Vacation Vexation

(not entirely sure that "vexation" is a word but I know you like my rhyming - ok it is in fact in the dictionary, i just looked it up. 1 point for Alessandra's SAT word)

One of the policies at my office is that each employee must take 5 consecutive days off each year as part of our risk management policy. Basically, it's a pretty sweet deal because I don't feel totally guilty about wanting to go on vacation and using up PTO to do that. I mean, these 5 days, still come out of PTO but we HAVE to use them, so it somehow makes it better.

So what am I going to do with these 5 days you might ask? Well, I've thought of a few things. Each one a little different with DRASTICALLY different prices.

Here is the breakdown:

1. Go on a mission trip to Zambia, Africa with HPUMC. I would need to take about 7-8 days off work. All costs of the trip itself are covered except airfare....which just happens to be about $2000. Ouch. The trip could be totally random people but it would be an awesome experience and I've REALLY wanted to go to Africa. Side note: we would have bucket showers and pit latrines. Am I really ready for that??

2. Go on a mission trip to Costa Rica with HPUMC. This trip would either be with a large group of adults OR I could go as a leader for the youth trip. This would be a little less remote and the project sounds a little more appealing. The Africa trip is with Habitat for Humanity which is a little intense. The plus side of this trip is that if I go with the youth then HPUMC might pay for it, which would mean a free vacation.

*The thing about these mission trips is that I need to decide if I'm trying to go on a mission for myself or to be selfless. If I go with the youth, the trip is about the kids. I'm not really going to be fully invested in the mission because I'm responsible for giving the kids a great trip.

3. Go on a vacation. Price: unlimited. This is risky because my friends don't necessarily get to take a week off of work so I have no clue who I would go with?!

4. Go home, see family. My sister's birthday is in June and she turns 21 so it would be fun to celebrate with her. I also don't really know when I would see my family besides at the holidays. But going home could be relatively boring. I would probably just read like 7 books and go to the beach.

Any and all other ideas are welcomed. Someone suggested looking into mission trips at other churches which could be a good idea as well, but as I am now a member at HPUMC, I want to try to be involved there.

I pray for the willingness to remember that I am a child of God, a divine soul in human form, and that my most basic and urgent life-task is to accept, know, love and nurture myself. As I accept myself, I am accepting God's will. As I know and love myself, I am knowing and loving God. As I nurture myself I am acting on God's guidance. I pray for the willingness to let go of my arrogant self-criticism, and to praise God by humbly accepting and caring for myself.

~Taken from "An Opening" Prayer Blog Written By Elizabeth Mosley 

Super Bowl Sized Menu

We're hosting a Super Bowl Party over at Thomas Manor on Sunday and I'm so excited! Since the Super Bowl is in Dallas (so fun!) the city is going to be crazy busy with celebrities and fans from all over the place buzzing around the city. It doesn't help that Dallas just got the mother of all ice storms! With "feels like" temps in the single digits and below zero wind-chills, this ice isn't melting anytime soon. All I'm worried about is getting all the food and drinks that we need for the party. What started as a casual "bring whatever you want to eat and drink" kind of party and manifested itself into a full blown Thomas Manor soiree.

So here is the menu (with pictures to come after the party):
Chips/Salsa (duh)
Pita/Hummus
Garlic-Bacon Dip
Pigs in a Blanket - Lil' Smokies wrapped in crescent rolls with honey mustard bbq dipping sauce
Mini Spinach Dip Bread Bowls

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Mini Cupcakes - chocolate with cream cheese frosting
Puppy Chow

...andddd lots of beer.

Stay tuned for party pics to come.

Confessions of an [Online] Shopaholic

That's right everyone, it's finally time to admit it - I'm an [Online] Shopaholic.

I think this mainly stems from the fact that I didn't have a car for 4 years of college so I was forced to do all my shopping online, except when I was lucky enough to tag along with friends on a NorthPark trip. Also, I'm always looking for a good deal and I'm notorious for "shopping" around online before I actually buy something. The funny thing is, I rarely buy clothes online. In fact, the only place I really buy clothes online from is JCrew Sale because the sale is always so good online (and way too picked over in the stores). I mostly buy shoes, wallets, bags (gah, Kate Spade sale is AMAZING!), books and gadgets (read - cables, headphones, ect). It is so easy to just like a few buttons and know that you'll be getting something in the mail in a few short days (sadly, sometimes weeks). I'm pretty impatient though, so it is odd that I enjoy online shopping so much because once I usually decide that I want to buy something, I want it right away.

My most recent online purchases have been the following:

• A Barnes & Noble Nook - Purchased from the B&N eBay store because I could get a refurbished one for $40 less and free shipping! 
• Then of course, I purchased some eBooks/NOOKbooks
• New Apple headphones - Purchases from eBay (and they came from China) but they were only $7 instead of $30 and free shipping! 
• MixMyGranola.com - Order customized granola with all kinds of yummy ingredients and have it shipped right to your door. 
• Black Travelpro carry-on suitcase (TSA absolutely WON'T let me carry-on my current "carry-on" bag) - Purchased from Amazon (mainly because I knew the exact bag I wanted, after lots of online research and Amazon had the cheapest price)
• Black winter coat for work - Purchases from Banana Republic online because they were having a great online sale and free shipping! 
•  Does music on iTunes count as online shopping? New Amos Lee album just came out!
• Created and ordered a Photo Calendar for my mom from iPhoto for her birthday

Wow - that's a long list and that's only in the past 2 weeks! Not to mention, I'm always scouring the latest sales on Rue La La and Gilt Groupe. Oh the temptations I've resisted...

In my mind, I'm just a really good bargain shopper who gets most of her deals online. But, I am beginning to worry about my credit card information getting all over the internet. I think I need to be a little more careful with all these purchases.

I REALLLYYYYYYYYY WANT TO GO TO COACHELLA!

DG Bid Day

Yesterday was Bid Day at SMU and the Alpha Upsilon chapter of Delta Gamma got a whole new pledge class of baby DGs. This is the first time, in my 4 years at SMU that I have not been a part of this amazing celebration. Bid Day 2007 was cold, dreary and rainy - just like it was this year. But no matter the weather, the celebrations continue. DG was an amazing part of my college experience and I wish the best of luck to all the new baby DGs at SMU.

Here's a blast from the past...

Oh how awful those pink jerseys were! Thank goodness we got beautiful navy blue ones the next year. Look at us all with our rain soaked hair. Can you spot me way in the back?

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

Because right now, I need to remind myself of this often. When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

Resolutions for the New Year

I rarely make a list of New Year's Resolutions because I just think it's silly and they never last the whole year. I think this is because we're all geared up when the new year starts but by February we're sick of sticking to those goals. Usually, it's because we make goals that we think we're "supposed" to make - workout more, eat better, get more sleep, go to church...ect. This year, I'm making some realistic goals not necessarily resolutions. So here they are...

1. Be better about sticking to my budgets - I use this great website to track my spending, credit cards, student loans and investments. You can make budgets and then Mint tracks your transactions from your checking account. It's really a glorious program and it's all FREE!

2. Stay up to date on current events and especially financial news - the more you read the more you learn!

3. Run 3 times a week for 30 minutes or 3 miles. I'm hoping to run a 5k in March!

4. Get to work 10 minutes earlier (by 8am). This probably seems silly but honestly, it looks so much better and I can use those 10 minutes to get coffee, read the Wall Street Journal online or catch up on blogs. It's a better way to start the day.

5. Less carbs, more produce. I am in an eating rut. Yes, I LOVE to cook but I don't love to cook for one. I tend to make a bowl of pasta 4 nights out of the week and the rest of the nights it's cereal or a Lean Pocket. I'm going to try to stop the habit and eat at least 2-3 non-frozen, low carb meals like grilled chicken salad or yummy homemade soups!

6. There is a 6th 'resolution' but it's pending...not ready to share this one yet.

I'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress. I think I'm going to have to keep a link to this post on my desktop.

New Year Inspiration

Our CEO here at Tolleson Wealth Management sent out this email this morning. After reading it a few times, I realized that these 10 distinctions should be the way we live our lives. Take a moment to read them over and then post them by your desk. Make an effort this year to be a winner and not a whiner.

The Top 10 Distinctions Between Winners and Whiners

10.      Winners take responsibility. Whiners play the victim.

9.        Winners can have what they want. Whiners want what they can’t have.

8.        Winners find a way. Whiners find an excuse.

7.        Winners brighten a room by entering. Whiners brighten a room by leaving.

6.        Winners listen twice as much as they talk. Whiners talk twice as much as they listen.

5.        Winners enjoy life’s journeys. Whiners put their joy in destinations.

4.        Winners build friendships. Whiners destroy friendships.

3.        Winners think big. Whiners think small.

2.        Winners are focus-minded. Whiners are scatterbrained.

1.        Winners create positive meanings. Whiners create negative meanings.

Where are you winter?

(...sung to the tune of "Where Are You Christmas?" from How the Grinch Stole Christmas)

As you can see from the date of this post above, it's 4 days until Christmas and it is supposed to be a high of 80 degrees in the Dallas today. Where the heck is winter?? In lieu of my desire for mittens, fireplaces, pots of soup, and hot chocolate - my blog design if now representing the fact that in normal parts of the country, it is in fact, snowing at this time. Don't get me wrong, I love Dallas and all that is has to offer but it is certainly lacking seasons. On the way to work this morning, I wanted to turn on my Christmas jams but my iPhone corrected me by notifying me that it was 58 degrees outside and a more appropriate song would be "Let Love In" by the Goo Goo Dolls. No Christmas music for me when I have the air conditioning on in my car.

But then I reminded myself that there are lots of places that are warm at Christmastime. Last year, when SMU played in the Hawaii Bowl, my classmates were laying out on the beach in bikinis and Santa hats. People decorate palm trees instead of Douglas Firs. In other parts of the world, people actually put away their sweaters and hats at this time of year and pull out their shorts and sandals. I suppose you don't need cold weather or snow to make it feel like the holidays but to me, it just doesn't seem right.

Last February, it BLIZZARD(ed) at SMU. Everyone went nuts. It was as if this phenomenon people call "snow" only  happened on the moon. There was an all out, campus wide, snow ball flight on our quad. Dallas natives hit the grocery stores and cleaned out the shelves as if they were going to be snowed in for months. It was quite a sight to see. People in Dallas will always remember "The Great Blizzard of 2010"...

Rolling a Snowman like the PRO that I am. It's just in my blood, all that Northeastern(er) in me.

It's very practical to climb trees in the snow.

Elated!

A very special guest (Hanna's mom) came visit me at my office to bring me the sweetest present ever! I can't wait to share this special day with Hanna and Powell and I'm so honored that I've been asked to be a part of it!

Me and Hanna at DG Big/Lil Night - the beginning of an amazing friendship

22 days to a new year!

In the spirit of Christmas, I thought I would make a list of things I want....to see, read, do in the new year!

Books I want to read:

1. Shantaram
2. The Devil In the White City
3. Water for Elephants (before the movie comes out!)
4. The Help

Movies I want to see:

1. Love and Other Drugs (Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway)
2. How Do You Know (Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson)
3. No Strings Attached (Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman)
4. The Tourist (Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie)

Places I want to go: 

1. Kansas City with Whitney to see her home
2. Stephen's cabin in Oregon 
3. Chicago to see my family 
4. Minneapolis to visit Mary

Events coming up: 

1. Jan - Freshman girls small group starts
2. Feb - my 23rd birthday
3. March - Mary is hopefully coming to Dallas to visit!
4. June - 1 year anniversary of working at Tolleson 
5. June - my sister turns 21! (Lord, help us all)
6. July - Becca is getting married!
7. October - Hanna is getting married! 

Guess I'm going to be pretty busy in the new year!

Ma Famille, la mia famiglia, mi familia, min familie...

No matter how you say it, they will always be your family. (The last one is Danish by the way) You may fight, argue, yell, cry - but ten minutes later it's all blown over and no one can remember what the fight was even about. The holiday season always seems to make families go crazy. My sister is indecisive and can't tell me what she wants for Christmas and my mom just wants "happy children" - the same thing every year. Mom makes the secret Boehm family chex mix and Margaux bakes a different pie each day. I'm always frantically searching for the perfect stocking stuffers. We send tons of emails back and forth about plane reservations, airport pickups and trips up to UMASS to take Margaux to and from school. Then the house fills up kids and friends and there is always arguing over who gets to take the car out. But at the end of the day, we'll always be family. I don't think I always appreciate this simple fact.

Style Status

Shopping for 'office appropriate' (read stuffy, manly, wrinkly) attire on a budget can be especially challenging when the clothes you prefer are way out of your budget. Yes, I could just go to Express (gross!) and get a black suit, some work pants and a few button downs and be set. However, the material is cheap, the fit is generic, and the clothes will only last me one season. Take it a step up to Banana Republic, JCrew (my personal favorite) or Ann Taylor - these suites/work clothes will last a little longer and come in a wider variety of fits and styles. Pieces are easy to mix and match and there are choice for non-iron tops (a MUST!). And then there is the ultimate status symbol - The Theory Suit. My mom and I joked after I landed my first 'big girl job' that "someday, when I saved up enough of my paychecks, I could indulge in my first Theory suit and it would be something I would pass down to my children someday..." Naturally, I want that day to come sooner, rather than later - so I scour  Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off 5th, and Neimans Last Call, hoping to find a bargain.

My mom was in town this weekend and we made our ritual visit to the NorthPark Mall. While perusing the racks in Nordstrom, I stumbled upon the most perfect Theory blazer and pencil skirt....that was of course way out of my budget at $550 for the jacket and skirt. Somedayyyyy....

Theory - 'Kiersten K - Strategy' Jacket and Skirt

BUT! This is not where the story ends. We headed over to the sale racks at Neiman Marcus and I proceeded to try on a few Theory dresses...just for fun. My mom and I found this great shift dress on sale for $177 from $295 with an extra 30% off. Even with all those discounts, the dress just wasn't an investment I could make. However, (and this is the perk to shopping with your sweet, sweet mother) my mom decided that it was a worthwhile purchase that I just couldn't live without in my work wardrobe. So TaDa --

Ohhhh sweet Theory heaven...

Have I now officially reached this new status symbol? Does it only apply when I officially own my first Theory suit? Who knows...but I am going to feel pretty dang special the first day I wear this slice of heaven to work.

Favorite Fall Food: Butternut Squash!

After many weeks of craving this dish, I finally caved and made my mom's Apple & Butternut Squash Soup. It's been unreasonably warm in Dallas but I've still been craving hot apple cider, cute brown riding boots, chunky sweaters, and all things pumpkin flavored. I decided I couldn't wait any longer, so I headed to Central Market after work yesterday to pick up the ingredients.

Here is my version of the recipe (a combination of my mom's recipe and ones I've seen online here and here):
1 large butternut sqaush - peeled, seeded, diced
3-5 Granny Smith apples (depending on how big they are) - peeled, cored, diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
2-3 shallots (depending on size) - chopped
2-3 cups chicken/vegetable stock
1-2 cups water (basically to cover the veggies)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and saute shallots and garlic in olive oil until tender and fragrant. Add chopped squash, apples, stock and water. (My mom sautes her apples in butter and a touch of cinnamon instead of boiling them with the squash but I was too lazy to dirty another pan.) Cook squash and apples until fork tender (about 25 minutes). Puree soup by using a blender, food processor or immersion blender until very smooth. Return to pot. Add cream, nutmeg, salt/pepper to taste. Garnish with shredded aged cheddar, dollop of sour cream or paprika. Enjoy fall in a bowl!

Ingredients waiting for the pot

Word of advice - chopping and peeling the squash is a FEAT! If only my roommates has been home to witness me hacking away at this poor squash.

9 hours later...everything is chopped!

Smells AMAZING when garlic and shallots hit the oil

All the kids in the bath!

Finished product!

Fresh bread from the bakery at Central Market!

To hold you over...

This is just a short & sweet post to tie you over (this one's for you, Mary!)...

Yesterday was FULL of baking - it was just that kind of Sunday. I made a birthday cake for my friend Stephen who is a freshman at SMU and second string on the football team (so cool!).

I also made a cake for my roommates for Halloween. I made chocolate pumpkin cake (basically  just add a can of pumpkin to boxed cake mix with 2 eggs, couple tablespoons of oil and 1/3 cup of water).

 

More of an update to come!

Well, hello October and hello fall!

I posted a record of 2 times in September. Ouch, not so good. It's not that I've been particularly busy, just not particularly inspired. Things have been sorta "ho-hum" lately and I haven't really felt very excited about anything. Let's get you all up to speed. The second half of September consisted of my cousin's wedding in Chicago and the infamous SMU vs. TCU rivalry game. The wedding was a BLAST and I had a great time catching up with my family.

The Boehm Family (Mom in white and her sisters and brothers)

Mom has perfected the pose!

Cousins!

I hadn't seen my cousin Tyler and his wife Erica since their wedding 5 years ago and now Erica is pregnant!

Me and my cousin Tyler probably when I was about 8

The SMU vs. TCU game was on a friday and it was also family weekend. I was able to sneak out of work at 4:30 and make it over to the boulevard just in time. The stadium was packed full with 34,000 fans in red, with a sprinkling of purple TCU fans. SMU was the first to score and was beating TCU at two points in the game but in the end TCU won out. I still feel pretty good about my Mustangs for holding our own against a #4 ranked team. So far SMU has a winning record in our conference!

I also finally was able to buy my bike! Action pictures to come!

Ok now on to the real point of this post. So far, I have the feeling that October is going to be a great month. I started the first day of October by attending the Citizen Cope concert at the House of Blues with some of my friends. We had such a good time! (pic) Then I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing on the couch and reading outside. The weather has been just perfect!
This morning I met with my small group for the second time. I've joined this 'bible study' through HPUMC for young adults. I was skeptical at first because it can be a scary thing, pouring your heart out to 'strangers' and discussing our spirituality. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually loved the group! I look forward to it every week and the 8 of us really get along so well! Last Tuesday when I got to work, I felt just a little bit different, had a bit of a spring in my step. We meet at 7am so I had to wake up earlier than usual so I expected to be a little more tired at work but it had quite the opposite affect on me. I'm really looking forward to more Tuesday mornings with this group and maybe I'll be inspired to wake up a little bit earlier each morning and have a little quiet time before the craziness of the day.

"Let your light so shine before the world so that he may see your good works and give glory to our Father in Heaven"
~ Matthew 5:16

Wait what...?

Not only was this my "favorite" phrase in high school (it donned the back of my SENIOR GIRLS shirt) but this phrase also accurately describes this time in my life. There are days when I wake up and say to myself "Wait what...?" I wonder how the heck I got to this place...it's the middle of September, I have officially been a member of the work force for about 4 months, I have to start investing in my 401K, I have a car payment, my friends are getting married....the list goes on.
I'm on an alumni committee for SMU called SeRVe which helps recruit prospective students. We called students from our hometown and help answer questions about SMU and the experience. A lot of times when I called, I reached the parents and it's amazing how they change the way they talk to you when you say that you're an alum. They totally change their tone of voice from the "I'm addressing a college student" tone to the "you are my equal/peer" tone. It really started to hit me that while I may still feel like a unprepared student of the "work force",  people around me don't necessarily see it that way.
I know that my world will keep changing every day....but sometimes I just wish it would slow down and let me be a kid again. Good thing I'm going to my cousin's wedding this weekend where I'll be the oldest, unmarried cousin in the family...I think it's the perfect excuse to act like a kid.

The Rainy Day Blues

1. Blessed - Brett Dennen
2. Slow Mo - Steve Moakler
3. When a Heart Breaks - Ben Rector 
4. Yellow - Coldplay
5. Heaven - Brett Dennen
6. Better Together - Jack Johnson
7. So Damn Lucky - Dave Matthews
8. Run - Steve Moakler 
9. In Your Eyes - Ben Harper
10. The One Who Loves You The Most - Brett Dennen 
11. Something Beautiful - Needtobreathe
12. Skinny Love - Bon Iver 
13. I'm On Fire - John Mayer
14. Come On Get Higher - Matt Nathanson