If Giuliana Rancic can do it...

Hokay. Don't want to jinx anything but this running thing is becoming ever so slowly (we're talking molasses slow) less akin to chinese water torture. I'm still not really where i should be stamina-wise and there are still some obnoxious cramping issues, but it seems like my body and mind are starting to make peace with this process and for that I'm VERY hesitantly grateful-ish. I think G. Rancic best expresses my feelings on half-marathoning in this emotional clip, circa season 2 of 'Giuliana and Bill': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHh_bj6kBkY . I mean, there are some blatant differences between G and I - namely, her "physical challenges" being the IVF treatments she is recovering from, and mine being the layer of fat around my thighs and mid-section that severely  hinders my aerodynamic abilities... but I think we all get my point. PLUS, I take it as a personal challenge to one day be as fabulous as G, and if I can't afford Intermix, then this damn marathon's gonna  have to do for the time being.

Now- on to the NYC trip. As usual, it was an absolutely fantastic time filled with out-of-this world theater, excessive food & drink, and an un-planned visit with 2 of my best friends from college, Katie and Tracy, who happened to be in town on the same weekend!

The main things I took from this trip are:

1. I need a camera because taking pics on my iphone ain't cuttin' it

2. I need to find my "Barefoot in Paris" cookbook because the french bistro fare at cafe Bari (see image of toasted baguette with avocado spread and fresh-squeezed lemonade below) reminded me of my days studying abroad in Paris

3. i need more glittery clothing 

4. I want to know when i became "that girl" who takes pictures of walls

5. if I don't find the recipe for the caramel and coconut cupcakes that we sampled from Magnolia Bakery, nothing in my life will ever be OK again. 

Enjoy-

3. 

Time for therapy?

irritated with myself (and very possibly a schizo) as I have told myself that I may no longer look at pretty things on the interwebs or regale you all with my tales from nyc until after my 4 mile run..... tragic

Small victories

This weekend is the long-awaited family trip to NYC. We're a big 'ol bunch of theater snobs, so we'll be catching Sutton Foster in 'Anything Goes'whilst down there. My inner theater geek is plotzing as I type this. Hands down, some of my favorite memories are of the regular trips we would take down to the city; we'd eat at unbelievable restaurants, and stand in line to get tickets for as many shows as possible... Needless to say, I have incredible parents.

For some reason, I decided to actually get up early and run before leaving on our trip. I only ran for a bit before 3 giant lightning bolts struck in perfect unison around the track I was on, BUT, I didn't have the faintest hint of a side-stitch soooo here's to small victories. I think running on an empty stomach helps, also my co-worker and future roommate Kelly suggested upping my potassium so I've been nomming bananas left and right (thanks KG). Now all I have to do is hope the cramps stay at bay. Oh, and casually tack 10 more miles onto my normal run and you've got yourself a half-marathoner.

Pics to come of the fun retail windows, dope food (playing the whole "I'd really like a Magnolia bakery cupcake to celebrate the big 2-4 on Monday" angle), and sparkly skirt that J-crew basically gave to me at their 40% off clearance sale yesterday.

oops

this damn s'mores milkshake from 5 Napkin Burger completely deterred me from my run last night. Not my fault.

running and stuff I'd rather be doing

Welp, I’ve officially started my 12 week training regimen for this blessed event and it's going …just alright. Fortunately, there’s this gorgeous reservoir  I’ve been running that helps distract me from the physical misery that is mile 2, but the main issue has been these deathly cramps that I get EVERY freakin’ time I try and run. I’m really not too incredibly vain  but it pains me to be merely slow-jogging amongst all of these other fit 20-somethings, and have to start walking every mile due to these damn “side-stitches,” as my Running for Women book refers to them. SO, there are apparently many reasons I’m getting these besides the blatant out-of-shape-edness that is myself. What I’ve narrowed it down to is 1. I run with my shoulders leading which oughta be a sight and a half to see and 2. I don’t really breathe normally and I need to practice “rhythmic breathing” (all whilst trying not to dissolve into a tantrum over the fact that I’m not naturally talented at running)…. So, basically, stay tuned, this adventure is bound to get straight-up emotional in the coming weeks.

Let’s move on to my most recent obsession: staying up until 2am on my iPad surfing interior design blogs and figuring out how to decorate and organize my new (MUCH closer to work weeeee) apartment. I’m turning 24 in a few days and since 24 is a stones’ throw away from 25, which is my marker for true adulthood, I figure it’s time that my living establishment reflects this. Thus, I aspire to stretch my interior design expertise beyond the occasional image of the Eiffel tower scotch taped to the wall. I’m still in the can’t-make-up-my-mind phase on everything, but here are my favorite sites so far (Warning: the rest of your work day will go to shambles once you click):

www.cupcakesandcashmere.com

www.apartmenttherapy.com

www.ikeahackers.net

www.etsy.com

Why Cake Pops, Fondant and Midnight Don’t Mix

So, after much consideration, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that a girl who goes on as many crash diets as I do (6 lbs lost on the dukan diet, 2 gained back immediately waaah… apparently, I don’t have Kate Middleton’s dedication…) cannot possibly keep up with a blog dedicated solely to baking. Thus, this forum may start taking many different shades as my 20-something self gets her sh*t together.  I have a lot of big changes coming up and I have a few goals to go along with them…

1.       Get Organized- this covers a lot of ground. My car and bedroom vaguely resemble a scene straight out of Hoarders so its time to nip that habit in the bud. Also, I’m moving into a new apt in August which I really want to make homey and decorate, so mounds of clothes on the floor ain’t gonna cut it.

2.       Get a hobby aka ‘Death By Half Marathon’- this one’s actually hysterical. Due to an incredibly inspiring conversation with a higher-up  in a financials meeting yesterday, I was somehow convinced into running a half marathon…. That’s the hobby I had to go and choose. Did it cross my mind that the 5k I ran in May resulted in an un-godly cramp that made me walk and silently swear to myself for a solid mile? No. Did I stop to consider the fact that said higher-up (who promised me that the training for this marathon is easy as pie) has run multiple full marathons, routinely bikes 20 some-odd miles to and from work, and probably eats a balanced diet that is entirely nacho and pinot-grigio free? Mmmm nope. So now, I’ve gotta figure out how to run this thing. Luckily, I was able to coerce a co-worker and a couple of friends into thinking it’s a good idea thus it seems ‘Death By Half Marathon’ is officially a-go. Gulp.

 All rambling aside, cooking is something that routinely keeps me from being carted away in a straight-jacket after my daily hour and a half commute. I can’t get enough of the food network, have had formal culinary training and secretly surf Julia Child quotes at work when I need a pick-me up. SO, I’ll definitely be interjecting a few anecdotes about my cooking endeavors. In fact, here’s a little nugget to start ‘er off right, titled:

Easter- Why Cake Pops, Fondant and Midnight Don’t Mix

For Easter this year we hosted a huge soiree at my parents house. My dear uncle was sadly on his last leg with a cruel brain tumor which he passed away from a few days later. Knowing this, we wanted to make the day as bright and cheery and wonderful as we possibly could for him and so that we all had great memories. I think that was definitely accomplished, everyone smiled all day long.

What did not go as smoothly, however, was the process of making the cupcakes and cake pops that I semi-obsessively planned out a few days before. I casually walked into Michael’s craft supply store to purchase the supplies I needed and ended up spending way too much time in utter fascination with the greatness that is food-decorating tools. 60 bucks and an hour and a half later, I walked out with my game face on. I proceeded to make the vanilla cupcakes and red velvet cake for the cake pops before going to dinner at the local Chinese joint with my family and partaking in a mai-tai- rookie mistake number 1. Cut to 9 o’clock when I rolled back in. I was determined to at least get the cupcakes completely decorated and cake balls rolled. Thanks to my worthy helpers, the cupcakes came out alright:

The cake balls, however, almost broke me. They were supposed to be freakin adorable and look like this:

Except, I let the cake balls Get a little too warm and the candy coating cooled off too much which resulted in cake everywhere and a furious twitch temporarily took up residence in my right eye as I resisted meltdown. Luckily, I salvaged them ever so slightly and they still tasted damn good so c’est la vie.