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July 31, 2013

August Photo-A-Day...

Here is the photo a day list Fat Mum Slim made for August...
How to take part in August photo-a-day:
1. Using the list as inspiration, take a photo each day.
2. Share it on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #FMSphotoaday You can also share on your blog or on Facebook ... or even keep the photos privately for yourself.
3. Check out other people's photos and like them or comment on them. 

Wall Art For The Renter, For Real™...

Ever since moving in with Justin in May I've been busy trying to decorate our apartment (Which I promise I'll do a tour of when I feel like it's ready to be shown) to the best of my ability. But since we're renting a sublet in a co-op we signed a lot of paperwork saying what we could and couldn't do, and one of those things was hang anything on the walls without the owners permission. The owners of our apartment are very nice and told us to make the place feel like home, but at the end of the day (or our lease) we aren't going to want to be patching up holes, painting, etc. And because of that we've had a lack of any type of wall art.

So when presented with this opportunity from Canopi to receive a free product from Fathead® I jumped on it after searching through the site because it seemed like the best way to add some much needed interest to our very bare walls. And oh, was I right.
I absolutely love this piece (It's called The Foggy Lane by Keith Dotson for those of you who are interested), Justin is still on the fence about it but honestly if it was up to him we would have had the 4'3" x 6'4"decal of Matt Harvey or the 3'3" x 4'2" of Mr. Met. Both of which I wasn't going to let happen in our little apartment, maybe when we get a house I'll order him one or two for his office/man-cave/whatever (It's bad enough we have a huge Mets sign that my cousin gave him on top of my bookshelves).

But really, I cannot believe how easy it was to put up and how well it works with all of the other pieces in our apartment (We have all black furniture, a brown microfiber couch and recliner, as well as the bookshelves I mentioned that are semi-filled with my thrifted/antique finds -- Or crap depending on your tastes). I think it is the perfect fit where it is with my booze cart and my sweet floor lamp (I really love that lamp. One might say I love lamp. Sorry, I had to do it). The biggest test will be when Phil comes over, he will tell me what he thinks of it.

So yeah, if you're looking for a way to decorate a rented space without putting tons of holes in the walls you should really check out what Fathead® has to offer. They have so many beautiful wall decals and decor options, including items you can personalize which I think is the coolest thing ever -- I was thinking about taking one of my many photos and making my own personalized decal but Justin didn't take the time to sit down with me and pick out a photo he was okay with putting up.

If you want to get an idea of what you can do check out what Julie over at ROJ Running did with her Fathead®, as well as what everyone else below did...
I'm so grateful to have been given this opportunity from Canopi and Fathead® because honestly in the past when I heard Fathead® I just thought about big wall decals of sports figures and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they offer way more than that. That being said, I 100% love this product and wouldn't have shared it would you guys if I didn't. So lemme know what you think! Are any of you renters like Justin and I? Do you or did you have problems with wall art? Lemme know!
Fathead LLC is the industry leader of graphics products for large & small  spaces – led by authentic, officially licensed sports & entertainment graphics.  Fathead gives fans the opportunity to feel passion For Real by bringing their  favorite inspiration to life. Based in Detroit, Michigan, Fathead manufactures  all products in the USA and Canada for purchase worldwide. Fathead carries  thousands of images and maintains over 500 license agreements with leading  consumer brands across many industries and professional sports leagues.

July 28, 2013

Sunday Social...

1. If You Could Only Eat One Thing For The Rest Of Your Life, What Would It Be?
Seeing as I am a fat chick this is a difficult question to answer. Hmm... I'd definitely have to go with Moro y Christianos (You might know it as Congri) which is a Cuban black bean and rice dish.

2. What’s Your Guilty Pleasure/Comfort Food?

Homemade nachos. I make my own chips out of flour tortillas and sprinkle them with cayenne pepper and Goya Adobo as they come out of the oil. I put them in a tray with various cheeses, black beans, pickled and fresh jalapenos, and then bake it all together until everything is melted. Once everything is baked to my liking I top it with scallions, salsa, sour cream and more fresh jalapenos.

3. What’s The Weirdest/Craziest Thing You’ve Ever Eaten?
I don't think I eat weird things, especially since I have odd textural issues when it comes to food. 

4. What Foods Do You Avoid At All Costs?
Beef. I do not eat beef. I have never liked it and I will not touch it.

5. What Meal Reminds You Of Your Childhood?

Buttered elbow macaroni with chunks of Polly-O mozzarella. My Abuela made it for me all the time.

6. Share One Of Your Favorite Recipes & The Story Behind It.
I absolutely love the BLT pizza from California Pizza Kitchen and I since going there all the time is kind of a pain I decided to try and make my own.

• Pizza Dough • Oscar Meyer Fully Cooked Bacon • Shredded Mozzarella •
• Iceberg Lettuce • Tomato • Mayo • Olive Oil • Black Pepper • Garlic Powder • Salt •
  1. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil
  2. Coat the covered pan with three tablespoons of olive oil
  3. Sprinkle garlic powder and salt to taste on greased pan
  4. Stretch pizza dough to desired thickness -- I like mine super thin
  5. Sprinkle dough with more garlic powder and salt to taste
  6. Cover with dough with shredded mozzarella, bacon and slices of tomato
  7. Bake until golden brown and cut into slices
  8. Shred iceberg lettuce
  9. Mix lettuce with two tablespoons of mayo and black pepper to taste
  10. Put mayo lettuce mixture on top of the pizza and enjoy
Everyone I have ever made this for has loved it. It is one of the most requested food I make.

Lemme know if you try the recipe out!

July 27, 2013

Young Adult Summer Reading Flowchart...

The other day I was contacted by Teach.com and was asked if I'd like to check out their 2013 Young Adult Summer Reading Flowchart and possibly share it with all of you if I felt like it. So, I went to check it out and can I tell you, they put together one amazing young adult reading flowchart (Like, I showed it to my Department Head and she begged me to print her out a copy because she thought it was so great). It has a wonderful mixture of newer and older books, it is easy to read and is just beautifully done.

Enough of what I have to say, here is the blurb they sent me to share with all of you plus the chart...

Teach.com, a comprehensive online resource that helps connect teachers to each other as well as great resources for student development, has just released the Young Adult Summer Reading Flowchart--a follow up to the Summer Reading Flowchart from last summer, which focused on books for high school students. This year's edition focuses on young adult books for students in their middle school years; however, these books can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Recent years have seen the explosion of Twilight and the Hunger Games as well as a growth in the popularity of other young adult series—furthermore, there has even been a revival of interest in some older books. The Flowchart leads you through nearly 100 books, guiding you through different categories until you arrive at the book that is right for you. It is perfect for those that are looking for a specific title, or trying to discover something completely new. The summer is definitely a time of relaxation for most students, but it is important to keep students interested in reading through the summer months. This infographic is a fun and great way to keep young students excited about reading.

SRFCBrought to you by
Teach.com

July 26, 2013

Do You Feel Safe At Work...

I wanted to share the news clip that went along with the article I posted in my recent 'Library Articles' post about the robbery at an Atlanta library because it's slightly alarming and has me thinking.


The article and this clip just makes me think of how vulnerable most libraries are, including my own. My library has an unarmed security guard, but what good is that going to do us if multiple people bust in with guns? This all just raises concerns in my mind about my safety, as well as the rest of the staff and our patrons. It's like the Active Shooters meeting that I went to in January all over again.

So, do you feel like you're safe at work?

Library Articles...

United States Returns Stolen Antique Books To The National Library Of Sweden
Libraries: Beyond The Books
Libraries Partner With Local Airports
10 Mind-Bending Libraries From Around The World
Library of Congress Acquires Gay Rights Papers, Items Owned By Famed Pioneer Lilli Vincenz
Obama Ponders Post-Presidency Library
Library Staff, Patrons Robbed At Gunpoint

This Just Pinned: Week Sixty-Five...

Here are the highlights of my past two weeks pinning...
(via: Estefi Machado)
(via: Polyvore)
(via: Tumblr)

If you want to see what else I have up on Pinterest you can check out my account here.

July 25, 2013

Forgotten Photos From My iPhone...

July 23, 2013

Blogging About Not Knowing What To Blog...

As you all know I was in upstate New York this past weekend on Phil's annual rafting trip,  and oh it was one hell of a trip. Because of this and the fact that I promised Phil I'd write about it as  humorously as possible I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to go about writing about it because, yeah...

I've started a blog post about it but it is so long. I have 1,158 words (About a page and a half in a Word Document) about the first twenty-four hours of the trip and I'm nowhere near done explaining the chaos that was.

So yeah, stay tuned because a post about it will be coming hopefully soon. In the meantime here are some random pictures I took while we were driving various places throughout the time I was gone...

Stuck In My Head: We Can't Stop...

I really hate to admit this, but I am in love with this Miley Cyrus song. I officially think that this is my favorite song of  the summer. Sorry "Blurred Lines" you've replaced.

We Can't Stop by Miley Cyrus on Grooveshark