Creamy Rice Pudding

The Scene: It's -4 with the windchill out. We've been getting snow for two days. The roommates have gone out and I've decided not to risk my life driving to my 6-9 history class. I know I should be upstairs getting some reading done or maybe a draft done for the next paper I have due but I want something to eat plus I've been fighting off a headache all day. I miss days like this at home. Laying on the couch with the dog. Having Dad to make dinner and watching the news in a house where I don't pay the heating bill.

This recipe is so freaking good. I absolutely love the rice pudding. Dad used to make this for me and Jessica all the time. It's creamy and warm. The flavor is like warm vanilla ice cream over rice. So so yummy. I just love this stuff. And a whole batch to myself means snacks all the time. I've even been known to eat it for breakfast. It's just a nice warm way to wake up in the morning. The recipe we use comes from da internets. The only tip I have for you is to follow the instructions exactly. It may seem like it will never get thick and creamy but it will. Also, stir stir stir. It will never come together if you don't stir. I hope you enjoy this big batch of love.

Friday Faves

Friday again?! Time really does fly. Not that this week has been super fun. Just a lot of studying as usual but you know. Eventually Friday comes and you can't believe you made it through another seven days of studying...

1. History

History and I are in love right now. We are in that honeymoon stage. You know, where I rape everyone with my vast history knowledge? Yeah. I killed Uriah in a cheesecake versus cheesepie argument. I gave Margie a lesson on Animal Farm. I got an A- on my German History paper and a B+ on my Colonial American History paper. I taught the chapter how the colonists died. (Eat your bean with rice or pasta or you'll die like the colonists too.) The picture above is from my German History class. My professor has a large collection of German Marks printed during WWI that are worth more now than they were back in the day. You can't use them any more since Germany adopted a new currency after WWII and now they have the euro but you can buy WWI German Marks for like 50 cents in Germany or on Ebay. They were so incredibly cool. This note is for 100,000 Marks and you would need a huge bundle to buy even a loaf of bread during WWI. History raped.

2. Kate and Sabrina

Kate, Sabrina and I have been having a blast together this week. We started off by going to the piano bar in downtown Grand Rapids, Mojo's. We danced and had a blast. Kate and I laughed hysterically as guys danced with Sabrina without even asking her. She was such a trooper. She would dance for the whole song, turn around and thank them and then walk away. Sometimes they would take the hint and sometimes they would come back for round two of rejection but either way, we had fun. Then last night we went to Peppino's to do a little more dancing. We didn't spend quite as much time there because as is typical for a Thursday night in a college town, it was absolutely packed. That and Pep's is notorious for their terrible service and it took us forever to get anything so we didn't want to spend the whole night waiting for water or menus or drinks or our food or a straw because the waitress forgot it the last two trips she made it to our table.

3. Fancy Hair and Make Up

My sister has created a monster. I used to impress people with my ability to get out the door in 30 minutes no problem. Now I spend at least that blow drying and straightening my hair. Then if I'm going to do a bump or something of that nature, we now are up to 25 minutes. My face doesn't take forever because I'm fairly loyal to the products I love and eventually I'll do a post so Jessica can see how my routine has changed but between showering and dressing and hair and make up, I take a good hour to get ready. But now it feels weird to leave the house when I do not look exactly like the above. Not being fantastic looking every day means I'm going to run into someone who is important enough to deserve fantastic me. So now I wake up an hour early just to look like this. I feel rather silly.

4. Studying at Panera

I have found a new love for studying at Panera. Their food is a little expensive but their menu includes calorie counts and their food is as close to homemade as you can get in this type of restaurant. This Thursday I enjoyed a strawberries & cream scone and some ginger peach tea. The scone is much bigger than the picture gives it credit for. I don't have a big appetite anymore so this was a whole meal for me but I'm sure it would make a fine snack too. The best part is the Panera team is just so nice. They refilled my mug with hot water when it got cold without charging me and had no problem when I asked for an extra tea bag. They don't bother me while I'm studying. It's busy without being distracting and they play pretty generic music so it's the right noise level for me to get stuff done when I don't want to go to campus or stay home. And I totally recommend their broccoli cheddar soup!

5. Sisterhood Bonding

I had an absolutely fantastic time with these lovely ladies as we acted ridiculous and showed our Educational Consultant, Justina, just how crazy the Gamma Xi chapter gets. Someone's face is missing from this photo because I'm fairly certain we had seven people in that pile, not six. But anyways, our Friday night bonding session included Margie's stalker-ish Mitchell Musso story, yelling about whether or not Happy Feet 2 is just Happy Feet 1 backwards and hearing Justina's stories about the haunted chapter house at Central. It was a blast and I wouldn't trade moments like these for the world.

Heart Attack!

It's almost Valentine's Day!!! I like sending the nephew mail for holidays. For Valentine's Day, I'm sent him a heart attack! I decorated the outside of a box with hearts and put a stuffed monkey inside with lots of paper hearts so it's an "attack" of hearts when it arrives! I thought it was a sweet way to send mail to a kid. I <3 you, Liam!!!

Wednesday Writings

A houseplant is dying. Tell it why it needs to live.

Paul... Can I call you Paul? Paul... Paul, you want to live. You need to live. There is so much in this world that wouldn't be the same without you. This window sill. It would just be bare without you. But you make it green. You should live. Maybe grow a little purple flower some day. Because it would make someone smile. Wouldn't you like to make someone smile? Someone would smile at you with your bright colors and you could live in the happy sunlight. Maybe you give that person a hobby that makes them not want to die. A cheery little co-existent life, Paul! Wouldn't that be nice? So please don't die Paul. It's important.

DIY Tank Top

My biggest boy pet peeve? Muscle shirts. And women wearing a boy's muscle shirt with a sports bra. But I get the appeal. It's cooler and easier to move in. But I don't want to wear a shirt that looks like it belongs to a boy. And tank tops made for women are usually too tight. When we went to Cedar Point last summer, I made one of these tank tops and I absolutely love it. I used one of Joe's that was stained and he was going to throw away anyways.

1. Cut off the arms and neck. Cut them a little deeper that just the seam.
2. Turn the shirt over and cut a little deeper just off the back of the neck and the arms.
3. Using part of the shirt that you cut off, pull a strip through both sleeves and tie a double knot.

If you're like me and you don't like working out in just a bra, this is a great option. There are a lot of other variations on the internet. I have two more of Joe's old shirts to work with so I might try something different with the next one. 

Sorority Paddles

It took me a long time to learn the tricks to making a cool paddle. If you're not creative, it's hard to know what you're doing. I just finished Emily's "Tacky Christmas" Themed Paddle and I thought I'd give you a couple of tips for making a great paddle.

• Always make a plan before you start. There is nothing worse than getting started and realizing there was a way cooler way to do something.
• When you're painting, be a perfectionist. Nothing ruins the look a paddle more than smudges and lines that aren't quite straight.
• Details matter. Just because you're going simple doesn't mean you can't make every detail perfect. With the tacky sweater pattern, I painted a little "v" texture into the shapes so that it had that sweater look.
• Clear coat. It really is necessary. It makes the paddle look so finished and polished.
• If you're gonna go big, go big. Those Christmas lights light up and I searched everywhere for that mini garland.

Did you make a cool paddle? Send me a pic or a link because I'd love to see it!

Friday Faves

Happy February y'all. It has been a long week here in the arctic. In the past two weeks, we've gotten over two feet of snow. Spring has six weeks to get here or I will be packing a bag and living on the beach in Florida.

1. Mint

I am so happy mint is every where this year. I have always loved mint and I've had mint polish for a long time but I had so many beautiful options for a mint dress for my Valentine's date with Luke. I am so excited for it to get here. Plus I always have a blast online shopping with Jessica.

2. Dinner with Emily

Little love and I had dinner on Sunday night and it was so nice to catch up with her. I just love her. I made her that cute little headband so look forward to that post.

3. Valentine's Day

Luke and I got our Valentine's Day plans squared away since his work will be sending him to teach a couple of classes up north for a couple of days over February 14. By the way, do you know how many times that boy actually asked me what the date of Valentine's Day is? Seriously. But anyways, I am so excited because he let me have a choice and my Valentine's Day gift is a day trip to Chicago together over spring break in March. I am super excited about that! He doesn't know it yet but we are so going into the Vera Bradley store on Michigan Ave. :)

4. The SpeakEZ Lounge

Luke took me to this super cute bar last night and I think this may have to be a regular thing for me to bug him about. It was so small and out of the way. Their staff is so nice and it feels exactly what a speakeasy should feel like. And they have a delicious moscato.

5. This Song

If I can't be Felicia Day, can we at least be BFFs?