2011 Highlights

Ah, another over. I'm pretty happy with it. I feel like I stuck to my New Year's resolution and took charge of my life. I didn't just sit and watch it. I made things happen for myself, and I might have had a little bit of luck on my side :-)

• Surviving the Chicago Snowpocalypse
• Realizing I chose the right major
• I went to the men's and women's Big East tournaments which included a spontaneous Mary Poppin's show
• I watched our women's team go to the Sweet 16 which included real Philly Cheesesteak and visiting the liberty bell. Oh, and getting on ESPN for 3 seconds
• Planning a large scale comedy show at DePaul and bringing DJ Hood Internet for FEST's after-party
• Learning to grill
• Interning at StyleChicago.com
• Going to San Francisco
• Turning 21
• Coming on board as a RedEye blogger
• Getting my job as a web developer for Student Involvement
• I got rid of a fair amount of clutter :-)
• Being healthy and happy =)

 

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33 out of 1000

For Christmas I received the book 1000 Places to see Before you Die. My dad had received it a few years ago for Christmas, but I hadn't looked at it. It's an interesting book and reminded me that I still have a lot to see in the world. But then I reminded myself that I'm only 21 and was pretty proud that I had been to 33 places in the book. However, I don't quite agree with the book. Some of the "places" were more like events. I've been to Munich, but the book specifically noted Oktoberfest, so I didn't count that one. I've been to Disneyland but not Disneyworld. I have been to Orlando though and went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter instead of Disney World.
I calculated that I've been to 3.3% of the book. Here they are:

• London
• Bruge, Belgium
• Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg
• Paris
• the Grand Casino, Monte Carlo (ok, well I've been outside so that basically, counts right? Have a photo to prove it)
• Residenz Heinz Winkler, Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany
• Capri, Italy
• Pompeii, Compania, Italy
• Sorrento
• Rome
• Vatican City
• Forence
• Basilica of St. Francis Assisi, Umbria, Italy
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Leon
• La Sagrada Familia-Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
• Cadaques & Figures-Catalonia Spain
• Hollywood, CA
• Pacific Coast highway, CA
• San Diego Zoo
• Cable Car ride in San Francisco
• Art Institute, Chicago
• Freedom Trail, Boston, MA
• New York City
• "Philly Food"--this is not a place, but a collection of foods/restaurants in Philadelphia. I've been to Philly & have had cheesesteak so I'm counting it
• Independence National Historical Park-Philadelphia, PA
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Salt Lake City, Utah
• National Mall & its Monuments-Washington D.C.
• Smithsonian Museum-DC
• Grand Teton National Park
• Jackson Hole-Jackson, WY
• Yellowstone National Park
• Niagara Falls

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Productive break

Today I conquered something  on my winter break to-do list: cook with a new spice.

We have a marvelous spice rack in my apt, but some of them haven't been used/ I had never heard of them. This pas weekend when I was visiting a friend in KC I got a recipe for chicken using fennel.

Turns out I knew what fennel was, I just didn't know it was called that. I always referred to it as those seedy things in Italian sausage. So I added fennel, lemon pepper, and a bit of salt to cut up chicken in a frying pan.

The result: yum. I forgot to take pics but I am excited I have a new easy and quick recipe!

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What is Interactive Media??

Now that it's the holiday season and I've seen (& will see) many family members. It's that time of the year where I have to remind people of my major: Interactive Media. As a tour guide I state my major almost daily. For basically 4 years (I declared my major when I applied in 2009 so I've known this is what I've wanted for some time), I've had to explain what "Interactive Media" is numerous times.
The first year, it was a logical guess because I was figuring it out. From DePaul pamphlets and the CDM website it was the major if you wanted to go into web design. According to their website, Interactive Media...

Prepares students for the expanding field of interaction design and its application to multimedia and web development. It provides students with skills and expertise for designing and producing web applications, interactive presentations and user interfaces for computer applications and a variety of consumer devices.

By the end of my freshman year and my sophomore year I declared IM the "mutt" of CDM. It was a hodgepodge of everything in CDM: a film class, a Ruby on Rails class, some design classes, some ActionScripting classes, a game design class. I was convinced CDM didn't even know what it was.
Now I define Interactive Media with a better term: "The salad of CDM." By taking a little bit of everything it gives me a well-rounded technology degree. Although I'm not taking C++, C# or Java (IM is DEFINITELY NOT Computer Science, and is exactly what I wanted. I did not want to go into Computer Science) I feel I have a wide background of knowledge that can only help me when I enter the job field.
Speaking of jobs… since September I've had to turn down 3 job opportunities. I already have a job I love and I am still a student. I have a lot on my plate, but I consider this a good problem and I hope I have it when I graduate :-)

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Why you need to go see the Muppets Movie

Tonight I saw the The Muppets and fell in love again with Jim Henson's creation. I had seen it had gotten good reviews from the critics, but when I saw it had a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I was sold. Instead of boring you with plot details, analyzing the film, and other things, I've complied a list of why it's worth the trip to the movies

• Jim Henson was the ultimate hipster (but in a good way)

• 
  Jason Segal
• Amy Adams
• The songs are spectacular and fun
• Many other celebrity appearances
• "Muppet Man"
• There was a short film by Pixar before it
• The cheesy children's movie previews
• I don't want to give anything away, but Chris Cooper gets some more street cred
• "Traveling by Map"
• "Me Party" is part of my vocabulary now
• The dancing
• OPI has a Muppet Movie nail collection

Who are my favorite Muppets?

Meep and Fozzie Bear! (Kermit's will always be everyone's favorite though). Who are yours?

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I went to the breakfast/lunch place called Jam 'n Honey this morning and wrote about it on my RedEye blog! Take a Look: Jam 'n Honey

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The Thanksgiving Post

I don't know if I've ever done a Thanksgiving post, but I've created a list of things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving

• My family
• My wonderful friends, especially the ones that listen to my stupid stories
• That I can freely practice my faith
• My wonderful apartment with super cool roomies
• That I'm healthy
• That the Cardinals won the World Series this year :)
• That I am going to college
• For the newly added anti-slip strips at Fullerton
• For my jobs that are fun and challenge at the same time
• my pretty blue shoes
• For my horizontal license ;-)
• My Starbucks gold card
• For Skype
• Concealer
• ZipCar!
• Student Discounts
• Amazon/Amazon Prime
• For my pictures of Adrienne
• Adele's album 21
• Bread Co
• My U-Pass (which I miss a lot right now)
• Groupon
• For the Veterans and members of our Armed Forces

Of course there are more, but these are just a few :-) It's nice that I am done with finals and can relax for a few days. I am taking a December Intercession class with one of my favorite professors so that will keep me busy over "break." But for now I'm going to catch up on my television shows and may just read for fun :-)

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Logo!

My first logo!!!! It's for my friend Kristian's styling company, Eva & James. She give my closet a much needed face lift last week for which I am very thankful =)

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Fall is here!

I haven't posted on here for a while. Oops. I made it through the hurricane that was midterms. Now I'm just in the "eye of the storm" waiting for finals to hit me. They seem so far away, but I am 3 weeks away from a final paper being due (aka my first day of finals). And the cold has set in. Goodbye 80 degree days. See you in April (maybe). Time to say hello to my jackets.  I'm in that "I don't know what to wear!" crisis because I can't wear my summer clothes anymore and I need to dig out my fashionable fall outfits.

Speaking of outfits/clothes, I am making a logo for (and eventually a website) for my good friend Kristian's styling company! I'm really excited about it. It's for recent grads and young professionals who need help building their wardrobe. I know I need to get rid of the clothes that make me look in high school. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm 21 years old now and the clothes I wore when I was 18 should be retired. Man I feel old.

Life is good at OSI as well. I'm just about done updating & "sprucing" the Accounting Club's website and I am almost done with DePaul's Dance Marathon, DemonTHON's site. Just waiting for some content from them.  While working on their site I also learned what  "favicon" is. It's the little icon that appears next to your site title in a tab; like the blue F for Facebook or the little bus for CTA Bus  tracker. I was pretty excited when I figured out how to implement that. It's so easy!

Even though I'm in Chi, I'm still a Cardinals fan, so I'll end this post with Go Cards!

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Well, I know what I don't want to do after I graduate

On Wednesday I was lucky to attend a presentation at CDM by Google. Going in, I wasn't really sure what it was about, but when Google's in town no CDM student wants to miss it. Plus I heard there was going to be free food & Google usually gives away free stuff ;-)

Turns out the presentation was about their IT Resident Program (ITRP). The ITRP takes the best graduates in IT, CS, IS, etc. where they train at Google's headquarters in Mountain Valley, CA. They learn how to troubleshoot for Windows, Mac, and Linux (!! I've always wanted to get my hands on a Linux system and play around with it). After the first 6 months or so, they basically go to any Google office in the WORLD. Google is on every continent except for Antarctica.

The moment their presentation was over, I realized that I don't want to go into tech-support. Even if the job was at Google, I wouldn't be happy. I like making websites, not dealing with "technical difficulties." At my job now I'm sort of the first response if something isn't working in the office. Sometimes it's something easy like the printer not being plugged in (the harder part was finding the plug!). Other times it's a more complex issue that's above my skills, such as a laptop not logging in to the network. Luckily the University has a whole tech team that I can call and they can come fix it. I give anyone in tech-support major props because I couldn't do that 9-5, Monday-Friday. So next time you call IT, be nice to them :)

Anyone else getting ready for Halloween? I'm working on my costume this weekend :-)

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Midterms, Pep Band, and Life

How did I get so busy??? Weeks 1-4 were fine and then week 5 hit like a hurricane. Midterms! Papers! Tons of reading! Yay college!
I've been at my new job (web developer for OSI) for over a month now and things are going well. I'm well on my way with a website I've started from scratch. They like what I've been doing so far so that makes me feel good. Even thought it makes my days longer (and sometimes more stressful), I'm learning a lot and work with some great people.
I had pep band rehearsal today. We've got some new songs which is fun. I found out I'll be playing at the women's games which I'm really excited about. They play on campus and are phenominal. I'm looking forward to when they go to the NCAA tournament again in March! the first 2 rounds are actually played at All State Arena (Rosemont, IL) so that'll be convenient.
I'm going home next weekend. I'm kind of ready for a break from the city.

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1 year in 8 minutes

On September 21, 2010, I started a project where I took a picture every day of my life for one year. Most were with my Canon powershot, but some were with my mac or cell phone. I decided to make a short movie compiling all my picture as a memento of being age 20.



There are a lot of DePaul/Chicago skyline shots, 3 comedians, many friends, and numerous flower/nature pictures included.

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Untitled

Have you seen DePaul's new ads? They're pretty awesome.

Visit day on Saturday! Get to share my love of DePaul with hundreds of high schoolers by giving campus tours!

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Wait, I'm in week 4?

Wait, when did this happen? Things are really picking up. I have midterms coming up, sites are being built, and I somehow squeeze in the time to blog (read the latest HERE).

I'm working on making a video from my "picture of the day" project. Stay tuned!

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My roommate is the best! She drew this! I love it! One day I'm going to give my website a makeover & put it on there!

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One of the best things I've made

I know I've posted about some good recipes and restaurants on here, 
buy I (along with my awesome roommate) just made the BEST French toast. 
What makes it so good? It has PEANUT BUTTER AND APPLES.

With the help of our mentor, Crepes of Wrath we created brunch bliss. Here's the a link to the recipe and a picture of the finished project.

from Becoming an Adult in the City

It's only 5 seconds

Hi friends,
I wanted to remind you that voting is currently underway for the Markham Vineyards "Mark of Distinction" grant. The winning non-profit gets $25,000 to continue their charity ways. This year, East Side Heart & Home is a nominee. ESH&H was a charity that meant a lot to my late godfather.

East Side Heart & Home is dedicated to making a positive impact and bringing hope to the community of East St. Louis, IL through a model that helps low-income families become homeowners.  The program provides maintenance and budget counseling, helps families establish credit and equity, and builds a new home annually in the Olivette neighborhood.  Seventeen new homes have been built since its inception, and the Markham Mark of Distinction grant would help fund the next.

I'd really appreciate if you took 5 seconds every day & voted for this great cause by clicking here. They are in a neck & neck battle for first place. You can vote once a day, but need to create an account. It's super easy and they don't spam you.
Voting Closes Oct. 3! Thanks so much.

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How do I celebrate the first week of classes? By having 15 freshmen in my house

This is my first weekend with homework assignments. Ugh. After a great summer break, the wheels are a little rusty. Going to spend some quality time in the lab tomorrow. I think I like my classes though. Should be a good quarter. I'm taking 2 actual "Interactive Media" classes so that's really exciting to be with others of my major, yet alone not have to EXPLAIN my major. Us IM majors are kind of a rare breed. No one really knows what we do. Sometimes I wonder if we even know what we're doing because our major is pretty obscure. Sometimes I wish I could say "education" as my major because everyone would know what that is and what I'm going to do with it. It can get a little tiring explaining to non-CDM people (& even some CDM students) what my major actually is, but I do love it and couldn't imagine doing anything else, or being at another school.

Today I was a dinner host for the UMIN All Nighter. It's a freshman activity that starts with dinner at a nearby, off-campus apartment of a DePaul student. Then activities in the city & freshmen bonding commese. I was expecting 10 freshmen and I ended up with 15, but the more the merrier, right? It was fun cooking for more than just myself. Often I steer clear of recipes that "serve 4" because then I'm eating chicken or pork for a week straight. BOR-ING.

Armed with the recipes from my mom and Crepes of Wrath, I looked through my "recipe album" (it's a binder filled with copies/print outs) to create the perfect menu. I settled (more like got insanely excited about cooking) with the following:

• Empanadas (one of the first things I ever cooked; compliments of Pampered Chef)
• Chips & salsa
• Applesauce
• Berry Crisp (it's like apple crisp, but with berries instead. Got the recipe from my mom's friend)

Pretty much everything was eaten so I'd say it was a success! It was a little exhausting though. I crashed on the couch after they all left, but I thought it was pretty fun.

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Live & Learn: Cooking Edition

Today I decided to try cooking with chicken thighs. Chicken is chicken right? I love chicken.

Well, I learned that I don't like thighs. There's just something different about them in their texture. They're also really fatty. I hate fat on my meat. It's a texture thing*.
BUT, I did learn why it's called 'dark meat': Because it turns dark when you cook it, whereas chicken breast turns more white when you cook it. I never knew the difference!

*"Texture thing" also applies to why I don't like cheese or crackers on my salad.

What we can learn from The O.C.

So I finished Season 3 of The O.C. Judge me all you want, we need a little bit of trashy TV in our lives. I don't have cable so I don't get lifetime, E!, TLC, etc. so don't judge too hard BECAUSE, in season 3 we can learn some great lessons:

1. A bad boyfriend is one who

• Doesn't have sheets on his bed
• Has friends who roofies girls
•  Has never seen the Sound of Music

2. When meeting a new fellow, ask yourself, "Would Marissa hang out with him?" If the answer is yes, Run Away! Any guy (besides Seth & Ryan, because we all love them) that Marissa would hang out w/ is bad news. Remember psycho boy that she met from therapy? Crazy. And Tattoo boy ran her off the road in which she dies.

3. Always extinguish your cigarettes/joints properly

As classes start tomorrow, let's keep these things in mind!

Life's a beach when you live in Cali

The End of Summer

It's the last weekend before classes start and I'm not sure if I'm ready. I had an amazing summer and don't want it to end! But, I am excited to start my new job! DePaul's office of Student Involvement hired me to be their web developer. I'll also update the iPhone app which is pretty cool (or at least I think so).

I looked up my "summer goal" list that I created in June. Here's what I did (& didn't) accomplish:

-Make a cool photoshop picture: Sort of. I made some awesome banners at my internship!
-figure out how to do winged eyeliner without looking like a raccoon
-go through my closet
-update the pictures in my room
-do new things with my hair (aka make it look good/learn how to use my blowdryer). The hairdryer & I still have a weird relationship.
-“Make” a salad (from a recipe)
-Cross off some of churches from my list
-Ravinia
-Brookfield Zoo
-clean (& play) my clarinet. Oops. Sorry, Delilah.
-Go exploring on Devon Ave.
-MSI
-Field Museum
-Adler
-Re-do my website Sort of. I spruced it up. The css is pretty much still the same though.

So I basically completed half of it. There's always next year & December/Spring break ;-)

Today I also made the BEST muffins ever! My friend crepes of wrath posted this recipe. I used a raspberry jam instead of strawberry which I think was a better choice ;-) Going to see Second City tonight!

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The great outdoors: Chicago edition

Today I had the pleasure of kayaking on the Chicago River. Our launch site was at Rockwell & Addison. I thought we'd go downtown, but this was just as nice. We were lucky to have great weather. It was very peaceful and I had a wonderful time just being outside.

I've never kayaked before (only canoed at summer camp), so I was really looking forward to trying it. We paddled for about 2 hours and OMG I can already feel it in my arms! Some people acted like pros and paddled their hearts out way ahead. It was technically a "leisure paddle" so I took my time and took in the sights. We saw a lot of hawks,  herons, and air planes.out

Well, I'm pooped from my trip so I'm going to end this. My apologizes for the shortness of this. One week until class starts!

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Things I am tired of hearing about

1. Libya
2. Hurricane Irene
3. High School Sports

I really just want to figure out what I should eat for lunch & what to do with myself today.

Untitled

I realized the other day this month is the most I've ever eaten deep dish pizza and ridden the blue line.

My deep dish quota is about once every one-two months. August? 3 separate times (that's not counting the leftovers). What's better than Gino's? Reheating it the next day in the microwave!

I rarely ride the blue line (because I am a Lincoln Parker) but I've ridden it twice this month to go out to meet my mom because she's in the Jefferson Park area this week.

Does this mean I'm a true Chicagoan now?? I should start my own tour guide service.

The biggest question on my mind right now is what do I want for dinner?? I'm not ready to eat now, but because I'm a planner I want to have something figured out so that I'm not starving once 6:00 comes around.

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The Mindset List

You may have heard on the news/read in the paper about the “mindset list” for this year’s  incoming college freshmen. I decided to look up the list for the Class of 2013 & add comments in italics

The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2013

   Most students entering college for the first time this fall were born in 1991. I was born in 1990

1. For these students, Martha Graham, Pan American Airways, Michael Landon, Dr. Seuss, Miles Davis, The Dallas Times Herald, Gene Roddenberry, and Freddie Mercury have always been dead.
2. Dan Rostenkowski, Jack Kevorkian, and Mike Tyson have always been felons.
3. The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables. I know who the Green Giant is, even though I have always hated vegetables
4. They have never used a card catalog to find a book. You have when you went to Catholic Grade School
5. Margaret Thatcher has always been a former prime minister.
6. Salsa has always outsold ketchup. Really? I did not know this
7. Earvin "Magic" Johnson has always been HIV-positive.
8. Tattoos have always been very chic and highly visible.
9. They have been preparing for the arrival of HDTV all their lives.
10. Rap music has always been main stream.
11. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream has always been a flavor choice.
12. Someone has always been building something taller than the Willis (née Sears) Tower in Chicago.
13. The KGB has never officially existed.
14. Text has always been hyper.
15. They never saw the “Scud Stud” (but there have always been electromagnetic stud finders.)
16. Babies have always had a Social Security Number.
17. They have never had to “shake down” an oral thermometer.
18. Bungee jumping has always been socially acceptable.
19. They have never understood the meaning of R.S.V.P.
20. American students have always lived anxiously with high-stakes educational testing.
21. Except for the present incumbent, the President has never inhaled.
22. State abbreviations in addresses have never had periods. If I remember anything from 6^th Grade English, it’s that you NEVER use periods w/ state abbreviations
23. The European Union has always existed.
24. McDonald's has always been serving Happy Meals in China.
25. Condoms have always been advertised on television. True, but I rarely see any
26. Cable television systems have always offered telephone service and vice versa.
27. Christopher Columbus has always been getting a bad rap.
28. The American health care system has always been in critical condition.
29. Bobby Cox has always managed the Atlanta Braves.
30. Desperate smokers have always been able to turn to Nicoderm skin patches.
31. There has always been a Cartoon Network.
32. The nation’s key economic indicator has always been the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
33. Their folks could always reach for a Zoloft.
34. They have always been able to read books on an electronic screen.
35. Women have always outnumbered men in college.
36. We have always watched wars, coups, and police arrests unfold on television in real time.
37. Amateur radio operators have never needed to know Morse code.
38. Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia have always been independent nations.
39. It's always been official: President Zachary Taylor did not die of arsenic poisoning.
40. Madonna’s perspective on Sex has always been well documented.
41. Phil Jackson has always been coaching championship basketball.
42. Ozzy Osbourne has always been coming back.
43. Kevin Costner has always been Dancing with Wolves, especially on cable.
44. There have always been flat screen televisions.
45. They have always eaten Berry Berry Kix. SO GOOD, but so hard to find!
46. Disney’s Fantasia has always been available on video, and It’s a Wonderful Life has always been on Moscow television.
47. Smokers have never been promoted as an economic force that deserves respect.
48. Elite American colleges have never been able to fix the price of tuition.
49. Nobody has been able to make a deposit in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).
50. Everyone has always known what the evening news was before the Evening News came on.
51. Britney Spears has always been heard on classic rock stations. What are you talking about? I remember hearing Britney on the pop stations
52. They have never been Saved by the Bell I’ve seen a few re-runs
53. Someone has always been asking: “Was Iraq worth a war?”
54. Most communities have always had a mega-church.
55. Natalie Cole has always been singing with her father.
56. The status of gays in the military has always been a topic of political debate.
57. Elizabeth Taylor has always reeked of White Diamonds.
58. There has always been a Planet Hollywood. I’ve never been to one though
59. For one reason or another, California’s future has always been in doubt.
60. Agent Starling has always feared the Silence of the Lambs.
61. “Womyn” and “waitperson” have always been in the dictionary.
62. Members of Congress have always had to keep their checkbooks balanced since the closing of the House Bank.
63. There has always been a computer in the Oval Office.
64. CDs have never been sold in cardboard packaging.
65. Avon has always been “calling” in a catalog.
66. NATO has always been looking for a role.
67. Two Koreas have always been members of the UN.
68. Official racial classifications in South Africa have always been outlawed.
69. The NBC Today Show has always been seen on weekends.
70. Vice presidents of the United States have always had real power.
71. Conflict in Northern Ireland has always been slowly winding down.
72. Migration of once independent media like radio, TV, videos and compact discs to the computer has never amazed them.
73. Nobody has ever responded to “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
74. Congress could never give itself a mid-term raise.
75. There has always been blue Jell-O. A personal favorite

 You can check out the Class of 2015 here:

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Fish Bar

See the full gallery on Posterous

After been wanting to try it for some time, I finally managed to get around to Fish Bar on Wellington/Sheffield in Lakeview. It's a small little place but they have a rewards card in congunction w/ DMK Burger Bar. The food was good, but you didn't get much for what you paid for. The unique feature about fish bar (besides it being a seafood place in Chicago) is that the beverages are served in these jar things, not traditional glasses. My mom was excited because they had fried clams which is hard to find.

Sorry this is a little short, but I'm a little blogged out. I just wrote a post for the Redeye about the great brunch place Orange. You can read it here.

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Well, it's Saturday night and I'm not back in the 'Burg for the great Freeburg Homecoming. It's something I've been going to since I was born. The past few years I haven't really found it all that fun because I'm too old for rides & I don't dig tractor pulls. I don't really feel like I'm missing anything this year because none of my friends will be home. But still, it's weird. Part of me feels like I should be there.

I guess I've officially declared Chicago my home. I'm going home next weekend for a wedding though which should be fun. Hopefully the weather will be nice. I've been enjoying the Chicago summer weather. Not as ridiculous as SoIL heat/humidity. Summer weather won't be around much longer so I might as well enjoy it while I can.

Life Update

Hello!

So we're already half way through August which means summer will soon come to a close. I have about 3 1/2 weeks until classes start and am determined to make them all count. I have been having a fabulous summer though. Weather's been pretty nice (Oddly cool today though) and my internship has been going really well. I have about 10 more days left there. Style Chicago is hosting an event on Wednesday at Venue One so I'll be helping with that. Hopefully my experience with DAB events will come to good use. I'm all finished with my internship class as well. Honestly, I'm kind of looking forward to the working world. I liked being able to leave my work at the office and enjoy my evenings and weekends. I didn't have to feel guilty when I went to the beach or shopping knowing I should be studying or writing a paper. I know I picked the right career field too. The day just flies by.

I still give tours for DePaul. It can be a little tiring because I basically do 3 in a row but it's still fun. I love sharing my DePaul experience with prospective students. We're very busy because it's the summer and it's when most high school students visit colleges.

I am still blogging for the RedEye and really enjoy sharing my experiences in Lincoln Park. It's fun to read the other blogs as well. I absolutely love this city and never want to leave. You can read what I've written here.

I'm still trying new recipes. I found one for homemade pop tarts that I want to try. I also bought an indoor electric grill from Amazon for $40 and it's AMAZING! I love it and recommend it to anyone thinking of buying one. It's easy to clean and basically smoke free. You don't have to mess with charcoal and it heats up pretty quickly. It's great for kabobs (which I love making).

Well, that's about it. My mom's coming to visit soon and I'm really excited to show her my favorite places :)

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My Portfolio is Done!

Check it out here:

http://students.depaul.edu/~cemge/

::Insert Big Sigh of Relief::

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30 Minutes or Less

This summer I’ve been able to see a few summer movies (mostly comedies, because this is me we’re talking about): Bridesmaids, Friends with Benefits, Harry Potter pt 2 (duh), Horrible Bosses, and just recently, 30 Minutes or Less.

Because Chicago is awesome, every once & a while I can catch a free screening. I was lucky enough to get a pass for 30 Minutes or Less, which I had been wanting to see ever since Aziz Ansari mentioned on his Tumblr that he was filming a movie with Danny McBride, Nick Swardson, and Jesse Eisenberg (what a cast!). I had slightly high hopes due to the cast and what I had seen in previews.

My expectations were met. Clocking in at about 1 hour, 30 minutes, this is a hilarious comedy about a pizza-delivery man (Eisenberg) who gets jumped by Swardson & McBride and wakes up with a bomb vest. Eisenberg has about 10 hours to get $100,00 or else he’ll blow up. So he decides to rob a bank. Hilarity ensues

Lemme just say I LOVE Aziz Ansari. I love his voice, his stand up, his character Tom on Parks and Recreation, and finally, his performance in this film. In my opinion, he has the best jokes in the movie. Swardson (who is all “hicked-up” that you can only sort of tell it’s him) makes the BEST facial expressions in this movie though. He sometimes does it when someone else is talking, so make sure to keep an eye on him.

If you’re looking for some laughs, definitely go see this. I hope other critics agree with this amateur’s review when the film comes out August 12.

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Cheesy but funny, my dad always makes sure I have a smile on my face :)

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Untitled

Oh look who is in the Red Eye 2nd week in a row??

I've been having a lot of fun blogging for the RedEye! You should read my latest post!

My Lincoln Park RedEye Blog

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Blogging Queen

Well friends, I am an official RedEye blogger! I am every excited about this and to contribute to my favorite Chicago publication. Because of this, my posts might not be as frequent, but I will post links! You can read my first post here

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From My Dad

Since my dad is retired, he does a lot of "youtubing." He usually sends me funny commercials, but this video was different. He didn't say much prefacing it, except "you MUST check this out."

Interesting, huh? When I grabbed the link to post it, the video had recieved 9,845,278 views!

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The End of Harry Potter

At 12:30 a.m. (the projector was having problems and there were a lot of previews!!) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 began. This was end ["my only friend, the end"]. My friends and I had grown with Harry, Ron, and Hermoine; as well as Dan, Rupert, and Emma. Until this film, the ones in the past had been seen in Southern Illinois when I was a kid. Tonight was different though as I was seeing it in Chicago: my new home. This film was extra special not because it was the end of my childhood, but that it solidified my transition to Chicago. I live here now. I go to the movies here (and pay too much money for it). I'm sort of an adult just like Harry. I turn 21 in 2 months. In 2 months I will be in my junior year of college. I'm not going to talk much about the movie in case you haven't seen it, but I was misty eyed at the end, but happy. It's the end. There won't be any cheesy stories to ruin the series like "Harry Potter gets his Social Security Card: Part 500 in 4-D with smell-ovision!" All good things must come to an end.

I remember being in third grade when my mom was telling me about these books she heard about on TV or one of the morning shows. "Harry Potter." I loved to read as a child (still do, actually) so I borrowed the first book from the library and was hooked instantly. It wasn't long after that I read the second book and bought the third to guide me through a summer trip up to Michigan to visit my grandpa. When the next books came out I always got mine either first thing in the morning or at midnight. Even though they were quite thick, they were so captivating it never discouraged me from reading it. I do have to admit though, when I was 11, a little part inside of me wanted a letter delivered to me by an owl.

This past December I got the chance to go to Hogwarts. Over my break from school, my family & I went down to Orlando to Harry Potter World. It was fantastic! I felt like I was in Harry's world and the memories & pictures will last me for quite a while. Since I don't plan on having kids, I hope one day I can take my godson down there and share my memories from "back in the day" :-)

See the full gallery on Posterous

This is the part where I post a favorite quote from the book, but there are too many. Thank you, J.K. Rowling for writing such amazing stories.

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Annual Fashion Rant

Hello!
I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. To top mine off last night, I went to Bobtail with a few friends. If you haven't gone, GO! But this post isn't how delicious their ice cream is, it's about the horror I saw.

OVERALLS.

Overalls are back my friends. I don't know if they were ever considered "in," but I saw them for sale in the GAP on Michigan Ave. a few weeks ago and almost screamed with fright.
Overalls are meant for 2 demographics: little kids and farmers.
Not fabulous women in the city or college students.

Who decided this? I want to pick their brain. As a farm-child, I know the benefits of wearing overalls, but I can't think of any benefits of wearing them in the city. I had plenty of pairs as a kid, but that chapter of my life is over.

And this lady was wearing them with one of those 'trendy' crop-tops. Um, NO. At risk of sounding like an old woman, Mid-riffs were never cool. Just because Britney Spears wore them 10+ years ago, does not mean that they are ok to wear now, even if they are over-sized. A small=XL in their sizing which annoys me. I want my shirt to fit me; I do not want to swim in it.

This is my shotty attempt to be humorous using Paint

Well, that's my opinion on the latest fashion trends. Maybe I'm turning into a conservative little old lady. Maybe I've spent too much time in J.Crew. Or maybe I'm smart enough to not wear something that looks ridiculous.

P.S. If you're wondering what last year's fashion rant was about, it was jeggings.

If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

Title compliment of Scott McKenzie

So last weekend, I went to San Francisco for the first time. My aunt used to live there so she decided to fly me out there along with my friend Amanda who was a flower girl in her wedding 12 years ago. I had a great time, and couldn't have asked for better weather! 70 degrees & sunny, but cool in the evening and by the water. I don't think I could handle living there witht the bi-polar weather. I never thought I'd be wearing a jacket in July!

Saturday was a jam-packed day. We took one of those bus-tours around the city & to golden gate bridge. Then we headed to Alcatraz for a tour. We did the self-guided audio tour of Alcatraz and it was very well done! I felt like I was in an interactive History Channel special.

Sunday we went to church at Grace Cathedral (it's where Courtney Cox got married) and had a delicious brunch at the top of the Mark hotel. Then, after going into a food coma, we hit up Chinatown & Cobb's Comedy club. I was really excited to go to Cobbs because Myq Kaplan was performing. I had seen him last year on Last Comic Standing and am a fan.

Monday was a marathon shopping day where I found the BEST shoes at Nordstrom--they will be making their debut on my birthday! That evening we had a fabulous dinner and were able to watch the fireworks at Fishermans Wharf. Then we hit up Ghiradeli for some ice cream goodness! I got a chocolate-strawberry sunday and it was delicious! Was it worth $8? I would not say so, because the ice cream was half melted; however it did come with a chocolate covered strawberry on top.

Now it's back to the daily grind of things. The internship is going great and so are tours. I'm trying some new recipes this weekend =)

My work so far at Style Chicago

4 of the banners I made while at Style Chicago are live! I'm compiling them in my Flickr. See them here!

If you're interested in what Style Chicago is, visit their site!

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Ode to the Breadbowl

This is an ode to one of my favorite things in the world: Chicken Noodle Soup in a Bread Bowl from Bread Co.

"What's Bread Co.?" You ask? Oh, right, you're not from the StL area, so you know it as Panera. Back in the day "Panera" was only in the St. Louis area and called St. Louis Bread Company--Bread Co. for short. A while back they expanded nationally under the name "Panera Bread." Going to Bread Co. in a place away from your hometown area, is still like going home. It's like going to your best friend's house. The food is delicious and the same no matter what. I have a few staple things that I get: Strawberry Poppyseed salad (when it's in season, like now), white-cheddar steak panini, and the Chicken Noodle Bread Bowl.

The Bread Bowl is the ultimate comfort food, in my opinion. If you know me, you know that I'm not big on soup, but this is like getting a hug from your mom, grandma, and best friend. And, when you're done with the soup, you can eat the soup-soaked bread. This is the best part because it's warm and has a hint of soup to it. And when you're done, you're full. What could be better???? NOTHING, because you have free-wifi and a nice atmosphere. Plus, they have a rewards program where you can get free things such as pastries, drinks, and icee/coffee beverages! I love free things and rewards cards/programs so I have nothing but great things to say about this place.

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Potpourri Post

What to talk about? How I am disgruntled with the whole male population? Or the delicious food I have just had? Or my new obsession with cucumber water. Oh I have so many topics floating around in my head, that I think this is just going to be a potpourri kind of post

I. Sweets
A. Well, it's the summer solstice to celebrate the official mark of summer & 3 months until my b-day I stopped by Bittersweet Pastry Shop on Belmont. THEY HAVE STRAWBERRY RHUBARB SORBET. Let me tell you, this is the BEST thing ever.
1. I googled this place and this is how creepy Google has turned!

It tells you when you last looked at it and how many times you viewed it!

2. Their pastries look delicious as well. I was able to restrain myself and just get the sorbet

B. I also went to Cloud 9 this weekend and it was the bomb. It's like cotton candy in ice form

II. Stuff in the City
A. I checked out the Museum of Contemporary Art today. It was nice and cool inside. I had never been and I was pretty impressed.
B. I saw Louis CK on Saturday at the Chicago Theater and he was pretty awesome. I wonder what it'd be like to have him as a dad [I love my dad tho btw]
C. I had an interview to be a Lincoln Park blogger for the Red Eye today! I think it went well, but we'll see.

Well, I'm blogged out. Tootles!

You know what sucks?

• When people never text you back
• When you forget both your iPod or a reading material for your morning commute/down-time between work & class
• When you eat your last chunk of Bubble Tape

What's kind of awesome?

• Decent weather in Chi
• The pretzel bread I made again
• My internship
  

It's summer!

Wednesday I started my "Big Girl Internship in the City" at Style Chicago. I went well and today I completed my first image banner ad! Wooohoo!! Everyone is awesome and so far I really enjoy it.

View from Chinatown El Stop

This week my friend Sisi took me to Chinatown! I had never been and it has been on my list of things to do in Chicago. We looked around the stores and I found the Koala cookies I ate as a kid!

Familiar with these? They're delicious & come in strawberry (which is better) too!

We stopped at a bakery before where I got an almond cookie for later (it was huge and under $1!). I also found a cool ring for $4! It's been pretty nice weather these past few days and everyone's in a good mood =) We then ate at a restaurant where I got a delicious mango chicken (enough for a second meal!). I haven't seen it on other menus, but it's basically chicken and mangos with a few other veggies. I might try & look for a recipe for it.

In the square with my Chinese Zodiac Horse

It's the Just For Laughs Festival in Chicago as well this week and I couldn't be any happier. I wish they had festival passes, but that's why I have a job I suppose. Tomorrow I'm seeing Louis CK & "3 very special guests." I don't know who they are, but I'm sure they're fabulous and it will be a great show. This year has totally turned me into a comedy junkie but I love it. When you think about it, it is a little silly to pay [sometimes big $ for bigger comics] to see someone make you laugh. I guess for some people it's probably cheaper than therapy though.

All in all, my summer has been fabulous. A little busy, but I'm so excited to be spending my first summer full time in the city.

Posted via email from Carrie Emge-Becoming an Adult in the City

caffeine free

I'm going to try & go 2 weeks without Apple Chais, Sun Drops, Skis, or Coca Colas.
Will it be hard? YES.
Why am I doing this? Because my doc. recommended it.
Stay tuned

Sophomore Year: DONE

Well, I finished sophomore year!!

This was my theme song for finals week

Not going to lie: SO glad to be done with this quarter. Very ready to be on a much deserved break. The school was extremely busy, but fun. It was filled with new experiences, friends, and food!

I wrote this on the Megabus on my way back to SoIL, but had to wait until I had both and Internet connection & a free minute (which is going to be hard to come by). A con of not being able to be home all the time is when I am home, I practically have to micromanage every minute to see everyone, and having to live with not being able to see everyone in one visit. As my mom says, "sometimes you just can't do everything."

While walking to the el I passed the "Commencement Party" on the quad, and saw many parents and graduating seniors heading to the Baccalaureate Mass at St. V's. It's weird to think that in just 2 years I'll be participating in those things. It also made me realize something else…

IT'S TOURIST SEASON IN CHICAGO!

That's right folks, the fanny packs, slow walkers, and large cameras around the neck are reappearing. I'm not saying I hate tourists or anything. I'm actually kind of excited because Michigan Ave. will be perfect for people watching. This is my first summer spent entirely in Chicago and I couldn't be more excited for all the festivals, sunshine, and my internship! I start my internship at Style Chicago on Wednesday. I'll be interning M, W, F and giving tours Thursdays, so I'll stay a nice level of busy.

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Posted via email from Carrie Emge-Becoming an Adult in the City

The Doughnut Vault

Oh Em Gee

To celebrate our last day of M/W loop class, my roommate and I woke up a bit earlier and went to The Doughnut Vault on Franklin. I heard many rave reviews from this place online. From their twitter account, they sold out every day and there were people lined up every morning to get these doughnuts. Looking at their tumblr, the pictures of the doughnuts made my mouth water. As a doughnut lover, I had to try this place.

The Doughnut Vault did not disappoint.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Only a few people ahead of us in line I got a vanilla glazed doughnut that was about the size of my hand. Laura got a chocolate glazed one and for $3 they were totally worth it. Fluffy, slightly warm, and not overly glazed, this was one of the best doughnuts I've ever had!

I'm pretty sure doughnuts are becoming the next big "thing." Cupcakes got real popular a few years ago, and now it seems as if there's a fro-yo joint on every block. Yes, Dunkin' has numerous locations, but I'm talkin small, private shops like the Doughnut Vault. I'm eager to try Dirty Betty's (the dougnut shop in conjunction with the Cookie Bar on Lincoln).

Posted via email from Carrie Emge-Becoming an Adult in the City

FEST '11

So yesterday this happened:

and then this

AND THEN....

All I can say is, it was an awesome day and our coordinator, Rachel did a fantastic job leading up & day of! It was a little chilly, but we got it in before the rain!!

Posted via email from Carrie Emge-Becoming an Adult in the City

Orange on Clark St.

Well, I've kind of been slacking on the blog front. I wanted to upload my pictures first so I could make these posts more exciting. Anyway, last weekend, I went to the brunch place Orange located on Clark St. I've been wanting to go there since last year so I had pretty high hopes. Let me tell you, this place did not disappoint. I started things off by ordering a glass of fresh-squeezed Strawberry-Watermelon juice from the juice bar. Something I had never had before but it was delicious!

After reading every detail on the menu, I decided on the weekly special-a variety of small pancakes. There were four different kinds in one platter. I didn't take a picture (I was so excited to eat them!) but they were the best things I've ever had! One little stack (they were dollar sized pancakes) had blueberries & whipped cream, the other had apples & cranberries, and another had a raspberry cream and white chocolate sauce. YUM. I will definitely be going back there at some point.

Posted via email from Carrie Emge-Becoming an Adult in the City

I have a new follower!

I just noticed I have another follower! Hello, ap_aesthetics89! My total is at 3 now-woo!! I feel blogger is kind of dated, with more people on Tumblr, but I'm kinda addicted to blogging so yea...

What a way to end a weekend

To cap off this busy weekend, we learn Osama bin Laden is dead.

WOW.

=O

speechless

Just going to add to the craziness of the week ahead:

Monday-DAB Laser Tag event

Tuesday-Director Catherine Hardwicke speaks

Wednesday-FEST big reveal

Thursday-committee meeting

Friday-tours & getting ready for Bo Burnham show

Saturday-BO BURNHAM SHOW!

If you need me, I will be found in the DAB office (I will only be at my house to sleep lol)

Posted via email from Carrie Emge-Becoming an Adult in the City

Having Fun isn't Hard When You've got a Library Card!

Anyone get that Arthur reference?? I have a lot of fond memories from that show :)

After living in Chicago for a year and a half now I finally took my own advice (something I've frequently mentioned on tours) and got a Chicago Library Card! I feel more of a Chicago citizen now since I had to show proof of address to get my card. I went to Harold G. Washington Library Wednesday in between giving a tour in the loop and my accounting lab. I had never been inside and wow, what a beautiful building.

I also took some time to study in there too. A change of pace/view from DePaul's library where I feel like I'll fall asleep when I go in there. One day I should check out the Lincoln Park Branch. Now that I have my card, I can check stuff out! Here's my card:

Posted via email from Carrie Emge-Becoming an Adult in the City

bloggin it up!

What happens when you give a girl caffeine, a mac, and idle time? BLOGGING, so that's what I'm doing. Watch out, folks, I've been tweeting up a storm too.
I didn't watch the Royal wedding this weekend because I need as much sleep as I can get. I won't go through my crazy weekend (enough people know already, and if I type it up, I might go into a panic attack) though. So, I just looked through the CNN photo gallery. One image that stuck out at me was the fake engagement rings that people were buying and wearing.
I, for some reason, want one. Why? No clue. It is pretty, and I like rings, but it's a little big for me.
That's all. 'Nother post coming soon!!

Sorry?

We are in our last day of April. Um, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN???? It doesn't quite feel like May, but but it's approaching. One week until my Big Comedy Show with Bo Burnham!! Holy Cow, I can't believe it's actually happening.
One thing I've noticed this past week is that I say "sorry" a lot. It's a habit, I guess. I'm in the way, "I'm sorry." Someone bumps into me, "I'm sorry." I loose my balance on a crowded train, "I'm sorry." It's like my default response, even if I didn't do anything (aka someone bumping into me). Why do I do this? I'm not sure. I guess I don't want any drama? Because I was raised to have manners? I can't say I have the answer. It's not a bad thing, I guess. It's just something I've been pondering this week, and I finally have time to sit down & blog because it's a visit day and I don't have to give a tour for a while.

One thing I'm NOT sorry for, is being myself. I don't apologize for my pale skin that doesn't tan, or slightly large feet, or other quirky things about myself that I can't really change. Because that's what makes me me. I laugh about everything and and not afraid to be myself.

I feel so philisophical at 8:30 in the morning...

Questions

Questions are an interesting topic. When we're kids, we ask them all the time. Why this? Why that? It seems when we get older we stop asking questions. I wonder why that is. I still ask questions because I want to know information.

I admit, I felt a little stupid on Saturday when my mom sent me to the store and I had no idea where the applesauce was. Wasn't by the canned vegetables so I had to "bother" a high school girl who cared more about her text messages where it was. But was I going to waste 10 minutes searching for it? No way. Might as well have those kids do their job.

Today I 'womaned up' and asked a question a lot of people were afraid to ask at the airport. I walked in, checked my bag, and the security line was VERY LONG. But I spotted a smaller line going the opposite direction. After looking around and not seeing a TSA employee in sight, I got in the long line. A few minutes later I saw a TSA worker and asked about the smaller line. She said it was perfectly fine to get into, so I did. A few people said to me "Thanks for asking, I was wondering the same thing." I said not a problem, as I'd take a shorter line any day. But I wondered, Why didn't you ask? What kept you from asking? It wasn't a stupid question. Besides, my motto is, "ask a stupid question, and be stupid for 5 seconds. Don't ask, and be stupid for the rest of your life." You never know unless you ask...

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter holiday! I'm gonna go eat some more jelly beans :)

Posted via email from Carrie Emge-Becoming an Adult in the City