Tags
chocolate cupcakes, cupcakes and bette davis, french vanilla, friday evening, honey, jokes, tgif, vanilla cake
Another week has come and gone here at Persephone. Welcome to the cushy comforts of the open thread, where we’re all friends, all your jokes are witty, and your hair always looks really, really great. Totally.
Myself, I’ll be spending this fine Friday evening baking. There’s a family party this weekend and I’m the go-to gal for sugary treats. In addition to a bunny-shaped French Vanilla cake for a lucky 1-year old, I’m also going to be making Early Grey chocolate cupcakes with honey lemon buttercream. Awesome.
I mean, look at this picture.
I know, right?
So what are the rest of you doing?
My Aim Is True 
Dear SlayBelle,
Please send me one of your earl grey honey lemon delicious cupcakes asap. I will chomp it with gusto.
Smooches,
H.McDoog
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I’m shoving one through the internet tube for you now!
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I think this site is great and I can’t wait for there to be something better than Jezebel!
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Aw, thanks, Maggie!
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I am currently writing a four page paper on the representations of female autonomy and helplessness (as differentiated between white women and various native women) that is due at midnight! Don’t I know how to have a grand time?
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Ouch. Thanks for reminding me why I don’t miss school! Good luck with the paper.
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Those look dee-licious. I am Netflixin’ like crazy, since my roommate works nights and my other go-to gal is out of town.
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I got to say, they’re not as appetizing looking putting them together. I’ve had to make the chocolate base twice now, for various clumping and separating mishaps. This is why people use box cake.
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This is why you’re better than those people. Because you try.
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I’m babysitting a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old. It has been an enjoyable evening since we watched Mulan and ate popsicles. Now they’re asleep and I’m furiously playing Angry Birds.
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Clearly, the secret to this game is more angry birds:)
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Angry birds is more complicated than it seems. I always beat a level when I’m barely trying. It’s weird like that.
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I know! I cannot for the life of me pass one level, yet Mr. Mona (without trying) flies through all levels! Unfair!
(sorry for all the !!!, Angry Birds makes me exclaim!)
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Haha, Mr. McDoogal is obsessed with that game as well! I’m more of an online poker addict, m’self.
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I managed to unlock all of the levels, but most of them only have one star. I have no idea how people get such high scores.
And I gave up entirely on the Christmas version.
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I once got 3 stars by a fluke, otherwise it’s always 1 or 2. I do not understand how to get 3.
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The key is to do it in as few shots as possible, because you get points for every bird you don’t use. Of course, that is easier said than done.
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OK, I get that, but sometimes I’ll do it with only 2 birds, yet only get 1 star! Oh well, I guess I’ll just admit that I suck at Angry Birds.
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I suck at it, but I can’t stop. It’s the most obsessed I’ve been with a game since I figured out how to play Minesweeper.
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Ahhh! Minesweeper. Memories. I kicked ass at that game.
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No. Way. I love that game! I literally had to go through detox to make myself stop after I graduated college because I kept getting caught playing it at work. Don’t even. I don’t want to relapse.
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It’s pretty much the greatest game ever invented. I’m awesome at it, which means that doing work on a computer with Minesweeper takes twice as long because I just start a new game whenever I don’t know what to write.
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Alright, I see how it is, hahaha. I just have to learn how to be better at angry birds..
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Hi friends,
What are your views on leggings? I wore them today with my kick ass new sweater dress. However, I have always made fun of leggings as clothing (I’ll wear them under pants as long underwear).
Did I sell out today? I was hella comfortable…
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I’ve never worn them for non-athletic purposes. But plenty of women here like them! If you search for “leggings” in the search bar you’ll find an entire post one of our writers did that was very pro-legging.
Whatever. If you like them, wear them!
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I just searched and read the article; it makes me feel better about my decision (I make it sound like life or death). I think I’ll keep wearing them under my skirts and dresses because I don’t like tights.
I just feel like a hypocrite because I was strongly “leggings are not pants!”
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I think leggings are cool as long as they are not pants….Basically if they cover your ass you’re okay!
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ass was covered, I guess I’m good to go 🙂
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I agree with Maggie. Leggings are not pants if you try to wear them just as pants! I don’t want to see all that crotch action. But they’re a great supplement to a short skirt or super long sweater that you want to pretend is a dress.
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As long as one’s ass is covered they’re fair game.
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My winter work uniform (at least twice a week): leggings, long tunic-y sweater (usually cowl-neck), and boots. As long as the leggings are thick enough that you can’t see skin through them, and the top covers your ass, they’re fine.
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This, ladies, is my inaugural post. Hello. I jumped ship from Jezebel, and I am so glad to be here. Also, I am drunk and going to bed way earlier than expected.
lol I texted my mom way earlier, “do you think I will need c-sections? You had them with all of us.. did Nana have them too?”
She just texted back “No but she has hips”. Bitch.
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haha, aw I need to ask my mom this question 😦
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Hey, welcome! We’re glad to have you here.
Also…what? What kind of motherly comment was that? I’m adopted so these sort of things will get to be a fun little surprise for me.
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Welcome!
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Welcome!
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No! I know I’m a day late on this, but hips or no hips, you can have a baby the regular way, I promise. Hips have nothing to do with pelvises. 🙂
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So it’s 11:26 and I’ve finally sat down. The bunny cake came out beautifully on the first try. The cupcakes — well, that was another situation. The chocolate base got all glumpy and gross and I had to throw it out, and then enlist another set of hands to whisk while I shifted. Those stupid bakers on cupcake wars never need a whisking assistant!
But I think it was worth it. The cupcakes are cooling but the batter tastes heavenly. I think this is a two thumbs up project.
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Well, congrats! Also, you had me at bunny cake. Do you remember the Baskin Robbins bunny roll cakes? Is that what your cake looks like?
(Basically, I am demanding pictures)
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I do remember the Bunny rolls! I had pitched a cake like that to the mother of the birthday child, but she wanted something more elementary looking.
My cake isn’t frosted yet — I might do a baking post about it this week, but it will look like this (more or less): http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/easter-bunny-cake.html#c8
I wish we could upload photos in the comments!
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picture of bunny cake?
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Ugh, you guys, I had the worst day. Bossman was unbearable and the office was a madhouse. I am FINALLY getting to bed and was settling in for some listening* when The Mister decided he felt like he had a splinter (who knows from what?) and wandered off to investigate like ten minutes ago. I just want to cry.
*We have been taking turns reading to each other before bed. It is sweet.
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I’m pretty sure this week was four months long. I’m so glad it’s over. Now I’m realizing that I forgot to wash my face when I took my contacts out, but I’m way too lazy to get up and do it now, and too tired to care about the inevitable giant mid-cheek zit if I go to bed with my makeup on.
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Snort.
Mr. PorkStore is downstairs vomming.
Look I know I drink a lot, and that’s kind of it’s own th ing…but I kind of love so hard that I can handle my liquor more than my husband.
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He just came upstairs and stammers: IGOTTAGOTOBED.
SNORT.
Baby.
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Aw, I feel for Mr. PorkStore because I’m the lightweight. PoHubs usually leaves me a big glass of water and some painkillers as he’s laughing his ass off at me.
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So, I’m supposed to hang out with an old friend of mine on Sunday night. Like, known him since middle school. We almost never hang out one-on-one. Every time we do, I say something stupid about how I used to like him in high school, and the last time I saw him was at a club, and I was drunk, and there was dancing, and… I completely forgot how awkward that would be come Sunday.
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Anyone still up? The boy’s parents are visiting this weekend and they’re camped out in the living room with his niece and their dog… I love them to pieces but these little visits bring out the absolute worst in me. Augh, I can feel it already…
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That cupcake sounds like a good idea. Maybe something to try for my next day off. Even though I told myself that I should also try to bake/cook savory things, instead of only sweets.
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I made those cupcakes today, and sweet baby Jesus, are they delicious! Thanks for the link!
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I know, right? I’m super happy with them myself.
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Have to delurk for this incredible recipe:
do you think I could replace the buttermilk with joghurt?
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I don’t see why not. I’d probably replace it with greek yogurt, myself, but yogurt for milk is a pretty common substitute. Let us know how they turn out!
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Hmmmmmm, greek yoghurt… (Homer drool)
Alas, I have no eggs in the fridge, but next week I´ll give it a try!
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Guys, I have really been enjoying reading the books I have never read for MiddleMarch Madness. I devoured The Handmaid’s Tale and really liked it. Now I am reading Sloppy Firsts and then I have a Fine Balance coming up next.
And tonight I might go get potato skins for dinner, sorry weight watchers, you’re on hiatus today.
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I’m jealous! I wish I had time to read all the books I’m not familiar with. Oh well, maybe for Middlemarch Madness II… Because there’s going to be a second edition, right? One in which Matilda makes the list, right? RIGHT?
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More lessons learned from babysitting 3-year-olds:
*I find it endlessly hilarious that George Carlin narrates Thomas the Tank Engine.
*The cards drawn in Candy Land are more suggestions than actual rules. They do not, for example, specify which two red squares you should jump to.
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(a) I have always ensured my kids don’t see Thomas the Tank Engine, because what I’ve seen of it looks insanely annoying. However, I didn’t know George Carlin narrates it! I may now have to reconsider my viewpoint.
(b) The cards also do not indicate which direction you should jump after drawing a card. You can force Mommy to make the game last as long as Monopoly if you jump from the beginning to the end, but throw in moving the other direction roughly every other freaking turn.
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I don’t remember making up rules like that, but it may explain why my own mom freaking HATES candyland.
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Although I didn’t know who he was at the time, he was on the TV version of the show, playing a tiny conductor. Ringo Starr also played the role.
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I remember watching the ones with Ringo. I’m sure I saw the ones with Carlin too, I just didn’t know who he was. I think it’s funny that Mr. Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television was so heavily involved in a kids show. But it’s awesome; I love George Carlin.
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Ever have a day where you would give anything for Tide’s Loads of Hope to come rolling up to your door?
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haha I was just thinking about that today as I was doing 3 loads of laundry (the extra being that the cat peed in a clean laundry basket). And then I was thinking about what it would be like to be in some sort of emergency with no way to do laundry and how much I appreciate having clean laundry.
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Oh god, talk about a “Noooooooooo! Kittyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!” moment. See also “Why is there poop here???!!!!” and “Nooooooooooooooooooo!”
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That last part was (hork) “Nooooooooo!” (frantic scramble to find newspaper kitty can puke on).
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Emergency cooking question: I am broiling steak in an electric oven. I have the rack set as high as it will go, and the steak is just not cooking. It’s been in there for at least 40 minutes and is not done, which is totally not how broiling is supposed to go. The only thing I could find to put under the cooking tray to raise the steak was too big. What do I do?
HALP.
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I should note that I’ve only ever broiled steak in gas ovens, in which case the fire took care of everything.
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Fuck me!!!!!!!!!
😦
With NO warning, no approval (Wash and I have both said “No”) the in-laws want to come down for a WEEK! With Grandma! And brother! (THIS week!)
——– No call to me. From any of them. We’ve explicitly told them we are trying to enjoy a “Honeymoon” period and they just decide to come over and…
*screams*
They just won’t listen.
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I say you should hide and not answer the door.
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I cried from happiness for the first time today in I-have-no-idea-how-long, cause one of my best friends got engaged. So happy for her!
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That’s so exciting!!!!!!!
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Beautiful.
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Had an amazing lazy brunch with an awesome girlfriend. Why don’t I do this more often?
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Brunch is pretty much the best thing ever.
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It’s not quite breakfast, it’s not quite lunch, but it comes with a slice of cantaloupe at the end.
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Indeed! I went to a baby shower brunch this morning, and it was great: Fresh fruit & veggies, cinnibuns, mini quiche, etc. Best. Idea. Ever.
Breakfast noms FTW.
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FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, I love Mario Batali. Molto Italiano is a genius cookbook. His “weeds” with sausage is so lovely and we paired it with a Greek chicken recipe from The Silver Spoon (another fabulous cookbook) and I’m still kind of in a food coma. I’m very lucky that the husband loves to cook so much…
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Watching “The Plague” on History International.
❤
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Threw a ladybrunch on Saturday and every single one of the ladies brought a bottle of champagne. We drank them all. I love my friends so hard.
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So the bunny cake and the cupcakes were a big hit at the party last night. There was nothing left at the end of the night.
A note for anyone who making the Earl Grey cupcakes — the tea taste gets stronger the longer the cupcakes sit. A lot stronger.
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Weird…so tea can steep even inside baked goods? I really wanna make these now. Especially because I have your permission to eat them immediately.
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I guess. I hadn’t really thought about it beforehand, but I’ve made coffee based cakes before, and the coffee taste is always more noticable after a day or two. But in my head tea/= coffee. I assumed they’d taste exactly the same in the morning as they did in the evening and boy, howdy I was wrong. Still a smashing success.
You should totally make them. The recipe only makes a dozen or so cupcakes and that’s, like, a day’s worth of meals.
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The recipe only makes a dozen or so cupcakes and that’s, like, a day’s worth of meals.
I love this blog! 😀
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OMG..OK..it’s time I actually start applying for grad school. GAhh..How do I write a letter of motivation when I’m lacking the motivation to even start writing one.
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Start with a list of things and turn them into paragraphs later.
I find lists to be a good place to start because they’re much less scary. “I need to write a list of things I’m good at and that I like about X school” is much mentally easier to tackle than “ACK I NEED TO WRITE A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE OH GOD I AM A FAILURE NO ONE WILL EVER ACCEPT ME.”
Ahem. Maybe that last part was just me. Anyway, lists!
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That’s exactly what’s going on through my head. I feel like I’m not going to get in and will get stuck at my crappy job thinking of that awesome opportunity I screwed up by writing a horrible statement of purpose.
On second thought, let me just start on that list.
Thanks!
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The open thread is really quiet this weekend… What’s everybody up to?
I had a bit of a meltdown over my dissertation yesterday, so today I’m trying to take it easy: I slept in, I did some much-needed cleaning around the house, and now I’m settling in with my draft and a cup of coffee.
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Hi! I think maybe because it’s a holiday weekend for a lot of people, maybe folks are out of town?
That sounds like a good plan. I have trouble focusing when the house is messy. And coffee fixes everything!
Good luck with your work. Keep us posted!
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Oh, that may be it then. We need to get more non-US Sephies in here!
Thanks for the encouragement! And don’t worry, I couldn’t NOT keep you posted, since eighty percent of my comments in the open threads seem to be about my work… In fact, I’m thinking of adding another line to my acknowledgements: “And thank you to all the nice internet people who listened to me whine for months on end”.
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Haha. Well, we are glad to be nice internet people and not awful internet people. 🙂
I hope that your break gave you some perspective and you can move forward. I always used to find that it was right after a meltdown and stepping away for a little bit that I managed to make the most progress.
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If I could start all over again… Well, I wouldn’t, because the last three years of my life are not something I would like to go through again. But if I could go back in time and talk to three-years-ago-me and then come back to 2011, when my dissertation is almost finished… I would tell three-years-ago-me to schedule more breaks and plan for more free time and for more fun stuff to do between the long days of writing. Because all work and no play makes you a dull girl who cries at her desk for no apparent reason.
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It was a holiday weekend for several provinces in Canada too! 🙂
Hope your weekend improved…
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It did, thanks! I think the meltdown was my brain telling me it needed a break… Taking a deep breath really helped. Incidentally, so did getting some fantastic feedback from my advisor 😉
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And also: I guess the open threads will get more lively naturally as the community grows, that’s not something you can force. Which reminds me: there’s already 700 of us! Yay *happy dance*! Are you guys planning something special for the day Persephone hits 1000 members? Confetti and balloons?
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what holiday? who’s having it? I feel left out…
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Tomorrow (Monday) is Presidents’ Day in the U.S. Basically, we like to name our bank holidays to give them purpose. In February, we use it to celebrate Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays.
Actually, the political team I work with is so geeky that one of us hosts an annual presidential trivia party every year the night before Presidents’ Day. I am looking forward to it. Last year, I was MVP of my team, so I’ve been trying to study a little bit to keep up my image. Ha!
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oh the American and their weird holidays… party on I say.
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Haha, only a few of them are generally considered party days by most of the public (New Year’s, 4th of July, etc.) Most of the rest of the standard public holidays are just an excuse for a long weekend.
January – New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February – Presidents’ Day
May – Memorial Day
July – Independence Day
September – Labor Day
October – Columbus Day
November – Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving
December – Christmas
Some public school districts also close for Election Day in November because schools are often polling places, and you don’t want any weirdos off the street milling about with kids everywhere. November is a great month that way!
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Hey, at least your public holidays are not dictated by the Roman Catholic Lithurgic Calendar, like they are in my country! I see your President’s Day and raise you an All Saints Long Weekend.
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yeah. public holidays based on convenient totally rock. so we don’t have a long weekend in Feb. you say? let’s pick soma random patriotic thing and make it a day!
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I was out of town having a girls’ weekend with one of my good friends.
There was… um… a lot of wine.
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That sounds awesome! How much of a hangover are we talking about? 🙂
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None, actually! It’s kind of awesome.
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I also should be working right now (whooo freelance article-writing!), but I’m being a procrastinatrix.
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Is that the plastic surgery stuff you were telling us about in the writing group thread? Yeah, I’m not surprised you’re putting that off… I would end up having serious body issues if I had to write about that kind of stuff for a living!
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Fortunately, reading about it is mostly making me go “Do not want!” since I have to research the details of the procedures!
I also only have one more cosmetic surgery one to do… after that, I move on to either dental surgery or cardiac surgery (haven’t decided which I’m going to do first).
Mostly, I just want to play Neopets, haha. But I think I am going to switch it up and procrastinate by reading my new Sephora catalog that just arrived, even though I can’t afford aaaaanything right now.
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My current go-to procrastination site is Ikea. We moved a few weeks ago and we’re living among boxes of stuff we don’t still have a place for. Luckily my desk is my trusty (and easily movable) trestle table that I’ve had since college, so I was able to set it up and get to work as soon as we got here, but I’m still sitting in the middle of piles of books and folders. I like to go to the Ikea website and daydream about billy bookcases and lots of drawers.
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I can’t wait until I get a real job (so I don’t have to pay an insane amount each month for health insurance) and can get my own place.
I will need to buy a desk, which is kind of exciting. I’ve never had a desk that I’ve loved.
On the plus side, being paid per article means I can look at things that I want in the catalog and go “Well, if you can manage an extra 5 articles today, that will pay for it. So you could get it if you write 10 articles today.” It’s not going to happen, but it helps me to quantify stuff. Also, if I come across something I really, really want, I know I can just do extra work to be able to get it.
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Picking out your desk is exciting! I bought mine when I went off to college; it’s not the most sophisticated desk in the world (plywood on two Ikea trestles) but I still hang on to it for sentimental reasons.
I like your way of motivating yourself to work on your writing! By the way, that would be a good topic for a Calliope & Co. thread: how to motivate yourself and stay motivated through long projects (Maude knows I could use some tips on that!)
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Psh, instead of motivating me, it just made me realize that I don’t need $50 makeup primer 🙂
Sometimes it’s a good motivator, though.
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What’s your diss on? You probably mentioned it at some point and I missed it.
My husband is in the throws of writing his and just couldn’t do anymore, so he’s playing Assassin’s Creed 2 and cursing at the tv. It’s probably better than cursing at his writing.
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It’s on postcolonial literature in English, with a focus on gender. I try not to get too specific because it’s a prety unusual topic, so sharing it would be like sharing my social security number.
If your experience of living with a dissertation writer is anything like my partner’s, my heart goes out to you. Seriously. I suck at managing my time, so I can never tell him when I will be able to take a day off. Sometimes we make plans to watch a movie together, and then it turns out I have to work through the night. Or he makes his own plans because I’m supposed to work all weekend, and then I suddenly decide that I need a break when he’s out hiking all day and we can’t be together anyway. Yeah, I suck. This is one of the only things I would do differently if I started all over again.
What’s your husband’s diss on?
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He’s an inter-disciplinarian in South Asian studies, and his diss is on flooding and disaster management/response in the former French colonies of Southern India. So a lot of historical record investigation and government research. He’s also been off to S. India multiple times for field work.
I hope to go back to school after he’s finished and working myself, so I try to keep any complaining or concerning to myself so he doesn’t get to do any ‘see, I told you so’ing when I get to my dissertation.
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Haha, that’s a good policy! While I completely understand my partner’s complaints and concerns, sometimes I just wish there was some way for him to really see what working on a dissertation really is like. For example, he just can’t wrap his head around writers’ block (something I’ve really struggled with): “What do you mean you can’t write a word? You just sit at the computer and… WRITE!”
On the other hand, he’s been great at talking me down when I was basically turning a bout of writers’ block into the fifth horseman of the apocalypse, so I guess I can’t really complain 🙂
Have you decided what field to get into when you go back to school?
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Not entirely. I do pop culture work but I’ve been repeatedly warned away from going into a cultural studies program — the field is saturated. I gave a paper at a conference this past year in a bid to start building up my resume because I’ve been out of school for the better part of a decade and everyone gave me their suggestions for fields. I was told to go into rhetoric, stay out of cultural studies, go into performance studies, stay out of English…
I think some of it will depend on where he ends up getting a job. If its a school with a good program I can go to for free, I’ll probably feel freer to be more indulgent with what I want to do.
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I know what you mean about cultural studies being saturated… I think part of the problem is that everybody in the humanities thinks they can do cultural studies. I admit I’ve been guilty of this in the past, presenting my papers on literature at cultural studies conferences or panels because they sounded more interesting than the ones on literature. The last cultural studies conference I went to was roughly 85% literature, 10% cinema, 5% music.
I guess if you want to go into cultural studies you could try to find your own niche, something really specific that nobody else is doing? I do most on my work on young, little-known authors, and I always feel like I have something new to say, something to add to the conversation about postcolonial literature.
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This has been quite the slow weekend for me – I was supposed to have a visitor, so I had cleared my whole schedule. And then he didn’t come. While that is a bit of a relief, it also left me with a bunch of time off.
Yesterday I spent time with my dad and went to dinner with my aunt, uncle and him. Turns out it’s a perfect day to be stranded inside doing a paper today, since we’ve got 12-20 inches pouring down on us all day today!
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BicuriousShoes and I were talking about our preferred procrastination methods, and I want to know more people’s methods! (This might be so that I can procrastinate EVEN MOAR.)
Personally, I play Neopets and spend time on boutiques.com looking at clothes that I can’t afford. I also check Facebook frequently, as well as Persephone (duh) and The Gloss. Today I mixed it up by looking at a Sephora catalog, but I can’t spend time on their website because it makes my money disappear.
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Tumblr. The end.
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seconded.
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I would like to add that, besides browsing Ikea.com and daydreaming about office furniture, I also like to spend my time looking at all the nicely organized offices in the Unclutterer and Lifehacker Workspace flickr pools. Office pr0n ftw!
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well before I discover internet was more than email (don’t ask I’m slow), I used to do laundry instead of studying or working (I work at home). putting stuff in the machine is easy enough and make my place smell like laundry. which I like. it go to the point that i just took stuff out of the closet and wash them again. not really good for cloths but I felt like I’m useful and not just slacking around although I sure didn’t do what I suppose to do.
Now I just refresh every website I have open. even the one that refresh themselves. and I play soliter. really sad.
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I look at old music videos on Youtube. I also love to put TV shows on DVD on the “play all” option and just run them through. Recently I discovered this lovely collection of Alex Mack episodes and have been regressing. They’re all on Megavideo, but the list of links is in the description on this Youtube video:
I also enjoy watching these short documentaries made for Current TV. They haven’t put up their fourth season’s episodes but they’re all pretty awesome too.
http://www.youtube.com/show?p=8NtSYAZY9Y8&s=2
I also love to cook so if I can make an elaborate meal instead of doing something that I really don’t want to, I will do that. Lately I have become a master procrastinator, but I think I’m actually getting fed up by it so I’ll change my behavior. Tomorrow.
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Funny you should ask – I am working on a paper for an online course this weekend, and have decided that correctly categorizing my iTunes by GENRE is really important.
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Oh but it is!!!
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I am looking for some book suggestions. I just finished the Hunger Games trilogy and also recently enjoy Feed and Duma Key. Any horror/apocalyptic/thriller suggestions?
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I followed The Hunger Games (so good! Peeta 4EVA!!1!!) with Ender’s Game, another YA/Sci-fi book that has children being conscripted into grand battles. It didn’t end up being one of my favorites, but it satisfied the post-HG cravings.
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I read the Ender books before I started Hunger Games, and so far the latter is a superior story, I think. I’m not very far along, I never make time to read books like I should, but even the little chunks I’m able to read at a time stick with me. I’m hoping to write a big review for the site when I finish, but I’m afraid it would be longer than the book itself. Ender has a great story, but Katniss is pretty epic.
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My favorite apocalyptic book is The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway. Quick, witty writing style, lots of action and adventure, and some seriously chilling bits.
Plus, it’s got ninjas.
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Ooh, if you like The Hunger Games, you should check out The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. It’s another YA series set in a dystopian world, and I loved it.
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All right, I need some clutter advice! We keep our mail/bills/random but necessary papers in our kitchen, on the counter, because that’s where we spend most of our time. They are tucked away in a corner with stamps, my checkbook, the phone and phonebook, and that sort of stuff.
That’s all fine, except it’s all basically in a pile! I need some sort of filing system that will fit between a kitchen counter and the cupboards above (about 12 inches of space, I guess) and doesn’t look too “office-y.” I want it to blend well with our kitchen, which is mostly dark brown wood with stainless steel appliances.
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I don’t have any suggestions, but am also interested in such a system!
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Here’s a post from Unclutterer on how to keep your mail organized. Not exactly what you were asking for, but it may give you some ideas…
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OK, so I am thinking of getting rid of our Dish package and sticking it out with the basics. I figure most of the shows I like to watch can now be found on the internets, or else I can ask my sis to dvr certain ones for me.
Mr. Mona is not so keen on the idea. He LOVES his soccer and doesn’t want to give up the soccer package we have.
My question for you all: Do you live without a cable package? Do any of you know if there is a company that offers just a sports bundle? Any suggestions from TV withdrawal?
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I hope someone answers, because we are in the exact same boat! We have no need for cable, because we watch almost everything on the computer, except for Nascar. My husband is a racing fanatic, and we can’t find any place to watch the races online, so we’re stuck with Dish Network for now.
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We canceled our cable oh, 3 years or so ago. I really didn’t know how I was going to function, and I was someone who grew up in a house where there was a TV in every damn room, and most of them were on from the second you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. Total TV addict. We canceled cable to save money, and I was super freaked out about it.
I’m AMAZED at how quickly I transitioned into having no cable. But between Netflix instant, Hulu and the interwebs at large, we’ve found we really don’t miss it at all. We’ve thought about getting a package again now that Mr. PorkStore has gotten a job and we’re going to have more income soon–but I mostly want it for the movie channels and TV shows like Dexter and Mad Men. Really though–we can live without it.
I would say that really, we probably watch just as much TV as we did before, but now we’re actually watching stuff that we intend to watch–ie, we’re not just sitting there mindlessly staring at the TV watching garbage and commercials. We pick something to watch from Netflix or Hulu or something.
As for sporting events–do you live somewhere where you can go to a bar or restaurant and watch? That could be something fun you could go to together.
Let me put it to you this way: If I can do it–YOU CAN DO IT.
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I’d love to go hang out at a sports bar to watch the races, but we have a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, so that’s kind of out. 🙂
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I think I’ll go for it. I would also like to save some money.
It’ll be hard for the soccer because we live in the suburbs and most of the sports bars show mostly American football and baseball.
It’s nice to know that someone else has done this and survived, however, if this fails, I’m going to hold you accountable- 😀
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I get the Mad Men season package on iTunes. It’s $20-something for the whole season, you get all of the episodes in high def, and each one comes with a little “extra” with interviews and behind the scenes footage. You can’t download it until Monday at like 4am, so it’s sometimes a struggle to avoid spoilers on Monday, but we just watch it Monday evening at our leisure, AND you have it right there on the computer whenever you want a screencap or to watch an episode or a scene again whenever you want.
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If you have no qualms about watching tv content illegally, there are plenty of streaming sites where you can keep up with most tv shows. I use them all the time because I live outside the US and most of my favourite shows don’t even air in my country, let alone come out in DVD. The Thursday night comedy shows, for example, are usually available 30-45 minutes after they air in the US.
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I will be looking into this…
Out of curiosity, what country are you in?
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I’m in Spain. I’ve been wondering about your screen name for a while, by the way: are you Spanish too, or a speaker of Spanish as a second language?
I watch 90% of my tv online, you can PM me if you have trouble finding your favourite shows and I’ll try to send you some links.
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We have not had cable in a while. Unfortunately, since the digital switchover (not sure where you live, but here in the US, you can’t just pull straight out of the air anymore), we can’t pull in ANY of the local stations. We can’t figure out if it’s the aluminum siding giving interference or what. We live right in the middle of a city, so it’s not like we’re out of range. Anyway, this means we have no tv in the traditional sense. You can’t just turn it on and flip around, even a limited number of stations.
But, we watch a lot of Netflix streaming on our X-Box. A LOT. Last year, we worked our way through an obscene amount of old series, and we watch a lot of movies and stuff, too. The only thing I really miss is being able to watch a baseball game whenever I feel like it in the summer. The Mister is not a baseball fan, though, so it’s not like I watched a lot of it after we moved in together before we got rid of cable, anyway. I definitely feel more out of the loop and disconnected from the season than I did before. But given that we really only have the one tv, I don’t know that I’d watch that much more. I’ve been thinking about getting the MLB package this summer that lets you stream games online.
I did find, though, that even though we end up watching a lot of tv through Netflix, it’s more deliberate. We recently stayed in a hotel and ended up lounging around for an hour and a half watching reruns of The Nanny, which neither of us particularly like that much, just because it was on and we didn’t feel like getting dressed! At least now, we’re working our way through series that we WANT to be watching. We have to make a conscious decision of what we want to watch before putting it on, and it’s less easy to get stuck in the “just one more episode” trap like you do with, say, Law and Order SVU marathons on TNT, because you have to click PLAY on each subsequent episode instead of just sitting there like a bump on a log waiting for the next one to start. That’s not to say that I haven’t wasted an entire day watching seven hours of Law and Order SVU on Netflix streaming before, ha ha.
ALSO: no commercials!
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Etiquette question –
Next weekend I am going back to the town of my alma mater, for a concert, but hoping to see some old friends while I’m there.
One such friend and I were really close while I was in school and still talked for about a year after. To try to keep this brief, he came up with a few friends later and his friends rubbed me the wrong way, and pretty much made it so that I barely got to see my friend at all. And this friend is a bit of a jellyfish (no backbone), so he didn’t really make a big deal of it to them. That bad impression on me, I think left him with the impression that I didn’t want to talk to him, which is completely untrue.
So here’s the conundrum – I’m heading down there next weekend, and want to see my friend. 1) He didn’t seem too enthused to see me, which kind of hurts. 2) He’s getting married the next weekend, and I didn’t get an invitation or announcement or anything – which is fine. But since I’m aware that he’s getting married, and might be seeing him, should I bring some sort of present for if I do see him? Or a card? Argh. Help!
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Forgot to mention – he’s getting married the weekend AFTER I’m there.
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I wouldn’t get a present… if you have to, I would play dumb, like you didn’t know he’s getting married (if that’s possible).
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If you’re not invited, you don’t need to get a gift. If you see him, just say, “I heard you’re getting married! Congratulations!” That’s all that’s required.
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@monasequeda @queenjulie Thanks! Wasn’t sure about a card or not, but I guess that makes sense. We’ll see if I even see him next weekend. Drifting friendships suck.
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I would say that after the wedding you could send a congratulations card if the visit goes well.
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Persephone Magazine is brainwashing me into knowing my Badass Ladies in Black History! I had never heard of Charlotte Forten Grimke before I saw her on the banner at the top of the page, now I see her name and my brain automatically goes to “abolitionist, writer, educator”. Which, of course, is all kinds of awesome.
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I was so super excited to see Mae Jemison on the banner. She is the best and doesn’t get nearly enough attention!
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I have to admit, being a non-USian, I didn’t know many of these ladies before. But it’s a really fun way to learn about them! Sort of how I’ll always remember Anna Howard Shaw thanks to 30 Rock. I know this is for Black History Month, but do you have something similar planned for next month? Something to do with Middlemarch Madness would be awesome.
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I don’t know, but that’s a neat idea! I’ll bring it up with the editors in our next big e-mail.
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Poor Wash. He’s almost crying and miserable. His family is not respecting his wishes at ALL and it’s killing him. The stress is not good at all.
I will support him on anything but this just hurts. Wash is the one dying, but his family wants him to do it on their schedule!
WTFrak??!
Someone tell me something good PLEASE, today all I see are selfish people who can’t or won’t listen to the dying man’s wishes.
😦
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I know it’s not terribly good or helpful, but all I can say is that is BULLSHIT. It makes me furious to see patients at the hospital who are clearly ready to die, or at least to stop treatment and just be allowed to relax and not be poked and prodded anymore, and their family members can’t handle it and force them into continuing treatments. I know that the family are grieving and just can’t let go, but it’s so selfish and shitty. That sucks for you guys. I’m so sorry.
Hey, here’s something good! Wash’s username got me to finally watch Firefly, and now I’m totally obsessed. I’m on episode 10. Unfortunately, I may now have to divorce my husband, because I made him watch the first episode, and his response was, “Eh. It’s okay, I guess.” I’m not sure how to go on living with him after that kind of insanity. 🙂
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Awww, hahaha. He says he doesn’t want to break up any marriages. But we are both glad you at least have found some love for the series.
He just wants to spend time with me (his wife) right now. Because of the tumor he doesn’t remember past the first couple weeks of our marriage. Our whole first year is lost to him. He wants to try and just be a newlywed with me and his family just wants to come in and see him as a child in need. They can’t see that he is an adult and married at that.
Lots of respect issues all around.
Thanks.
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QJ, give your husband a chance until at least “Objects in Space” before you make a divorce determination. The pilot can be a little hard for first-time viewers to get into.
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Queenjulie, I am proof that you can make a mixed marriage work. My husband is the dirty Firefly fan in our house, but even the orange hat guy as a folk hero episode couldn’t win me over.
We just don’t talk about it anymore.
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I just realized that the reason I’m so quick to offer help to pretty much anyone is that I really hate asking for it. So if someone else hates asking, and I offer to help them, then it’s easier… also, maybe, selfishly hoping that they will offer help when I need it in the future.
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Does anyone else deal with a shiny/oily forehead and/or bangs? For instance, today my forehead and bangs got oily halfway through the day, so I used oil-blotting tissues and put some baby powder in my bangs to make them look less oily. Now, by the end of the day, they both look oily again! I don’t really think I touch my bangs all that much. And, I like to wear knit hats sometimes, if that makes a difference…
How do y’all combat this?
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If you figure out the trick to this, let me know. I love rocking bangs but my forehead gets crazy greasy and breaks out all the time.
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So, Food Network cancels Ace of Cakes, but decides that people would be super interested in watching a show about ice sculptures? Uh huh.
I miss the days when Food Network had shows with actual chefs, and ran the original Japanese version of Iron Chef. Good times.
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Have you looked at foodnetworkhumor.com? That site is hilarious and dead-on most of the time about why the Food Network sucks now.
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I hadn’t seen that, but it’s hilarious. And pretty accurate.
It’s amazing the people that they think are qualified to tell anyone about food. Like, I hate Guy Fieri with a burning passion.
And they still screw up the shows with actual chefs. I was watching Iron Chef America, which is not as good as the original, but not bad, until they dubbed Morimoto. Even though he speaks English and is perfectly understandable.
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I hate that they dub him! That is so ridiculous. Do they really think that the average Food Network viewer isn’t able to handle listening to someone speak with a Japanese accent?
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The DUB him? Unacceptable! I don’t have cable anymore, so it’s been a while since I’ve watched the show. I know he was sometimes tough to understand, but good grief, subtitle that shit if you have to. Dubbing him is just insulting!
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Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I’m insulted for him. Especially since it seems like his English has gotten a lot better. I would be pissed as hell if I had spent so much time trying to learn a language and no one would acknowledge it.
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Bunny cake, finished.
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Ahh!!! So cute! You’ve got my ambitions up… I will be making one in the future.
(PS I followed you)
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I’m gonna need the recipe for that honey-lemon buttercream. I mean, please! But *grabbyhands*
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For a cake that sized, I use this:
3 sticks of butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
about 1 lemon’s worth of zest and juice
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
whole milk for consistency
Cream butter, salt, vanilla, & honey together until butter is fluffy. Add zest & lemon juice, blend.
Add powdered sugar and milk in alternating batches. You’ll going to do a bit of guess work with the milk — you’re looking to get a nice smooth consistency with the frosting, so you may need to use more or less. We’re talking dashes/teaspoons here, not cups.
Taste as you go — I just kept adding honey and lemon juice/zest until I was happy with the taste. You’d get more bang out of lemon extract, but I find it has a real chemical aftertaste to it and prefer to use fresh lemons.
That’s it. Making from scratch buttercream is not hard, but it’s much easier if you have access to a stand mixer. I find I’m not patient enough if I’m using a hand mixer.
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That is super cute! And it looks like it would be easy to turn into a kitty or puppy by changing the shape of the ears…
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I am in dire need of a haircut – my ends are super dry. Just for the heck of it, I worked some Badger Balm into it, and now it feels amazing. Had to share.
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What’s badger balm?
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