiches and a bottle of wine because we like to keep things classy, and thank goodness my friend came prepared with wine glasses and a bottle openers since I of course forgot!

We then began the hike up to the amphitheater, which didn't get to me like most people thanks to living 10,000 feet above sea level. As we made our way with wine in hand, this little boy (dressed to the nines in MJ attire) said to his parents, "They're going to get drunk before they even get inside." It was incredibly adorable, and honestly, we just didn't want to spend $7 for a Coors Light and the wine was delicious (Hob Nob Pinot Noir if you're looking for a great, inexpensive wine).

We took our seats and waited for the show to begin! As soon as the music started we noticed this gentleman in the row in front of us dancing like you wouldn't believe. I haven't even seen anyone dance like that in the club, but he was loving every second. We later came to find out his name was Peter, and his friend was having NONE of his dancing antics. Either way, we found it incredibly entertaining and he really added to the experience!

During one number, "MJ" and his 4 dancers started doing the exact Michael moves, during which I yelled "This is real, this is real." From our vantage point, it really looked like Michael Jackson doing his thing, but he had misplaced his voice. At one quiet moment, much to my friend's delight and embarrassment I yelled "I love you Fake Michael" and it was probably the highlight! The poor lady next to me must have thought I was off my rocker. Nope, just love me some Michael Jackson.

For a lot of people, one thing comes to mind when they hear Michael Jackson's name: freak. Year, they guy was pretty weird and had some issues, but to me, it's pretty apparent that there were some underlying factors that contributed to the choices he made in life. We'll never know teh truth because he was "Gone Too Soon." But, when I hear some of his songs like "Earth Song," "Heal the World," and "Man in the Mirror," it's hard to believe that he did the things he was accused of.

My final point is, people can learn a lot from those afore mentioned songs.

"Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race."

My Go-To Party Dish

Last summer I needed a dish to bring to a neighborhood block party, but wanted to bring something other than your standard potato salad or coloslaw. My mom suggested macaroni cheese. I had made homemade (not from a box) mac and cheese once before and it ended up being incredibly bland so I was worried about finding a recipe that would have a lot of flavor and be easy to make. I came across a recipe that sounded good, so I went with it. The neighborhood loved it and everyone asked for the recipe. It has now become my go-to dish whenever I am asked to bring something. It takes some time to make, but it's pretty simple, delicious, and always a crowd pleaser.



Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound macaroni

1 (11 ounce) can condensed cream of Cheddar cheese soup

1 1/2 cups milk

14 ounces extra sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided (I've also used sharp yellow cheddar which was fine)

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste (I usually do about half a tsp of each)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.

In a large saucepan over low heat, warm soup and add milk; stir. Add 1/2 of cheese to soup and remove mixture from heat when cheese is melted.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Add macaroni and tomatoes to soup; stir and pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 40 minutes or until the cheese is a golden brown; serve. (I cover it with foil after the first 15 minutes).

What I'm Reading: Nineteen Minutes

I just finished reading "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult. Without giving anything away, it's about a high school student named Peter that is bullied relentlessly, and feels the only way to stop it is to shoot his bullies. Picoult used the Columbine shooting for the majority of her research, so there are many similarities. I was in 5th grade when Columbine happened and still remember that day all too well so this book hit a little too close to home. Although it was quite intense at parts, I really enjoyed reading it. So often Jodi Picoult's books make you think, and this book did exactly that. Although Peter shot and killed people in this story, you can't help but feel sorry for him and what he had to endure. The book brings up the topic of "battered woman syndrome" and you ask yourself if that would work in Peter's case. Women in abusive relationships sometimes end up killing their partner or spouse because in their mind, they have no other way out so they use battered women syndrome as their defense. Is Peter's situation the same? Or could the school have done more to protect him?



*We also read "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult, which I HIGHLY recommend. It's another book that makes you think about the legal system, and whether or not it works for people that are "different."

Fashion Friday- Belts

I absolutely love fashion. Unfortunately, I live in a city (and state for that matter) that doesn't really appreciate fashion. Even if I just wear heels people ask me "What's the special occasion?" Can't a girl just wear a cute pair of shoes without any alterior motives? Part of the problem could be that I'm already 5'9" so to some people, heels might be a bit excessive. Anyway, enough venting. Every Friday I will post something related to fashion. It might be a trend I'm wearing, or could be a trend that I love, but could never pull off.

Right now I am bananas (my ode to a fashion icon, Rachel Zoe) for belted dresses and rompers. I tend to stick to dark, neutral colors, but for this summer I love floral dresses with a brown belt. Living in the mountains it's imperative to always have a cardigan or light jacket with you since its "never summer" here. You could belt the dress and wear the cardigan on top, or put the belt over the cardigan. The best part of belting the dress is that it's flattering on everyone because you place the belt at the smallest part of your waist. I saw this outfit at the J. Crew outlet, but it was way too expensive. I loved this outfit so I took the picture for future inspiration.




I also think belted rompers are fabulous. Unfortunately, my legs are too long to pull off this look. However, I love how this work for Kim Kardashian. Her waist looks SO tiny! (Warning: The Kardashian are my numero uno fashion inspiration so I imagine there will be a lot of pictures of their outfits on here).



My final look is something I could definitely see myself wearing. Like I said, I love wearing dark colors. People always want me to wear my color, but for me dark colors are easy and I feel comfortable, yet sexy in them. Again, the belt makes her waist look itty bitty!

Nothing is permanent

It's been awhile, but I'm re-entering the blogging world. I promise to do my best to update this whenever I can!

I have been living and working in the Breckenridge area for 8 months now (can't believe it's been that long), and it has been quite the ride thus far. I'm very blessed to have great job, but it has been an adjustment living in the mountains. Most people move to the mountains because they dream of skiing everyday and living the mountain lifestyle. This season broke all records as far as snowfall is concerned; we had over 500 inches!  I also knew no one when I moved up here, so had to make all new friends (which isn't as easy as one might imagine). Along with all of that, let's throw adjusting to a brand new job into the mix. Although there have been some rough days along the way, I am a strong believer in learning from every single experience.

1. I have learned that I can live on my own, completely independent. I will admit though, when I have questions (like how to bake chicken breast) I call home. But, I'm learning and that's what matters.

2. When I was sad and lonely, I did something about it. Even though it would have been easy to sit on my couch, eat my feelings, and feel sorry for myself, I didn't. I put myself out there and made friends, and they have been great.

3. I also learned that it gets better. It might not seem like it, but eventually things will turn around. Nothing is permanent!

4. Netflix is a girl's best friend (only cause my apartment won't let me have a dog). I found some great shows on instant que. I recommend Brothers and Sisters, Hot in Cleveland, Desperate Housewives.

5. Finally, I've learned that I'm strong and I can handle what life throws at me. As the saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

Who dat!!! Saints win!!!

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints!!! A month ago I couldn't have cared less about the super bowl. But then, I wanted the Saints beat the Vikings and I become a Saints fan! I guess that kinda makes me a bandwagon fan...oh well! I was cheering for the Saints cause I know how much the city of New Orleans needed this. When a sports team does well, everyone is happy and everyone has hope! Yeah, Katrina was 4 years ago, but the city is still being put back together. I also wanted the Saints to win because New Orleans has never had a championship, so it's about time. Reggie Bush is pretty easy on the eyes so that makes cheering for the Saints a no brainer! GO SAINTS!!!

Finance=migraines?? No thanks!

So my original plan for school was to get a minor in spanish and major in business with an emphasis in marketing. Well, then the economy went to well, you know what, so I thought, "Maybe I should stay in school another semester and add a finance emphasis? Yeah that sounds like a good plan." So that's what I was going to do until I started my investments class this semester. It's a great class and its teaching me a lot of useful information, but finance is just not for me. I feel so far behind everyone else and am so frustrated. On top of that, I feel as though the "finance" people are a little cocky (no offense to any finance people) and I am just way too liberal to be in finance. So after much deliberation and my first ever MIGRAINE, I decided to drop finance. I will walk in May and then take one summer school class that I need to graduate and then I will be done!!!

Soon I will be starting another blog that will be dedicated to the Colorado Avalanche for my E-Marketing class. If you know me, then you know how much fun this will be for me! Stay tuned.

"All religions are essentially the same in their goal of developing a good heart so that we may become better human beings." -Dalai Lama

I'm back in the blogging world!

Well after my 7 month hiatus from the blogging world, I am back. So my last blog talked about training for a triathlon. Well I am so proud to say that my friend Sara Butash and I complete a sprint distance triathlon on August 23rd. The training wasn't too hard, but we were rarely in the mood to go to the gym. We were swimming so much that my hair turned green and I also got to the point where I loved running (unfortunately that didn't last long). Our triathlon was in Longmont so we drove down the night before because we had to be at the site at 7:00am! We swam about half a mile in Union Reservoir, biked 12 miles, and then ran 3.2 miles. It is nowhere near as difficult as an Ironman triathlon, but it was still something I can't believe I did. I was never a swimmer and I HATED running. My next goal is a half marathon next summer so I am gonna get back into running, which I am excited about.

I haven't been blogging because there wasn't really anything to blog about! Last semester was the semester from hell! I took 18 hours and had 4 group projects. One was an ad campaign for Wells Fargo and took so much time, but it was great experience. This semester I am only doing 15 hours, which gives me a lot of time to get back in the gym and maybe get a job! It was supposed to be my last semester, but after much kicking and screaming, I have decided to add a finance emphasis to my marketing emphasis and spanish minor. I love math so I think finance will be a good edition, even if it means I won't graduate until next December.

Not much as to report. I have to start another blog for my e-marketing class, but I don't know what to write about. I have to pick something I'm passionate about, but i just don't know what to choose. I was maybe thinking about doing a blog about cooking (yes, Julie and Julia is my inspiration), but I really wanna start cooking and it would be a good excuse. I could also do something political like health care reform, but let's be honest, that could get ugly! Any other ideas???

The pictures aren't in the right order, but whatever.

New Years Eve 2009

Sara and I hiked up to Hanging Lake...absolutely beautiful!!!

Mesa State reunion in Denver!

Right before the triathlon!