Top 5 Tools to Stay Organized in School

Many of my classmates discovered that Part One of our midterm is this Monday. I know this makes me sound evil but I actually asked the professor to clarify the date because no one believed that the test was next week. My prof thought I wasn't paying attention but we know the real story. Anyway, in the midst of the maelstrom I was calm because I was prepared (not that I could take the exam today) and the girl next to me noticed. "You are so organized," she told me. This is my favorite compliment, possibly ever, and I'm wearing new pants. When it comes to school, I bust my hump to stay organized. This is the only way to stay afloat in challenging courses and schedules. I think this is truly one of the best parts of being a "mature student" in college; I know how to stay organized and time management is less of an issue. I say less because sometimes I blow stuff off and watch "Fringe" with James instead, like every other college kid.

So, today I thought I'd write about my Top 5 Tools to Stay Organized in School. Beyond the obvious things like keep a routine, plan your outfits, etc. There isn't an hierarchical aspect to the following, either.

01. Google Calendars will Save Your Life

I use Google Calendars for all kinds of things and share them with James. These calendars can be viewed and edited from our phones at a whim and reminders can be set to remind James to pick me up from work, etc. What isn't on here is James' work schedule because various clubs and what not are still settling in.  

For school I create a calendar for each class and spend "Syllabus Days" (the first day of class where nothing happens but syllabus review and role call) in the library between classes typing in every assignment and material covered. Looking at an individual syllabus and then flipping to another is for the birds! Please do not get me wrong; I love a hand-written calendar, too. For years I lived by my Moleskine like everyone else. But when there is a shift in the class-time paradigm the rest of the semester is off and it hurts my soul.

02. Color-Coordinate Those Classes

I cannot state how much this helps me. The colors in the calendar above are by no means random. I selected an ink color for each class for notes, flashcards, and calendar use. In a program like mine, especially, when similar information is often used in various courses, it's helpful to distinguish what I learned for which class. An example is that for SPPA 101 I may not need to know that /θ/ is an interdental, voiceless, fricative but I do need to know that for SPPA 215. So, if I have a card written in blue for 101 and purple for 215 I'm more likely to remember which requires more detail.  

03.  7-Subject Expanding File Folder

Every class, it seems these days, is run with PowerPoint lectures. This has it benefits in that I don't have to anxiously scribble everything down in hopes I won't miss any information and not really pay attention. Nor do I have to recopy said scribbles so they are legible. But the downside is that because I don't write it twice I don't always feel like I know it as well. Can you tell I am a (Multimodal) Visual-Verbal Learner? The other piece is that I have heck of a lot of paper within a few weeks. A regular folder only gives you so much storage and you need one for every class which runs the risk of one being left behind by accident. Enter the Expanding File Folder. This guy holds all of my classes at once so I can work on an assignment at any time even if I don't have x-class that day. I opted for the clear for two reasons. One being aesthetic, and liking the clean look; two is that I can see a printout of calendar through the front. Since there are two extra sections I can devote the back one to keeping a slim 2-subject spiral notebook so I can still take extra notes/write to-do lists, and so forth. Heck, I could just carry this guy around and I'd be set. I'm even thinking of naming him ("Gary" for some reason) because he's so reliable!

Gary, like myself, isn't very photogenic so this will have to do :D

04. A Bag with Plenty of Room, Like a Bag of Holding

Over the summer I got this on sale and it has been wonderful ever since. I like it so much I try to use it as a regular purse. Which, since its rather large, is not the best plan. 

The bag came from Think Geek which a great company; I've been buying stuff from them for years. I get emails from them and they often have sales or coupon codes so I saved something like $20 when I got it. I opted for the backpack version because it's 2 in 1: the messenger version is only 1. I can take the cross strap off if I want to and just use the back pack straps (very good with new textbooks). It's like an Alton Brown bag.  With a D&D reference. I mean, need I say more? 

Bonus points to a phone wallet, which forces me to carry less crap everyday.  

05. Grid-It Organizer
Now it's going to look like I'm sponsored by TG but I'm not, I promise. They now sell the bag and a Grid-It but I don't know if it is this size (the 5.125x10.25") since I purchased them months apart.  

• Multicolor pens, mechanical pencils, highlighter, and fine-point sharpie in the back zipper.
• 4GB Flash Drive & Argyle Case: I admittedly use this rarely because of Cloud tech but I keep it on me just in case
• iPhone cord (repaired with hacking putty)
• Star Trek pillcase with Tums and Iburpofren: I found this on Etsy some time ago and I love it so much. Here is a link to the shop, she makes all kinds of awesome pillboxes.
• Travel size hand lotion: because, well, its nice to have.
• Lip balm: ditto.
• Quirky Earbud Wrap: This is great, my cords don't get tangled and it's slim. I found mine at Target in the $1 bin a few months ago
• Booklight. This was actually a gift from my Secret Santa/Cousin last Christmas. She and I got each other and both did gift certificates to a book store and book-related item. It was adorbs. 

This post is rather stream-of-conscious so please bear with me...

Midterms are around the corner! If I knew "exam" or "test" I could sign that phrase, thanks to ASL I. Classes are going well with the exception of some pop quizzes in Hearing Science. That ish is not fun. The tests aren't so bad, it's the pop quizzes that'll kill you. This messes with my mind more than I can say. But, that's college for you!

ASL has also been a bipolar course for me. Some days I really consider withdrawing (I think with five courses I'm easy to despair.) And then on days like today, I think about taking higher courses later. Perhaps what I'll do is stick to free online stuff or go to meetups, etc. It's a really fascinating course and I love it except for the actual communicative acts. I know that must sound insane. I love learning about communication but I hate communicating.

Dante: You hate people!
Randal: But I love gathering. Isn't it ironic?

This is because I'm still quite shy when it comes face to face. Or on the telephone, I hate those things. So, you would think Speech Pathology would be a rough future but here's where I go all multi-layered and human, I am fine when it's a professional setting. I have no problem as long as I have some kind of purpose. But, Kate, isn't every exchange purposeful? Be it to gain knowledge or foster kinship? Yeah, it totally is. But still. I don't like it most of the time unless I know you well. And I like it all the less when I have limited ability and/or am nervous about it. And what I don't like about ASL courses is that it's totally making me face my fears and address this shortcoming. It's making me grow and I'm not into it. Har.

We're reading Oliver Sacks' Seeing Voices in class and it's, no surprise here, wonderful. I find the grammar difference of ASL fascinating and frustrating all at the same time. I have the incredibly unfair and down-ruight disrespectful impulse to expect ASL to conform to English. I am learning to separate the two and treat ASL like it deserves: as a fully functioning language. I thought I knew that before, I really did, but I was wrong. I was biased. This class and this book are making me think about how I think and how much of thought is encoded versus not. I'm no neuroscientist, obviously, but I'm fascinated. Bonus points: since I am so busy these days, pleasure-reading has fallen by the wayside and Sacks writes in such a pleasant way. His footnote use reminds me of reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which I admit, I never finished because I lent it to Dad after Stroke Number One.

In other class news, since I don't have much pleasure-reading time, I'm trying to combine Tolkien and classwork. Last Friday I started transcribing The Hobbit into IPA. (/ðə hɑ́bɪt/) I'm hoping I can use a recording of either The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings and transcribe it for my final project. My other idea, which I think would be way too hard, is to transcribe a Bob Dylan song.

Yes to Staying In More

Ten years ago (almost to the day, in fact!) I started working at a cafe in my neighborhood. I left last year and it's still strange to think how many major life events occurred there. I didn't go straight to college and those major milestones of the late teens to early twenties all occurred there. I still refer to friends I made at that time as "college friends" because it's about that period of my life, less so the setting.

Since school started last month our schedules have become crazy. 11 hour days five days a week. Phew! When I was 20 I was working 11-12 hour days four days a week; getting to work at 6:30 and staying up until 2AM half the time (and consuming copious amounts of alcohol to boot.)

How did I do it? Our alarm goes off at 5:45 M-F and I'm usually in bed by 9:30 at night. Sometimes I crash on the couch watching "Fringe" or "The West Wing" around 8:30 I won't deny. BuzzFeed really nailed it with their "Life In Your Early Twenties vs. Your Late Twenties" list.

So, what have your favorite nerds been up to these last few weeks? Sleep! Homework! D&D! Renn Fest!

I humbly present one of my favorite photos of the two of us (short of wedding photos) ever taken:

We went for the Snooty Rulers look.
(There are two more people in the shot but since they don't
write a blog I don't think it's fair to post their photos.)

Classes are kicking my butt a bit. ASL is really cool but really challenging since I'm super upcoordinated. Phonetics is my favorite so far because it's so much fun and nerdy as all get out. I mean, we had to make magnets for an assignment. IPA Magnets. Dee-lightful.

Hearing Science has been tough, it's a lot of math which hasn't been too bad because my Trig professor from last year was so great and I have (a little) confidence. I prefer the physics to the straight math refresher, admittedly. The other two courses are rather blah, mostly material I have learned before. The downside to changing majors as many times as I have is that I have taken A LOT of basic psychology and development courses. Sometimes it's tempting to skip but I only get one a semester so I have to be careful.

Wardrobe Vikings

We have this hilarious little room in the middle of our second floor. It would be, as our first landlord put it, perfect for a nursery because it is so small. It would be a terrible nursery or children's room, in reality, because there's no natural light in there. I mean, there is a window, but it is to a vent and cannot be opened anyway, because the awesome painters hired by the leasing company painted it shut. Please remember what makes all of the bad repairs in this place extra amusing is that this house was built for contractors to stay in on long jobs here in Charm City. The company is based in New Jersey and it was cheaper  to buy a property and allow guys to stay in it than a hotel room and restaurant expenses. But anyway...

Our solution was to turn it into a walk-in closet/dressing room. James dresses well for work which, pro-tip, usually correlates to easier classroom management. I, on the other hand, wear jeans and t-shirts ninety-nine percent of the time. I dress up for weddings and that's about it.

Or at least that is how it used to be. I've noticed "a change [in] the way I strut my stuff" to borrow a phrase from the Anne Margaret tune. (Man that song is awful/awesome. It's a little too misogynistic but I also love it, so who knows?)

I find myself not wearing ripped up t-shirts ass often, and actually trying to understand what is/not fashionable. I mean, I'm not going crazy and reading Vogue or anything but I'm looking around. I wear makeup on a regular basis these days. I had my eyebrows waxed (great experience!) I bought new shoes twice in a month that weren't tenny runners. No one is more amazed than I.

However, before I can claim that "my old habits are gonna be gone" (tell me that song isn't stuck in your head, now, too) that means I need to cull the large amount of ill-fitting clothing I've been harboring for 10-15 years. Thank god no one caught this before "What Not To Wear" went off the air. I think the only show I would have actually gone on would be the short-lived "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" since he's awesome and really taught people the difference between their errors and their style.

So, why am I airing all this dirty laundry? Because I'm cleaning out my closet (Too many idioms!) and re-organizing the room and my collection. This, because I'm me, requires drawing up plans, culling the herd, and donating what is not ripped-up or gross. I have a lot of clothes that were James' that shrunk in the dryer. They would fit a guy just fine but make me look awful. I'm such a cheapsKate.  

Moving On

Today is the second anniversary of losing my beloved father. I haven't cried (yet) and seem to be thinking of the good things in life, instead. I have a photo of him that I look at fondly and am trying to imagine he would be proud of where I am in my life today. I know he supported me in following Speech Language Pathology and it gives me strength to work in a field that he believed I would do well in. I can still picture his face, with the crooked smile and nod he gave me when I asked, "Do you think I'd be a good speech pathologist?" (okay, I teared up writing that.) Not a day goes by when I don't wish it was just a long, bad dream and that I can call him and hear his voice again. But I stopped believing this was possible awhile ago. Grief is hard but at least I had someone so wonderful to raise me for the (albeit too brief) time that I did. I wouldn't trade that for anything, no matter how much it hurts.

In that spirit, I'm going to continue to try to improve things in our lives and remember the really good stuff. I will move forward because, well, that's really the only option.

As I will undoubtedly continue to mention, school is approaching quickly for the both of us. I can't believe it's August already! On Friday we got to see the family at the joyous occasion of our cousin's wedding. They looked so happy to finally be married and we're excited for our family to grow! Congrats M&M!

As the countdown to school begins (the 28th for me; 19th for him) I want to use my time wisely. Suddenly my days are going to begin early in the morning again and I do not want to be caught unawares! I am, in truth, excited to get back to an early morning routine. Maybe the almost ten years of working in a coffee shop have made me into a morning person. But, maybe a camping trip would help me get back to it (*nudges husband*)

So, in my overly nerdy way I've made a list of ways I want to change my routines for the healthier. New Year's resolutions are for the birds; Autumn resolutions are where it's at! A lot of these will help my Day Zero Project, too!

1. Start the Day Off Right

Begin every morning in the (newly organized) office reading the news in a quiet and relaxing way. I like to use FlipBoard as my news aggregate. Right now I read it on my phone but I'm giving great consideration to getting an iPad for school and that would work very well for news catchup as well. This also gives James a chance to have his morning routine downstairs — everybody needs personal time and first thing in the morning is a great slice. 

2. First Breakfast
Have a banana for breakfast (I'm never hungry first thing but the energy boost and nutritional value cannot be beat! I'd like to get James on this as well. Before my coffee I'd like to make sure I drink at least 12 ounces of water. My handy Nalgene bottle is great for that; I keep it bedside and can take a slog before even leaving the sheets. 

3. Planned Outfit 

I'm not really a clotheshorse. I wore boys clothes half the time as a kid (and an adult). I wear a regular combination of jeans and vneck tee shirt most days of the week. But running around to find said setup can still be annoying and needlessly stressful. I need to cull the herd of clothing I no longer wear and this will be all the easier. I'm not sure I need to have week's worth of clothes ready on say, Sunday, but the night before is something I can manage. 

4. Last Call
No alcohol after 10 pm. This isn't really going to be difficult for me anymore, a year ago sure, but these days I have a cider or two every few days and I'm beat by 8:30. Welcome to being old. Or not a heavy drinker (totally okay with me.)

5. Bedtime Routine

After 10pm it's nothing but water and a cup of herbal tea before bed. James has his own routine of "Goodnight Milk" (I know, adorbs.) I want to make sure my butt is in the bed by 11 at the latest. I'm also going to limit the reading I do in there. I can get taken away by the book and find myself wondering how 3am snuck up on me. Right now I am rereading The Lord of the Rings which has been wonderful. I also got a cheap copy of a Jane Austen omnibus to keep by the bedside. Familiar and cozy reading is just what I need.

Orientation Express

Look, I thought I was supposed to
be getting a change of scenery.
But so far, I've been in a train and a room,
and a car and a room,
and a room and a room. 

On Tuesday I had orientation for the first semester at Towson. I was expecting to be bored stiff and wind up cranky like Paul's grandfather in A Hard Day's Night, but, to my surprise, it was informative and only got a little leg cramp while sitting there for a few hours. I got to meet my advisor (which was luck of the draw more than anything) as she was on hand to help us enroll in our courses. I can tell it's a good match, I got a really good first impression that I can hope is two-sided. I'm always impressed by someone else who does their homework before a meeting. Whereas I had already peered around the TU website and looked up several courses (also getting permission from the powers that be to enroll in them) she reviewed my transcript and put me at ease about Core Requirements and had a sheet ready for me keep. I felt the nerdlove. I am sad to report that I will not be taking A&P this fall. Transfer students cannot register until much later than everyone else to the spots were all gobbled up. That's okay, I'll gobble it up for Spring when I have enrollment priority and my course-load will be lighter so its a better time to take on a tougher course. In it's place I will be taking DFST 104 which is American Sign Language (I).

Now I'm rearing to go and absolutely ready for fall weather and last night it came, I felt like a powerful wizard. Much like when I was a kid, come August I was ready to buy pencils and books and get my butt into the classroom. But for the next few weeks (classes start the last week of August) I can get ready with meal plans and fruit leather recipes to make the transition easier. James and I both get to sleep in late right now, moreso myself than he, but we'll be waking with the sun soon enough!

SLP Summer

I have been accepted into the SLP program for Fall 2013. After some minor issues, just my transcript not arriving on time, I was one of the 70 selected to for the this year's cohort. I am beyond thrilled. And relieved!   My degree will be in Speech Language Pathology & Audiology. From this I will need to enroll in graduate school and receive my master's degree before I can practice.

The classes this fall are a lot of background in SLP that I'm excited to take. I will be taking:

• Intro to Human Communication & Disorder
• Language Development in Children
• Phonetics of American English 
• Articulation and Phonological Disorders
• Anatomy and Physiology I & A&P Lab Component 
• Hearing Science

I am excited about all of them which is really comforting and makes me feel like I made the correct choice. I have orientation coming up in the end of July and I will register classes and receive my student ID card, etc. Until then I've taken care of the small incidentals like getting vaccinated and tested for Tuberculosis. James very sweetly treated me to a Fishamajig afterwards since I didn't cry or nothin'. The reward from being 8 still work when I'm 28, which is good to know. Also, after the appointment I walked to the nearest library and hid among the books. The apple does not fall far. James laughed when I told him I took out a few more titles; my current checked-out total is somewhere in the double digits.

My other school related summer project is to do research into getting an iPad. My  current laptop is beginning to fail (I have had it for three years) and it's driving me crazy! I know that there are lots SLP-related apps and the like for iPad. In fact, right before Dad passed away he was going to get one to help him. I also really like the interface and ease of transport. It's the pricetag I'm not thrilled about! I know some of our family members have iPads so I would love to hear your thoughts on them (tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly!)

James is working a summer job for the school district and seems to be really enjoying it. I know it's better than being at home for the summer, which drives him crazy every year.

In other news, we finally got a grill and have been BBQing as often as we can. It's been monsoon season here in the city and the poor Beagle hates every second of it. (I'm working on a beagle photo post so just you wait!)

Expedit-ially Better

I have never met a pun I didn't like. Once again I've changed our entryway.

Last time we spoke things looked like this:

And it was okay. A little too monolith from 2001 for my liking.

I mean, I love Kubrick but do I want to live in Kubrick? Plus it was totally throwing off the balance of the room. It made the wall far too dark and looming.

So, last week I was cleaning the living room and got in my head to change things up. Like an idiot I lugged the monolith upstairs. On my own. Like a fool. If I'd dropped it I would have broken many things and probably reenacted a scene from A Fish Called Wanda. Just the thought of a beagle splatter tears me up.

I promise to never do it again, honey. (James was not pleased when he heard about this, by the way.)  We had two of these expedits in the office because we're a young couple and its required by law to have at least one. Anyway, I thought something shorter and lighter would fit the bill.

The mirror came from our dressing room and I love how much more light it gives the room. Also, I can write James messages. 

Plus it's very slimming. Haha.

It only needed a little more so I hung up the cork-board for important things (like a cousins' wedding invitation!) and our meal planning and chore sheets. The latter need frames still but I like them there -- command center achieved. 

School's Out For Summer!

Poor little blog. I abandoned it like a big jerk. To be fair, I was working pretty hard in my classes. School wrapped up two weeks ago today. I'm free! It was such a great feeling to walk off of the community college campus and know I'd never be back there. I started in 2007 so it's a long time coming! School's out forever (at least that particular school) so here is some Alice Cooper and Muppets to celebrate:

This last semester I took Biology for Health majors. As you may know I took Biology for Non-Health majors a few years ago when I was still studying to be a teacher. I can now say with authority that there is quite a difference between the two (which, of course, makes sense!) I knew this class was supposed to be tough, students only spoke of it in hushed tones, but on the first day I was informed Bio 110 has  forty percent pass rate. Gulp. 60% of students fail the class. Wow. Talk about scary, huh?

These were my cards for the whole semester. 

But after weeks of toil I was rewarded:

And I've submitted my application to the Speech-Language program at TU. It is a pre-screened major and a cohort program so they only accept a certain number of students each Fall. The decision is based upon GPA and the grades received in five pre-req courses. My GPA is 3.66 (I wish it was a teeny bit higher but James think I'm crazy) and I have 4 As and 1 B in the pre-reqs. This should make me a good candidate but I don't want to count my chickens...

James' school year is almost finished, also. He is in exam review mode right now and has no more new material to teach. He has a summer job working for the school system and he's really excited about it. I;m gonna be a little lonely this summer while he's working but the house will never be cleaner or more organized I expect!

And that means I might remember to blog about all the fun stuff. The bottom floor is really coming together and I'm excited to show you all in the next few weeks!

Landmark Weekend!

Two very big things happened (one to each of us) and we enjoyed celebrations all around. And since it all came at once we really got to toast to them.

First up was James' 30th Birthday Party -- that's right, he's officially old now. I threw him a Star Wars themed shindig, complete with a hand-painted Jabba the Hut above the couch. I even got some gold ribbon in case anyone wanted to be shackled to him Leia-style.

That was a laborious process but I loved every second of it. Maybe it's because I haven't been doing a whole lot of artwork recently, but it was like when you have a really good workout and your Endorphins are all high. I've had a few people ask me about ol' Jabba so here's how he came to be:

I knew I wanted him to be stretched out by our lazy spot, the couch, so I quickly grabbed the measurements of our good buddy. (We seriously love this couch, so much so that I tried to talk some friends into buying one for their new space.) I have a roll of paper that I bought so I could use it like a table cloth in restaurants where they give you cups of crayons. It's great for brainstorming!

We use our old dining table as our desk up in the office which is great since it offers so much space. Rarely are the two of us up there at the same time (we have very different learning styles and study habits) so it's really easy to adjust the table to how each of us likes. I did a quick sketch to grid out Jabba's body and convert it into a larger size. Math is not strong in this one, but that B in Trigonemetry gave me the strength to try. I realized as I measured out that the main body of Jabba would be the same length as the table, and his head about the same width -- talk about serendipitous!

Using a pencil I drew his bare outline, I knew it would show through the water colors but I was okay with it, I like the look of that for some reason. I chose water color for two reasons. One, a friend of mine (a legitimate artist, he's amazingly talented) recently posted his pieces on Facebook and they were so beautiful I wanted to work with them. And, two I was on a tight budget. (A secret third reason is I was running out of time.)

While I was doing all of this, I was buzzing on really good news I'd received earlier that afternoon but more on that later!

I only did his face the first night. The body came the next day when I'd gotten some more watercolors. Smart thing that I am, I only bought one pack which got me exactly that far. Lucky for me, James picked up another pack , all the while not knowing about he super secret art project, which just made him all the more curious. 

I finished Jabba up the next afternoon. A friend and neighbor took James out for a few hours so I could finish the rest of the preparations (decorating cake and house, mostly). 

I almost forgot about his arms! Thanks goodness I took a close look at my inspirational image!

After that, all I had to do was cut him out and apply him to the wall. I'm not going to post any photos from the party since I want to respect our friends' privacy and all that but here's a photo of James and Chloe napping together under the gaze of Jabba:

So. Part One of Awesome Weekend? Ready for Part Two? Both involve a long time span. But this one is all  about me!

I was accepted to Towson University! I may be 27 and this may seem like 10 years later than most "kids" but since when have I done everything "by the book"? I just had a conversation with a neighbor of ours who also took about 10 years to get her Bachelor's and she looks at it in a similar light. We both changed our majors a few time but found a better fit and got to learn a whole lot of other interesting things in the meanwhile. She and I are "much better conversationalist[s]" for it, as she expertly put it.

We didn't take any photos of the moment, partially because we were bringing groceries in for the week/party and also because I was too darned excited. So, in its stead I'll post a few animated gifs from the ladies of NBC who represent a lot of my personality

Source

Source

Entrez-vous!

Everyone wants to walk into their home and feel relaxed, right? Like you've left behind the troubles of the world and come to private sanctuary. And then there is Jon Hamm to remove my coat and hand me a glass of wine.. yes, but in reality I just want a place in which I can drop my keys, put down my bag and easily get to the couch where ac ertain beagle is supposed to sit and wait for me to get through.

I've been playing with this setup for a few months now, editing it and expanding it to include our school bags, Chloe's needs, mail sorting, what have you.

Our trusty expedit has been a part of the journey.

Originally the poor thing was just slammed against the wall as a catch-all for fantasy books and various mystery paperbacks. This was not exactly the classiest thing to look upon after a long day. No one wants to walk in and think, "Oh right, I have to clean all of this up now, too."

So embarrassing!

At some point, I cleaned it up, moved books around (my life story) and made a system.

Unfortunately, the photo is lost. But I assure you, each cube was be a home for some aspect of our daily needs. Starting from the right it was Library Books/Borrowed items, Chloe's leash, harness and bags, Files and household binder, and finally Grab & Go Items (where I stashed my purse an lint rollers hid). Then on the bottom row, a stack of random books (haha, you can lead me to water but you can't make me drink), a basket for hats and gloves, canvas grocery bags, and a recycling bin for unwanted mail.

I tidied up the top as well, removing the old mail center which was more of hassle than anything. By moving the household binder downstairs (it used to live in our office) I was more likely to instantly file and store bills, statements etc. The three pocket guy I bought from Target worked well before we were married and lived with a roommate.But we needed to move on. Not too long ago I re-did our tea organization. Instead of digging around the large (and often unsightly) boxes. I dug out a wooden box in which cheap silverware had been bought. It worked perfectly and as I looked around my house trying to think of something to upcycle I realized that the other cutlery box would do perfectly.

So, the new system worked well for a few months. The downside was that it was across the room from the door and during Christmas we had to move the coat rack away to make room for the tree.Basically, it just wasn't working.

What to do but turn it around, move it around. I kept hearing "Bend Me, Shape Me" by The American Breed (althought I thought of Bender & Angleyne in Futurama.) I tried puttig against the same wall as the door which just ended up blocking the stair well and the door, sigh. Then I tried a whole other piece instead which was a massive fail. James was feeling ill and trying to nap as I lumbered shelves and pieces up and down the steps. He was very sweet and offered to help but I was good to go (and it's usually best to stay out of my way, am I right?)

Then (and this did require help) I decided to flip it vertically. Ooh. 

That was interesting but still on the wrong side of the room. Let;s scoot it to the other wall. (Oh, and I've moved our stereo from the dining room to the living room and it's been in use much more often, happily.)

Now that's better! I changed up some of the cubbies so now we have the key-bowl/grab and go in one small area, house files and mail center (filing and bill paying is so easy!), My University supplies (more about that next time!), hats/scarves/gloves basket, records, Chloe's gear, and empty spot for James' briefcase so it doesn't get kicked around, and grocery bags.

I love it this way and so does James. That being said, how many weeks before I change it up? I can't say, I might paint it, though...

2013 Recap: January

This is a new idea I've had to help us remember 2013. I've never really done scrapbooking but part of the reason I started this thing was to keep family up to date on our lives and to have something to look back on in the future. So, without further ado, highlights for the month of January 2013.

• We rang in the New Year with a party at our house and then the ball drop at 34th Street, a tradition.
• We celebrated our fifth anniversary in the beginning of the month. I can't believe it's already been five years! It seems like we met just yesterday!
• James is coaching the debate team in school and they did well this month.
• I applied to transfer to a four-year college, ten years after graduating from high-school.
• My (hopefully last) semester at community college involves Biology for Health Majors and Sociology 101.
• The Baltimore Ravens won the play-offs and went to the Super Bowl! There was much rejoicing.
• One of our favorite shows, "30 Rock" came to an end. We were sad to see it go and have been watching marathons on Netflix ever since.

• I saw a ballet version of "Cinderella" performed by the State Ballet of Russia. 
• By the end of the month we both had a cold which was no fun except for the discovery that wonton soup not only makes me feel better but is incredibly inexpensive to get a bunch. I have a new favorite sick-plan,
• "Shakespeare Uncovered" came on PBS and I am in love with it. Even if Ethan Hawke talking about "Macbeth" made me laugh aloud -- a lot. Plus, "Downton Abbey" came back and I've been glued to the screen every Sunday. Oh how I heart PBS.
• While visiting his family we got to see Grandma Vera's wedding album and we all got misty eyed. Look at this beautiful shot. They were so in love and it's what we hope our grandchildren feel with our wedding photos.

Book Review: Birdsong

Title: Birdsong
Author: Sebastian Faulks
Publication Date: 1993
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Rating: 1/5
Borrow | Buy



I started reading Birdsong on a night I couldn't fall asleep. I'd been going through A.S. Byatt's Possession and for whatever reason(s) I just didn't want to keep going. It had been awhile since I'd read anything like historical fiction even though it's a genre of which I'm quite fond. 

Since I was using my e-reader at the time, I decided to go through all of the historical fiction sections they had on offer. I'd not thought of WWI fiction at all. I am a huge fan (which sounds incredibly inappropriate considering the ocean of human suffering) of WWI-era poetry. I even designed a lesson plan for my DH to use in his history courses comparing or contrasting Rupert Brooke's "The Soldier" to Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est". And as a Tolkien fan, I often contemplate the effects of war upon his writing. 

2013?!

I cannot believe that is 2013 already. Time seems to speed up as we get older, which my father warned me about a long time ago.

This month we celebrated our fifth anniversary! Woo hoo! And then in March we will have our first wedding anniversary. DH gets to plan that day because my fantasy football team, Tyrion's Impalers, beat his North Baltimore Chaps. A little friendly rivalry is good for a young couple, right?

We've made some changes around the old abode since I last wrote (oh so long ago.) The most noteworthy is continuing to improve our kitchen. We have been working very hard to stick to meal plans and save money by avoiding take-out, which is hard because I have an intense love for Indian food.


Our kitchen is much smaller than our previous but that's where a keen eye and organizing come in handy. Or, in reality, moving stuff around a lot and seeing if it works (thank the gods for my incredibly patient hubby).

I started searching around for small, white kitchens. The first one that really struck a chord with me was the kids over at Seventh House on the Left.

What especially drew my eye was the open/glass door cabinetry. I've been ogling that in a few places lately.

So, one night in November, full of pluck and 9pm resolution I grabbed my drill and attacked the kitchen.

As I mentioned, the paint job is not the best — who doesn't love painting right over hardware so repeatedly that things are rounded and it takes six tries to even find the groove in the screw in which to drill? I definitely am not bitter...

And for awhile they stayed like that, making the kitchen seem a lot larger, a nice trick for our small square footage.

But, it started to seem a little plain. Not inherently clean and utilitarian but unfinished and "bachelor-paddy". So I thought we needed some color and something to bring out the older styling of the room.

We have a wonderful independent store here in our area called Trohv. It's the kind of place that when you walk in you wish you could live there and use all of the cool accessories. Including beautiful wrapping paper.

I loved it's retro pattern and light teal color, airy but defining. The white details connect it to the rest of the kitchen. We had a gift card from a dear friend so we bought two rolls (hoping that would be enough since I hadn't gone to the store with the cabinets in mind) which came in around $10.

For a few weeks I let the paper lie flat so the application wouldn't be as difficult.

And finally I got up the gumption to get my butt in gear. Once again, I am very lucky to have married a man with the patience of a saint. I tend to be stubborn, loud, and independent in home projects. I hope by the time we buy a home I will be more like James, a team player.

I originally planned to measure and then cut but I realized that since the cabinets are not completely level and vary in many spots, the best method was to press it and cut. Enter my friend the X-Acto knife and adhesive tape. Since we're renting the place, it can't be permanent so I may have to re-apply tape now and again.

Pardon the blurry quality of these photos, I had to use my iPhone camera.

The hardest part was aligning the details so it looked like one solid piece instead of the three separate per row. But, if you turn head just the right way and in just the right light, you can see the little pieces of tape. Oh well!

All in all, it took about an hour to put up (including the false starts and changing of methods.)

It was love at first sight! I especially enjoy how it brings out the Butterprint Turquoise Mixing Bowls in the upper left (a gift from my lovely MIL.)

And the finished product! Our kitchen feels so much better! It is more home-y, a little retro but just enough to not being kitschy. After all, that would have to be called a "kitshchen" (I love bad puns so much!)