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February 27, 2015

This Just Pinned: Week One Hundred & Thirty-Two...

Here are the highlights of my last week pinning...
 (via: Aida Mollenkamp)
(via: Pinterest)

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

February 26, 2015

Library Advocacy Day...

Yesterday I attended my first ever New York Library Association's Library Advocacy Day up in Albany, NY at the state capital building. I took a bus up (At the ass crack of dawn) with a bunch of other librarians and library advocates from the county to attend meetings with individual Legislators to voice our concerns and try to gain support for funding and policies that benefit libraries (Which FYI has resulted in over $7 million dollars in additional library aid since 2011).

Since I had never attended before and no one from my library had gone in a while I had no idea what to actually expect, so I ended up sticking close to one of the librarians I knew from another library who has gone every year for the past fifteen or so years -- Which in my opinion was a good move.
We attended a bunch of very short meetings with a bunch of Legislators who pretended to care about libraries, got library cards from the New York State Library (Which happens to be in the same building) and attended the big librarian rally in the Legislative Office Building.

It was a long day but it was a very interesting experience and I think I'll attend next years Library Advocacy Day if my Director will let me.


NOTE: According to the New York Library Association's website over 800 library advocates participated and all together there were meetings with over 45% of members of the New York State Legislature.

February 22, 2015

Reflecting On My Twenties | My 24th Birthday...

This one wasn't crazy but here it is...

Sunday Steal...

Could You Tell Me Please, What Color Each Of These Things Are?

Your Hair:  Purple (Pravana Chromasilk Vivids in Violet)
Your Eyes: Brown
Your Shirt: Black Old Navy tank top
Your Socks: Justin's white socks
Your Shoes: Blue & Black Uggs
Your Purse: Black
Your Wallet: Black with gold details Michael Kors wallet
Your Phone: Black iPhone with a black and gold case
Your Computer/Laptop: Black computer
Your Earphones: The standard white Apple earbuds
Your Best Friend’s Hair: Erin is blonde and Phil is a ginger
Your Best Friend’s Eyes:  They both have blue eyes
Your Sky Today: Blue

February 21, 2015

Butt Dialing Drama...

So yesterday I had the day off because I'm working today and I figured I'd be kinda sort of productive and go shopping for an outfit for Alana's bachelorette party which is next Friday, as well as pick up some groceries because I had people coming over.

While I was out I noticed that my Department Head had texted me, so I called her to give her the information she had asked me about and went on with my shopping. About fifteen minutes later I feel my phone vibrating under the twelve layers of clothes I was wearing because it was super cold out and it's my sister bugging out. She was like "Call dad!" and I'm like "Why? What's wrong?" She proceeds to tell me that my father called her in a panic saying I had called him and all he heard was heavy breathing and weird noises and he basically thought I was dying.

So I hang up on her, call my dad and assure him that I was not dying and that I was out shopping and must have accidentally hit a button on my iPhone that dialed their house number when I had gotten off the phone with my Department Head. Thankfully I called when I did because he was convinced I was dying somewhere and was about to call the cops and have them go to my apartment.

After speaking to my father I noticed that I had a text message, missed call and a voicemail from Justin* So I call him quickly and find out that my dad had called him too and that he was on his way back to our apartment to make sure I wasn't dying on the floor.

I cannot believe that all of this happened over an accidental pocket dial. I mean, I thought it was amusing as it was happening but I guess I could understand why my dad bugged out.

Have any of you ever dealt with anything like this? Lemme know.

* Justin NEVER calls me. He always texts me. I think people are dead when he calls me.

February 20, 2015

Reflecting On My Twenties | My 23rd Birthday...

And then there was this one...

This Just Pinned: Week One Hundred & Thirty-One...

Here are the highlights of my last week pinning...
(via: The Epicures)
(via: Flickr)

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

February 18, 2015

February 17, 2015

From The Hold Shelf (Or What I'm About To Read)...

"The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy-Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches" by Andrea Nguyen
A cookbook devoted to the beloved Vietnamese sandwich, with 50 recipes ranging from classic fillings to innovative modern combinations. 

Created by Vietnamese street vendors a century or so ago, banh mi is a twist on the French snack of pâté and bread that is as brilliant as it is addictive to eat. Who can resist the combination of crisp baguette, succulent filling, and toppings like tangy daikon and carrot pickles, thin chile slices, refreshing cucumber strips, and pungent cilantro sprigs? You’ll have ample opportunities to customize your sandwich with filling options such as grilled pork, roast chicken, and “the special”—a delectable combination of garlicky pork, liver pâté, and Vietnamese cold-cuts. 

Opening a new realm of flavor for anyone tired of standard sandwich fare, The Banh Mi Handbook presents more than fifty recipes and numerous insights for crafting a wide range of sandwiches, from iconic classics to modern innovations, including:  

Crispy Drunken Chicken
Shrimp in Caramel Sauce
Grilled Lemongrass Pork
Beef and Curry Sliders
Coconut Curry
Tofu Lettuce Wrap Banh Mi 

Respected food writer Andrea Nguyen’s simple, delicious recipes for flavor-packed fillings, punchy homemade condiments, and crunchy, colorful pickled vegetables bring the very best of Vietnamese street food to your kitchen.

"Banh Mi: 75 Banh Mi Recipes for Authentic and Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches" by Jacqueline Pham
The quintessential Vietnamese street food--in your own home!  

Indulge in the intoxicating aroma and exotic taste of a freshly baked baguette topped with savory pork, bright cilantro, and thin strips of pickled carrots and daikon. With Banh Mi, you can enjoy these flavorful Vietnamese sandwiches without ever having to step out of your home. From vegetarian options to meat-filled sandwiches, this book will provide you with step-by-step instructions for creating 75 delicious banh mi recipes, including:   
   
Spicy eggplant tofu     
Vietnamese-style chicken curry     
Char siu barbecue pork     
Mango grilled shrimp  

Complete with recipes for classic Vietnamese pickled condiments, flavorful sauces, fresh baked breads, and classic sides, Banh Mi brings the essential tastes of true Vietnamese cuisine into your kitchen!

•   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •

As expected, "In The Kitchen With Kris: A Kollection of Kardashian-Jenner Family Favorites" by Kris Jenner was nothing special. It was a hodgepodge of random recipes with a few old photos of the Kardashian-Jenner family (Less pictures than I honestly expected from Kris Jenner). The only recipe that I was slightly interested in was CiCi's Cheese Borags, but not enough to take a picture of the page. So yeah, the book was just meh.

February 16, 2015

The Biggest Oscars-Themed Collection Ever | Xfinity On Demand...

With the 87the Academy Awards coming up this weekend I thought I'd share a little Xfinity press release with all of you movie lovers out there...

In honor of the Oscars Xfinity On Demand is presenting the biggest Oscars-themed collection ever available. The collection includes more than 200 previous winners. The collection features this year’s nominees like Boyhood (six nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor), Gone Girl (Best Supporting Actress) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (nine nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director), as well as a collection of past winners such as 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, Argo, The Kings Speech, The Hurt Locker and more. For movies that haven’t been released for home viewing yet, such as Birdman (Best Screenplay of a Motion Picture) and The Theory of Everything (Best Original Score), the Xfinity On Demand collection provides trailers and more information on each film.

So if you're a Xfinity subscriber itching to binge watch a few of this years nominees or some of your favorite past winners before the big night, check out the Oscar collection under the "Movie" section of Xfinity On Demand.

I know if I had it I would because I honestly have only seen one of this year's Best Picture nominees, that being The Grand Budapest Hotel. And since I've only seen the one I really love that they have the trailers and other information on the nominated films all in one spot, that way I can at least cheat and pretend like I know something about the movies when I talk to my movie buff friends (One whom I'll be seeing Friday night and who is super hardcore about watching all of the Best Picture nominees before the awards).

So yeah, check it out if your a subscriber and want to but haven't already seen the films that have been released for home viewing. And if you do, lemme know what you watch and how it was.

This is kinda-sort-not-really sponsored. I didn't actually get anything for posting this, but I was asked if I could share this with all of you.

February 15, 2015

Pretentious Patrons & Socioeconomically Based Baby Names...

I just overheard the most pretentious patron talking about how she and her husband chose their kids' names based off of some socioeconomic baby name list. She literately said "Well, his first name is a common upper middle class name but unfortunately his middle name is a common lower class name. We used it because it's my husband's father's name..." and then proceeded to explain to the person she was talking to that her husband wanted to name their daughter Lily but then she thought, what if she wants to be a lawyer... So they gave her a completely different name.

After the patron said that I had to walk into the office and sit at my desk because I couldn't stand listening to her ridiculousness any longer. I mean really, is this socioeconomically base baby names list thing a thing? Do other people in the world care that much about a name? Please if someone knows anything about this I'd love to hear what you have to say on the subject. 

But yeah, I swear in the almost eleven years of overhearing patron conversations I have never heard anything like this one, and I've overheard some weird and douchy things.

February 14, 2015

Goodbye Twenties | Hello Thirties...

So I did take pictures everyday for the past couple of days, I'm just a bad person who didn't upload them daily like I said I would...

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Snake Library...

"Savage Chickens" by Doug Savage (December 3rd, 2014)

February 13, 2015

Stuck In My Head: Take Me To Church...

I don't know if the video of Sergei Polunin dancing to Hozier's "Take Me To Church" has been all over your Facebook feeds, but it's been all over mine and because of it I've had "Take Me To Church" stuck in my head pretty much for the past two or three days.

So for those of you that may not have seen it, here it is...

New Makeup Obsession | ColourPop...

As many of you may or may not know, I'm addicted to makeup and I love trying out new products. So after weeks of watching Dani from Coffee Break With Dani's tutorials using ColourPop's Super Shock Shadows and Lippie Stix on YouTube I finally caved and purchased a handful of items from ColourPop. And can I tell you, I am in love with my purchases and I now know why Dani has a weekly series that feature's their products.

First off, their eyeshadow comes in some of the most beautiful shades I have ever seen and are this cool mousse texture (Kind of like that of Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush) that dries like a powder. And their lipsticks come in equally beautiful shades and are super pigmented (Bonus for those of you MAC lovers out there, a handful of their shades are dupes for some popular lipsticks).

Now if that didn't get you to want to try them, this will... All of their eyeshadow and lipsticks are $5 each with free shipping within the United States on orders over $30 (For those of you outside of the United States, ColourPop ships to the following countries; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, and APO’s, plus they are still trying to expand. I'm not sure about international shipping costs though, so you'll have to look into that), all of their products are cruelty free and all of their products are made in the United States.

Now on to my actual purchase.

These are the shades of the Super Shock Shadows that I ended up buying...

Fringe - Shimmering champagne with gold and silver glitter.
La La - True rose gold in a metallic finish. 
Bae - Rich eggplant purple with an emerald & turquoise, glittery duo chrome metallic finish.
Shameless - Black with multiple shades of green, subtle hints of blue & gold glitter in a metallic finish.
Lace - Deep rich blue violet with a pearlized finish.


I also purchased one of their Lippie Stix and one of their pencils, both in the color Feminist which is a black purple.

I honestly love everything I purchased so much and I cannot wait to order more products from them. I'm already plotting which shades of Super Shock Shadows I'm going to get next.

If you've tried ColourPop before or plan on trying them, lemme know. I'd love to hear your thoughts.