Ikea! (I mean, need I say more?)

Frankly, I feel like I could simply write: Ikea. and that it would count for a full blog post about something I'm grateful for. But, just for the heck of it, I'll elaborate.

When Ikea first arrived in New Haven, CT (right next to my home town) it was a mob scene. You couldn't get in, there were lines... it was a mess. So naturally, never liking to be part of a hectic scene which I have no control over, I stayed away. But the day I stepped into Ikea I was forever changed. This world of I things I wanted and COULD afford proudly displayed itself in front of me. The tough thing was, once I'd equipped myself with everything one could need for a home, I was kind of out of luck in terms of things to find in Ikea.

Never fear, my husband and I have never met a store we didn't like - never met an inventory we didn't "love". Almost every time we visit my parents in CT we make a trip to Ikea, and Thanksgiving was no exception. Having just received every kitchen appliance, utensil and pan one could need as wedding gifts we were challenged. Yet up to the challenge we were. This trip to Ikea yielded bars (which you mount to your kitchen wall) that you hang various storage items off of.

Step one was to buy the bar/hanging storage components: easier said than done. First time through the check out line I realize we'd forgotten to pick up the bracket-like items you hang your storage item off of. So I checked out while Danny ran back through Ikea (and yes, you have to start at the beginning and run allllll the way through). He got back in line, checked out, and I realized that he'd only grabbed a 5 pack of the brackets, we needed 6. So I ran back through Ikea (all the way through again, though I (shamefully) know a few short cuts) and got another package of brackets and went through check out AGAIN.

Step two was to drive the Ikea items back to Syracuse. (I'm only counting this as a step to give us a little more credit).

Step three was to place the Ikea items on the floor in the kitchen... and stare at them longingly hoping they'll mount themselves to the walls. (Wait 3 weeks).

But lucky for moi, step four was to come home to find the Ikea items mounted perfectly to the wall, proudly holding my precious Keurig K-Cups!! So incredibly thankful that my husband took it upon himself to tackle the project which I would NEVER have done as carefully as he did. Perfectly level, perfectly positioned, perfectly fulled will K-cups... I'm a lucky lady.

Inedible.

Tonight, my husband and I are grateful for crappy go-to food. Easy, barely nutritious, quick, craptastic food-like items. This is because last night I made the absolute worst dinner I've ever made. EVER. Most dinners start with "okay I tried something new I don't know how it will be, so if it's horrible I'm sorry". It's never been horrible. However, I reached a new low last night. 

The story begins with chicken that was at its "use or freeze by" date. (Danny, I'm sorry you're learning that via my blog...). I'd seen this commercial where the mom throws some mayo and breadcrumbs over chicken, bakes it, and it becomes juicy deliciousness. So after a particularly horrendous day of work I came home to "use me now!" chicken and the only thing I could think of to do with it was impersonate that commercial. I threw the mayo/breadcrumb chicken into a baking pan and put it in the oven... for like an hour. 

Why did I cook chicken breasts (a mere 2 1/2 inches thick) for an hour? No idea. I cooked the crap out of that chicken. The thing was, the top barely started to brown, but the bottom was a soggy, mushy mess. And the chicken itself. Bless his heart, Danny tried to chew it. It was not possible. Alongside the inedible chicken I served steam-in-a-bag veggies in butter sauce. Truth. (And that was the best part of dinner!)

Some might try to redeem themselves by cooking a gourmet feast. I did not. That's right folks, tonight we had: hot dogs with sauerkraut and tater tots, and it was FANTASTIC. Loved every second of it, and I love my husband for loving it just as much as I did. 

2.3 friends?!

There was a study done recently on the true number of friends people have. Of course, in true "me" fashion, I can't find anything about this study anywhere online, but I swear, it exists. Essentially the study claims that each person has 2.3 friends who they could count on in a time of trouble. ("But wait! What about the 987 friends I have on Facebook!?!?")

I am incredibly lucky, I have more than a handful of friends I can count on for anything, big or small. Today though, as it is a dear friend's birthday, I've spent the day thinking about two special ladies in particular. They are the kinds of friends you simply could never replace. Those friends that people have in movies but don't really exist in real life.

Two years ago on a weekday in November I heard some commotion in our hallway, followed by a knock at the door. And what did I find?? A big white bear and a lot of laughter. My friend had driven from Chicago out to Ithaca, picked up our other friend, driven out to Syracuse, donned a bear costume, and surprised me in honor of our birthdays (2 in November, 1 in January).

A year ago I got a call from my husband asking how much longer I'd be at my office for. When I did eventually leave I found two ladies donned in white sheets (it was supposed to be a "bridal" thing), standing in the middle of the parking lot holding a cake with candles (trying desperately to stay lit in the wind) and my favorite Thai food from Ithaca. It was my ladies again, having made the trip from Chicago to Ithaca to Syracuse, just so the three of us could spend a few hours together in honor of our birthdays. 

You couldn't dream up better friends. So on my darling friend's birthday, I hope she knows just how much I love and appreciate her - <3

Fashion Re(wind)(gret)

I have made many a fashion statement. As I look back there are many statements I wish I'd never made. I don't know why, but this was what was going through my head while I was in the shower this morning contemplating what to wear. I can remember specific outfits that I LOVED. Go-to outfits that I "knew" looked great every time I wore them. Yeah. Right.

I love a good "outfit". I specifically remember a girlfriend of mine telling me (in 5th grade) that wearing the same outfit twice in one week was a major faux pas. What the heck did I know? I liked the outfit, I wanted to wear it again because it was so awesome the first time. At least that's how my mind worked.

I went through this odd phase of trying to be sort of skater-ish. Truly the definition of poser because there wasn't an inch of me that was a skater, and my definition of skater was getting a pair of wide leg baggy black jeans from L.L. Bean (wild!) and pairing them with my Vans. 

Next came layering - loved to layer. Turtlenecks under v-neck sweaters. I remember a particularly embarrassing moment when a guy asked why I was wearing two sweaters... Looking back I'd like to ask myself the same thing.

Perhaps my most embarrassing "fashion" moment was when I decided that I could add some flare to my bell bottoms but sewing buttons along the bottom hems. (I wish so badly that I was kidding). Yeah those buttons made it through one day at school before I went home and cut them off. 

My variety of outfits led to one of my friends nicknaming every outfit I wore as if I was a Barbie doll - there was sporty Barbie, preppy Barbie - the list went on and on - I think there was even a cowboy Barbie - This method of classification really is the best way to describe my fashion through high school. We'll forget college which consisted solely of sweatsuit Barbie, every day.

I'd like to think that my fashion faux pas are over... but I believe I'll look back on photos years from now and question decisions I'm currently making. I just hope when I look back it isn't too terrible. But I have to admit... I'm not sure.

Easy vs. Cold

It's fall and fall means I get to wear sweaters. Sweaters are one of my favorite things. So a couple of weeks ago when it was 78 degrees in October, I was wearing a sweater. Today as it's 44 degrees I'll be wearing a sweater. And... well, let's face it, when I go to bed tonight I'll also be wearing a sweater - why you ask? Because our air conditioner unit is still installed our bedroom window.

Now, if we actually installed our air conditioners (which I'm convinced no one actually does, though I feel my opinion is swayed by the community we live in) then I don't think we'd have quite as much of an issue. No, each year we heave our ac window units into our windows, slam the top pane down and jam miscellaneous wood products between the unit and the top of the window frame for stabilization, and then (my favorite part) we extend those horrible accordion side pieces and set the whole thing in place with DUCT TAPE. Yes, in our nicely appointed apartment the summer months bring the additional decor of metallic tape - very classy. 

The duct tape holds up well through the summer, but not far past that. As we began to feel the fall chill in the air, we took out the ac unit in the living room, however, we never got to the bedroom unit. Each day that tape peels back a little bit more, and each night the chilly fall air blows in our faces. So the logical solution is to bundle up in layers and climb under the comforter and two thick blankets in order to stay warm. No, no - that's MUCH easier than taking the unit out and hey, who doesn't like to spend a little more on their utility bill?! 

The living room unit (while out of the window) is still sitting on our living room floor awaiting its trip to the basement, but at least we're not exposed to the elements as we sit on the couch. I'm thinking that perhaps the threat of snow tomorrow will prompt us to step it up and at least get the unit wrestled to the bedroom floor. Or maybe I'll just put on another sweater.

Our apartment: my "great ideas" graveyard

I am full of really great ideas (just ask my husband), particularly when it comes to better organizational solutions for our apartment . If you look closely, you'll see evidence of lots of fantastic ideas. Recently, our bedroom was the focus of these ideas...

As some of you may know, I've got a laundry problem. Solution: multiple laundry baskets, each with a purpose. I set out to TJMaxx and Target looking for laundry baskets. Let me classify that statement - nice looking laundry baskets. I'm not sure if I missed some surge in basket prices, but I was not prepared to purchase two tall wicker baskets for $125 (am I becoming cheap!?). With determination and an eye for "what could be" I found two great dark wicker baskets at TJMaxx with HORRIBLE (but removable) linings, $14.95 each. This brought the total number of laundry baskets in our bedroom to three: 1) my husband's "daily" items 2) my "daily" items, 3) "things we don't need immediately washed but are dirty" items. 

As some of your may know, I've (we've) also got a "too much stuff" problem. Solution: free up some room in our dressers. Basket adventure day also included a search for a storage unit with fabric bins, the thought being underwear and socks could move out of our dressers and into these bins. The storage unit could sit at the bottom of our closet, and make better use of the real estate in our closet. Found a unit on sale for $39.99 and bins for $5.99 each. Sweet deal. Easy assembly and into the closet it went, bins of underwear, socks and all. 

Great solutions... or so they seemed.

Who's surprised to hear that the laundry baskets are having an identity crisis (brought on by me of course). Oh, and they're all full... all the time. 

And did I mention that the storage unit is a scant 3 feet tall? My husband is 6 feet tall, meaning that the distance he needs to bend over to get his underwear and socks in the morning is nothing short of hysterical. And (since the laundry baskets are full) we have multiple empty drawers in our dressers. 

I'm thinking these solutions were not quite as successful as anticipated... but hey, I'm trying.

It's the most wonderful (movie) time, of the year!

I love fall. I can't actually imagine living somewhere that lacked the change of seasons. Fall ushers in the holiday season, which means many things... specifically: holiday movie time! I tend to think I have good taste in general, but when it comes to movies, well - I love some pretty terrible ones. So, just in case this fall weather is making you crave a holiday movie marathon, let me share some of my favorites.

The Holiday
Love Actually
The Family Stone 
The Santa Clause
Miracle on 34th Street (the newer version... sorry)
Elf
Scrooged


As I don't "allow" myself to watch these movies outside of October/November/December (okay I try my hardest) I will in fact watch a few of these multiple times... the winners being The Holiday and The Family Stone. Judge away if you must, but they put me in the holiday spirit!

But, if you're looking for the bad holiday movie to top all, you MUST watch The Christmas List. I'd explain it, but my summary could not do its tackiness justice. However, if you come across it while flipping channels, (think ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas movie marathons) please watch it for my cable-less sake.

70 days until Christmas folks. What are you grateful for this season?