New Years Eve!

Can't believe it's the last day of the year... and the decade! Well my Penn State friends are here, well 2/3rds are them are. One's flight was cancelled, but is coming in tonight just in time to ring in the New Year. Well here are a couple of my New Years picks, my favorite things that I'll be wearing tonight :]

My new favorite nail polish:

OPI Gift of Gold... perfect for New Years!
Photo Credit: Bloglovin

My new shoes I got for Christmas, loooove them!

I love leopard print, and I think these will go with anything!
PC: Lucky

I'm not quite sure what I'll end up doing tonight, but I'll be with some of my favorite people.. so I'm sure I'll have a great time.
Have a great rest of 2010, and a very Happy New Year!
Talk to you next year :]
Alex

Salad Sunday

I hope everyone had a holly jolly Christmas! I definitely did. Anytime I get to spend a whole day with my family is always fun. I'll be putting up a post of some of my awesome presents soon... once I transport them back to my apartment! I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone. I guess I still have New Years to celebrate! My best friends from Penn State are coming in Wednesday night to spend a week in the warm Arizona weather with me, I can't wait!


Well, so this isn't a holiday recipe... but I thought I'd show you one of the things I like to whip up when I'm hungry and don't feel like putting too much effort into dinner. It's just a simple salad, and it's really versatile. I pretty much throw whatever I have on hand in it! I start off by chopping up some romaine lettuce, then cut up some carrots and some sliced cheese. I had a hard boiled egg from when I last made egg salad, so I decided to cut that up for my salad, too. Then I added some raisins and crunched up some pecans to throw in. Toss it into a bowl and add the dressing of your choice (mine is this delicious one from Sprouts), and wallah... a very simple, scrumptious salad!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a Merry Christmas!
Alex

My Week (or so) in Pictures

It's been too long since I've blogged! Can't believe Christmas is only two days away! I've been working and shopping and being merry. So to catch everyone up here's my week, or a little more, in pictures. There's been cooking with the family, Christmas parties, and last minute shopping. It hasn't felt like Christmas this year for some reason... maybe it's because all of my family is already in Arizona, or the fact that it has been 80 degrees out practically all of December. Anyways, here are some fun pictures to take a gander at.




There's my delicious Snickerdoodle cookies my sister and I made for a holiday party I went to, White Elephant gifts, our awesome Instax Mini pictures in the tree, my sister's Christmas party and all the treats, and me and my frisbee girls at the Martinis and Mistletoe party. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and enjoy the holiday spirit! I hope to put some Christmas pictures, and maybe a recipe or two, up soon!

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!
Alex

Breakfast for Dinner!

Ah, one more final down... one more to go! Then I am finished with school for 2010! Woohoo! Not wanting to be very creative and make up a meal to cook, I decided to go with the always delicious pancakes for dinner. You really can't go wrong with pancakes, and plus I have left overs I can make for breakfast tomorrow, score! Well I have been going crazy with all the studying and work. I feel like I never get a break, and I am so excited for winter break. I'll still have to work, but at least when I get home I can just relax and not worry about homework or studying! It's going to be beautiful! Here's some photos of the pancake making process, go Bisquick!


Off to enjoy some Mexican food in honor of finishing my Spanish final! Have a good night! My holiday party photos should be up soon!
Alex

Martinis & Mistletoe

Going to my Ultimate Frisbee team's holiday party! It's always so fun to get dolled up and go out. I'm excited to see everyone and enjoy some festive treats. I'm baked some chocolate chips cookies and will be bringing them with me, I feel so cool.. baking and dressing up and bringing a gift to the party. Haha. Here's some pictures of my cookies, that turned out a little dark... but I'm sure they'll still be eaten! You can also see my holiday oven mit and hot pad I got for secret santa! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, pictures from tonight should be up soon!

Cheers,
Alex

Holiday Dresses!

Holiday Dresses! by AlexMcEntire featuring one shouldered dresses

Trying to decide to wear this weekend to a holiday bash, I have discovered tons of gorgeous dresses. I want them all! I haven't decided if I'm going to wear something I already have in my closet, or buy something new. I've been obsessed with one shoulder dresses, and don't know if I can hold off on owning one any longer! We'll see! Have a good night!
Alex

Singing, Dancing & Studying

Just got back from a karaoke night with my friends from my apartment council. Drank tons of hot cocoa, literally like 5 cups, and apple cider, cookies and a candy cane. Yeah.. I'm full. It was so much fun just to hang out and sing. Even the guys got up there and let loose, it was great. There was everything from I Like Big Butts, to Taylor Swift. I had such a great time, and we spent more than two hours singing, dancing and laughing our hearts out. Karaoke night was definitely a success.
Well I had my last class of the semester today, I can't believe it! This semester flew by! Now it's finals time! Time to crack down on some studying and get some work done. So happy right now! One final, work, then Jump Street tomorrow! Can't wait to bounce around and have some more fun!
This past weekend I went to Hoasis, a co-ed Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Tucson. It was a more relaxed tournament, and everyone was there to just have some fun and play a little frisbee. Just how I like it! We only won one game all weekend, but our team did win the most important points. Saturday night there was a party for all the players of all the teams, and we started a dance party and had a fantastic time.


Here's some pictures of me and some of the girls. Oh, and my awesome hot pink fanny pack Mary's wearing.
Well sorry for the long post, but so much has happened, thought I'd keep you updated! I shall be posting more pictures of outfits, fun times and food coming soon! Especially when finals are over and I can do nothing but blog, woo!
Study hard if you have finals coming up, and have some holiday cheer!
Alex

No Pity For the Kitty

Territorial rivalries are the best! The U of A vs. ASU game was probably the biggest game of the year. As much as I wished I could have been at the game, sitting on the couch with my brother and Mom screaming at the TV, in the heat, was the next best thing. Oh, and getting fed and my laundry done was an added bonus :] Such a great game, a little slow at first... but that's what DVR is for, and rewinding to read the lips of our coach cussing like a sailor to entertain us. My throat hurts from all the screaming, but double overtime and winning by a field goal was definitely worth it. Such a great game. Now I can go to Tucson this weekend for my frisbee tournament with pride... oh and rub it in my sister's face. It must have been my new ASU Devils tank, it has to be lucky or something. Either way I like it, and think it's cute!
Had a great time tonight, and even had time to pick out a [real] Christmas tree with my Mom. Love it!
Well time for bed, have a great night and I hope whatever team you cheer for wins too!
Alex

No More November

Can't believe it's already the last day of November! That's ridiculous. Where did it go? Well it ended up being pretty swell. Learned a lot, did a lot, worked a lot... what more could I ask for? I had a fantastic Thanksgiving day.. I hope you did too! I stuffed myself with food, that happens with two sides of the family and two Thanksgivings! Haha. I had a great time playing Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart at my Grandma's. Then playing Cranium and Catch Phrase at my sister... sooo much fun! I had to work the rest of the weekend though, so I didn't get as much home time as I would have like, but oh well! Here are some pictures of me and the family, and the twin sister. I couldn't be more grateful for the amazing family I have.



I have much more to share about the past week, so I should be posting more soon!
Have a great night,
Alex

Laugh Out Loud

I hope this makes you laugh as much as it made me. I seriously have never laughed so hard at a website. I spent hours on it Sunday, that was part of the reason I got nothing done. But it was worth it! Put a smile on and bundle up, it's freezing in Arizona.. I can't even imagine the east coast! It's almost Turkey Day... yay!

Go here! > damnyouautocorrect.com

Happy Tuesday!
Alex

Lazy Sunday

A long work day turned into a perfectly lazy day. I got off early from work because of the rainy weather and the IronMan triathlon that made renting boats kind of impossible. So I took the long way on my bike enjoying the overcast day and beautiful Tempe scenery. What could have been a productive homework day turned into me lounging in my PJ's and doing what I feel like I haven't done in a while... nothing. Cloudy days always make me want to snuggle up and just unwind, and I got to do exactly that. Definitely just what I needed. I made these monstrous pancakes a couple days ago and they were absolutely scrumptious. I might just make breakfast for dinner tonight, but I'm out of milk. Bummer. I could really eat pancakes anytime, who couldn't? Haha. Well have a great night and I hope you have some time to unwind today... or soon!
xoxo,
Alex.

Sleepyhead.

Listening to Passion Pit, feeling accomplished. Getting homework done, going to work, eating dinner, it's been a great day... and this website made it a little bit better. It seriously cracked me up. Put a smile on and have a fantastic night :]

Dear Blank, Please Blank.

Headed to get some delicious chai tea, maybe catch some good music, then taking the light rail.
See ya,
Alex

Music Monday.

I heard one song by these guys and fell in love. It's the perfect mixture of chill music and lyrics you can sing along to. I love finding new music!

Fair Love.

The State Fair is always nostalgic, and always a filling time... stomach and heart-wise.


Wonderful photo by my awesome brother.
I absolutely love it.


Good night,
Alex

Late-Night Sunday

I clearly can't handle caffeine.

I DON'T WANT AN END.
Not 'The End.' Not a slow end to the texting. Not an end of the semester, see you never again. I want to be more and I wish I knew how you felt, because you have me all kinds of mixed up and I shouldn't have messed things up that one late night when I just wanted to see you.


November be good to me.
Take Care,
Alex

Bewildered Time Traveler

I just went on about a three mile run to clear my head. I was driving myself crazy with thoughts and just needed to move, and get out in the fresh air. Especially right now, the weather in Arizona is absolutely perfect. So I turned on some John Mayer and hit the pavement and just moved and breathed. I'm feeling a little better. I get to go to New Mexico for the Green Chile Fest Ultimate Frisbee competition. Super excited! I didn't know if I was going to be able to go because I just got a new job (Tempe Boat Rentals on Tempe Town Lake!) and was iffy about asking it off. Turns out my boss plays ultimate to, very nice coincidence. Anyways, that's why have been so absent on this blog, school and work all piled up, especially with midterms. So now I can breathe and write a little. Well, this is how I feel right now.
Can't believe it's November, but I'm loving the weather!



Here's a pumpkin cake that me and my twin sister made for Halloween. We're bound to be on the Food Network someday. Well I hope you all take a second to breathe and enjoy the beautiful fall weather, and remember that everything happens for a reason and it'll all work out how it's supposed to. Okay, so maybe that advice is mostly for me... but feel free to take it!

Carpe Diem

If not now, when? Today has been a great day; farmer's market, lunch and beautiful October weather. To top it all off, I went to Jamba Juice before my class today and got a small drink before I got lunch. They were super busy and somehow messed up, and instead of a sixteen, I got the biggest size, a power. Granted I only really needed a small since I was about to eat, but hey! It was an all fruit smoothie and you take what you get :] I love Tuesdays, and this one is no exception. Going to play Wii and make dinner with my friend Susan tonight, should be a blast. October is going by wayyy to fast, but I'm trying to enjoy everyday!

Quote for the day:: This is pretty much the interpretation of carpe diem, the title of this post, and I just love how it is put, a little something more than 'seize the day.' The enjoyment of the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future.

And now, a few outfit pictures. They are definitely not the best quality, but you get the gist. Probably one of my favorite things I've ever found at a thrift store. I scooped this up at a tiny thrift store in Utopia, Texas while working in the area over the summer :]

Dress: Thrifted ($4)

Belt: Thrifted ($.50)

Hooray for thrift stores, and outrageously cheap, cute clothes!

Pretty simple outfit, but I absolutely love this dress. I wore it with some simple white t-strap sandals that I couldn't get a picture of... self timers are hard to work with, haha. But, it can be paired with another kind of belt, chunky jewelry, dressed up, or dressed down. Such a good investment!

Have a fantastic Tuesday, and I hope to post something more soon!

F is for Findings

Today has been an exceptional day. Waking up early was worth it, and now I am home and might just take a nap. Well I don't have any pictures do share today( my iPhoto needs to be installed still!!) But I do have something very cool and inspirational to share. This website is so amazing, you will want to watch the video over and over again. It shows the house you grew up in, interpreted into a music video. Awesome! It's kind of sad, seeing as my home is no longer there, but still amazing to watch. Hope you check it out and get inspired!

Ch-ch-check it out!

TheWildernessDowntown.com

Dinner tonight with my friend Susan, yay! Cooking something in her apartment, then watching One Tree Hill... should be a fantastic night. Hope your week is going well, I hope to post again asap!

-Alex

Tostada Tuesday... with Tofu!

So I made these beauties a few Tuesdays ago for a twist on the basic Taco Tuesday. I have tried tofu before, however only raw and in salads mostly, and I've had such an urge to actually cook it myself. After watching a few helpful YouTube videos on how to cook tofu, I took their advice and froze part of it. After freezing part of the block, and then dehydrating it, it crumbled right into the frying pan. I added chopped onions, chili powder, and some chunky salsa to the cooking tofu. As the tofu was cooking I started chopping some romaine lettuce, black olives and scallions. Working with what I had, which wasn't shredded cheese, as any resourceful college girl would do, I took my sliced american cheese and sliced it into thin strips, making my own makeshift cheese to top the tostadas. I threw a can of refried beans in a pan to heat up, and let the tofu turn a nice brown color. I took my tostada shells and topped them with the beans, my cooked tofu, and all the delicious toppings... lettuce, onions, olives, etc. Overall, this meal was delicious and I was SUPER excited to make a meal using tofu.

I'm definitely going to make these again soon :] Here are some websites about the health benefits and some info about tofu. (ie: it helps prevent some cancers, like breast cancer.. woot woot!) I'm not a vegetarian, but like to be healthy and experiment with all types of food. Oh, and here's the video that helped me oh so much, enjoy!

It is pouring rain here in Arizona, and this is one of the first days it's been below 100 degrees, it's soo cold! I had to wrap my furry bike seat in a plastic bag so I didn't soak my pants! Also, there was a farmer's market on campus today and I bought a bunch of peppers, green bell peppers, jalapeños, and hot banana peppers... for a DOLLAR! I love getting such fresh food, he said he picked it last night! And supporting local farmers makes my heart warm :] Have a great day, hope it goes as swell as mine!

Alex

And so it begins...

So now that my computer is no longer having technical difficulties, and I have a charged camera, a closet full of clothes and my own kitchen, my blog may begin properly. I will be having posts of things I cook, with lots of pictures, from the process to the finished product... on a college girl's budget and smaller than normal kitchen :] Pictures of my outfits that I want to show off, and brag about the amazing clothes I find at thrift stores and on the clearance racks. And finally, about anything else I find inspiring, nostalgic, or just plain cool. So here it begins, as it was meant to be.. and I can't wait.

The picture here is the view from my apartment, looking at the beautiful lights of Tempe and my tiny pool. Oh, and it's October! The best month of the year! It (eventually) won't be in the 100s, there's pumpkin patches, and the state fair, and haunted houses. I love it!

Heading off to San Diego now, hopefully I'll have some cool pictures when I get back, and I can start posting some outfits, recipes and all that fun stuff.

Have a fabulous weekend.

-Alex

Fresh Start & (Semi) New Beginnings

So here I am, sitting alone in my new apartment thinking about my new start. It is so weird to be so close to home now, taking the light rail to see my mom, staying the night at my grandma's. I can't believe I'm going to school within this close proximity to everyone I love, it's such a change, and something I'm definitely going to have to get used to. I'm so ready to get into the swing of things. I'm still getting used to sleeping in my new bed, walking to classes on a new campus, and not having the same college friends. This apartment still seems foreign to me, and I still feel homeless, not in the sense that I have no place to sleep, but in that I have no place to totally unwind drop all my bags and unwind. I'm still wondering if my roommate will come home tonight, or be gone again, what that noise is coming from the windows. I'm missing the comfort I felt from a solid place to call mine, from certainty. I still feel like I'm living out of a bag, but maybe another week or so I will finally settle in. Once I begin making new friends, getting my schedule down, get a TV in here! All I need is time, and right now it's ticking by slowly, minute by minute as I'm waiting for this new home to feel familiar.Missing my Penn State life, especially the great friends I made there, but that's what you deal with when transferring. I'm in Arizona now, the valley of the sun, with my best friends- my family. Once I get the hang of living here again and get situated, maybe then I can start the real purpose of this blog. Clothes, recipes, and more, yay! I'll try and start that soon!
Thanks for listening to my rambling,
Alex.

Bittersweet Goodbyes

I feel like John Mayer, all I ever do is say goodbye. Another chapter of my life is closing as my time here at camp is ending. More than half way through with my last day here, it's so weird. I have been eating in the same dining hall, running the same road, wearing the same bag of clothes for almost 3 months- I can't believe it! How will I survive when I actually have a closet full of clothes to choose from, my own food to cook, and have cellphone service at all times? Oh man, this summer has been wonderful. Full of ups and downs for sure, but a month or so from now I'll look back and only remember the great times I had here. Nights off with my amazing friends, blobbing my campers into the lake, and the same 5 songs playing in the dining hall- Hey Soul Sister will never play again without me thinking of Lonehollow. I'm going to miss the great people I've met here, but I will most definitely keep in touch. Camp has taught me so much about myself, and this summer has been nothing less than an adventure. Whether or not I come back has yet to be decided, but I will be leaving Texas with a heart full of memories that I'll never forget.
xoxo
Alex

Friends From All Over

Ahh, less than two weeks here in Texas. Part of me gets butterflies just thinking about all the good things to come; my new apartment, close to the family, back in Arizona, and the list goes on! But then again, it's going to be hard to leave camp, and get back in the real world. I am more than ready to start being able to wear cute clothes and actually do my hair in the morning, but leaving is going to mean another set of goodbyes. I hate making such great friends and then having to leave them. It happened at Penn State, now it's happening again here. It's not a bad thing that I'm making awesome friends, but having to leave them is a bummer. At least I will have friends all around the country, and across the world! Can't wait to visit them all! Well can't believe time is dwindling down, ready to be home with my family, but not willing to let my friendships here end. For now I'm going to enjoy the days here, 11 more! Yesterday I went to a fantastic little thrift store in Utopia, TX and found some really great stuff. A new dress, a denim shirt, and a couple of other little things. I'm totally pumped to wear them! I'll definitely put some pictures up when I get the chance to wear them! Last night I saw Inception, and it was definitely awesome. Well worth the $7 ticket price in Kerrville, I'm gonna miss that! FYI: In the picture above are my good friends from here in Tejas, Monique and Ann, love them! :]
That's all for now,
Alex

Counting the Days

Currently deciding whether or not to come home early from camp, even though I really know the decision is already made. As bad as I want to leave after this term, it would be unprofessional and not worth the money I would miss out on. It's hard to hear about everything going on back home, knowing that all of my family is in Arizona together again, except for me. This has been an awesome experience working at camp, meeting so many different people from all over the world, and getting to see parts of Texas I probably never would have gotten to. With that said, this place has more drama than High School, and I have more 7-year-olds than a day care living with me. For now I'm going to make the best of it. Skit night tonight, Jungle night tomorrow, Summer Singers Wednesday and Crew outpost Thursday, time will fly by, right? We'll see, 26 more days until I'm back in the dry heat for good.
Counting down the days, but learning to take each day and enjoy it.
Love,
Alex

For Starters

Hello there. So this blog will be the adventure of cooking new recipes, scouring thrift stores for cool outfits and capturing the oddities of this thing we call life. For now, because of my distance from home, and really the real world at all, it will serve as my outlet for communication, story telling and perhaps some pictures.
Enjoy,
Alex