1*16*11

More changes. Change is good.

1*13*11

You know those days when you can't catch a break? When shit just starts getting piled on you, and just as soon as you think that maybe its going to let up, that it has to let up, more shit just gets tossed on...

This is one of those days.

Losing $450 worth of rental deposit (for paint! I would have happily painted it back!). Needing $750 worth of repairs on your car (when you were more than reluctant to even get a car in the first place). Then getting a flat tire on your bike.

If you have one of these days, there's only one thing to do: make cookies.

Hazelnuts. They're a wonderful thing. Especially with chocolate. Ever tried Nutella?

Mixing. Is there anything more soothing than that?

And finally, the silver lining in my day:

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Hazelnut Cookies

• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter with the sugars, salt and vanilla.

Beat in the eggs.

In a separate bowl combine the flours, baking soda and spices.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture.

Stir in the oatmeal, hazelnuts, orange zest and chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 10 minutes.

Eat about 5 of them while they are still warm. It will make you feel much better.

1*10*11

I'm not sure what got into me. I bought purple paint...

...and slathered it all over the walls in the guest room/office.

It's growing on me.

1*6*11

Thats champagne on my desk.

I'm celebrating.

I got a job.

Cheers!

1*5*11

Lets talk sugar.

A couple years ago I had the bright idea to make caramel sauce as a Christmas gift for my loved ones. 3 failed attempts and many tears later, I had no caramel sauce. I had a very disastrous looking kitchen, and crystalized sugar, but no caramel sauce.

So this year when I decided that I would make s'mores stuff, I was a little scared that I would be repeating my mistakes. But, no! It was easy! And relatively quick! And oh so much FUN!

Go, do it! Make some Honey Vanilla Bean Marshmallows! They're just as delicious as they look (I confirmed this with several test subjects).

I would repost the recipe, but it is much easier to just direct you to the original link. Enjoy!

1*3*11

I hope your holidays were as wonderful as mine! I got to spend quality time with my family, meet and hang out with my boyfriends awesome family, and visit the south for the first time. I am feeling very blessed.

Oh yeah, and I must have been a very good girl this year, because I totally scored with some awesome gifts! Flannel pajamas that are actually long enough (!) that I never want to change out of... my mom's old rolling pin that has about a thousand times more memories and capacity than the one I've been using... a thumb drive with all of my family photos going back more than four generations that brings me close to tears... and a sewing machine! My very own sewing machine! I feel so grown up!

Oh man. I'm a lucky lady.

12*31*10

The most beautiful sunset I've ever seen, in Ios, Greece

I'm not normally one for making New Years resolutions. But earlier this month my sweetie told me that his resolution would be to become more of a morning person. Being the half that wakes up around 6:30, bright-eyed and bushy tailed every morning, I told him that I was excited for it, and that I would need it in writing. It also prompted me to think about what sort of positive changes I would like to make for myself.

After contemplating the various things that I would like to change or improve in 2011, I came up with one consistent theme: that I need to be more assertive.

While I am a firm believer that my positive attitude and generous use of my smile have greatly attributed to my success thus far in life, I'm also coming to the realization that I could benefit from behaving more confidently.

I believe this is going to get me a lot further, for example, in the workplace. In my current position, I've noticed that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The employees that get the best shifts, most hours, etc., aren't necessarily the best at their jobs. They're the ones that speak up when they don't get those things, rather than cower and hope it works out better next time like I far too often do.

I could go on and on about how being a more assertive person in 2011 is going to totally rock my world, but really, this just isn't that sort of blog. I'm a visual artist, not a writer.

So, CHEERS, friends!!! Happy 2011! Here's to us having fun and beautifully manifested new year!