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7 QT #4

Posted on Friday, September 13, 2013


Again, 0.00% blogging this week. I'm sorry to all my non-existent readers. I haven't even had time to go through my blog-reader...that's how busy I've been. sooooo 7 things that I'm enjoying that are not blogging/blogs...


David and I are going to a Husker volleyball game tonight. Now, you may not know this, but there are two things in Nebraska that beat out God in conversation with strangers: Husker football, and the weather. Husker VB comes in as a close 4th, because it's awesome, let's be real. We just got a new venue (revamped old venue) and my parents have tickets - so we're going! I'm super excited.

this is the old location. super excited to see the new!

This song. (I'm a bluegrass aficianado, so this is right up my alley. (Also I don't know how to insert videos yet...still a blogger n00b so forgive me if this doesn't actually work.)


The news that J.K. Rowling (aka queen of my heart) is writing a new movie for the HP franchise about Newt Scamander's book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, set in the 1920s in New York.


I think I screamed for about a minute solid yesterday when I read the news. I'm a nerd, but whatever. NEW HARRY POTTER? Worth nerding-out about.

Diet Coke and hummus/pita chips. I should splurge on that treat more often than I do...because that's like 0 calories right? Also this Buzzfeed article about Diet Coke obsession. Too true.
this describes me pretty well-if i could find the source i'd source it

I've been pinning a lot about our dream house recently...which is great but also makes me notice the squeaky faucets and squeaky doors and squeaky floors in our current house. Something that might make me unhappy, you're thinking. WRONG - because it's given me motivation to clean! Hooray!

My continued perseverance through the absolute soreness that is my like 27th day of P90x. It's awful to wake up sore every morning and be like, well I guess this isn't going to end, but it is awesome to have more energy and be generally more cheerful just because I'm exercising every day. I'm turning into one of those weirdos that doesn't like their day off. I have no idea who I am anymore.

lookie how cute! and terrified!

The cool crispness that came in the air last night as Nebraska finally decided it was fall. Ish. It got down to 40 so I'm not complaining. (just don't betray me....)

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7 QT #3

Posted on Friday, August 30, 2013



I apologize that I have done like 0.00% blogging this week. I've been reading a lot, but also SUPER busy with work and an extra project for work and doing P90 that I'm running out of time to do things like check the mail (my favorite thing in the world) and make the bed. So blogging is on the very very end of my list, and it got thrown out the window. I promise, it'll come back soon. I hope.

My newest obsession? Gilmore Girls. I quickly finished with the Mindy Project (see last week's QT here) and moved on. GG has always been one of my favorite shows, but I wasn't allowed to watch TV on weeknights during the school year, so my knowledge was sparse and far-reaching. I survived catching up in the summer on rerun city (aka ABC Family) which showed a strange conglomeration of episodes every day from 11-2. Needless to say my journey so far has been fun. I love all the book references and the music that no one else knows and it's great.

I've started alternating between kneeling at my desk or using my exercise ball. I think I miss the ability I had to run to the chapel whenever I wanted in my college days, but there's something very comforting about kneeling to work. And maybe something a little sacrilegious...

L. A. Meyer's Bloody Jack series has me reliving all my childhood dreams of becoming a pirate. If you haven't heard of them, go check out Bloody Jack: Being An Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy. There's a whole series (9? books?) and I'm on 3 in ease. It's easy, YA, daring-filled adventure moment after moment, and I have a hard time putting them down.
There's this new fancy-looking set of covers available in the reprint edition, but the originals look like swashbuckling, sword-swinging, petticoat and turncoat-era paintings, like this:
Fantastic.

I've been craving Juice Stop all week. Someone help.

My girlfriends and I are getting together tonight to watch When Harry Met Sally, because apparently it's a very important piece of the 80s/90s canon of romcoms and we've never seen it. There will be flavored champagne, chips and dip, and hopefully some fun. I'm very excited.

A question for you...how do you find time to blog? How does it work in with the rest of your schedule? If you work at an office, when does your blog time happen? If you're a SAHM, how do you balance? I need some advice and would love to hear your thoughts!


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7QT #2: media edition!

Posted on Friday, August 23, 2013

I decided to do a media-themed 7 QT this week, since a lot of my favorites happened to be on the internet, so get ready for that...

--- 1 ---

Current jam: Good Old War. If you haven't listened to them, check out my favorites: here here aaaaaand here I love their beardedness and the the simple vocals and the harmonies and the general vibe. Check 'em out.

--- 2 ---

I recently finished watching Friends in its entirety (I always misspell that stupid word) (also don't judge me because I need some background noise while I work) so I decided to watch The Mindy Project. It is AWESOME. I knew I loved Mindy from her stint on the Office, and her book has been on my list of to-read for awhile, especially after I finished Tina Fey's awesome Bossypants (highly highly recommend), so I figured I'd like her show.
I was wrong. I LOVE her show. Some inapprops/language disclaimer, but worth it.

--- 3 ---

This high language-disclaimer piece from McSweeney's which is Comic Sans in persona and defending themselves for all the crap it gets. As a font and typsetting nerd, I really appreciated it.

--- 4 ---

Mandi also discovered this website the same week I did - so although she added it to her 7QT, I'm going to as well because one of my favorite things to do in the summer is drive around and hope that people have their lights on and their blinds/shades still open so I can see in peoples' houses. It may be creepy but it is so FUN at the same time...I just am amazed at the amount of information I don't know about all these people when I can see them. This project is a pretty good reflection of that.

--- 5 ---

In a similar to #3 nerd-esque font type vein, this link is a super cool repository of old-style font and type on anything and everything you can imagine. I'm in love with it, because it's fascinating and cool to see all these old products and signs.

--- 6 ---

I've become obsessed with this experiment in dating I've been reading over the last few weeks. It's about two good friends in New York who never could hold onto a serious relationship, so they decide to date for 40 days to see what happens. Although it has some aspects of relationships in the world that I never would subscribe to it's still absolutely FASCINATING. I'm a sucker for reading about real people (biographies get to me) and in a cool format and stuff like this? I'm in. Check it out if you want to waste some time someday.

--- 7 ---

I've been absolutely drooling over these gorgeous dresses at Hazel and Olive. I'm so indecisive that I haven't bought one yet, but I am in love with every article they sell - and pretty darn good prices, too, which is always a plus.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

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P90X love.

Posted on Saturday, August 17, 2013

P90X love.

I'm sitting here in my home office, dripping with sweat and with a tingling sensation running down my legs. My toes are stuck together with sweat, and I don't even want to venture my nose towards my pits because I can smell me from where I'm at...and it's gross.

Why, you make ask, am I filling you in with all these nasty details?
Because I'm done with WEEK 1 of the 13-week hell that is P90X!

(applause appreciated here)

I know, I know, I haven't hit the hard part yet. And I'm coming off a bit of a workout-high. But let me tell you - I've noticed a difference in lots of areas of my life already, just from one week's worth of the insanity that is this program.

I started the program because I've always wanted to do it, just never had the same amount of time open every single day (especially in college), but now that I'm working from home I have absolutely no excuses! :) I also have some extra flab around my midsection that I'd like to get rid of...and I've heard amazing things about P90x so I thought I'd give it a try.

he's insane but super fit for 45
Luckily for me, my husband already owned the DVDs - he and I have been doing some of the workouts occasionally since we started dating, especially the Ab Ripper X and the Shoulders/Arms routine. Both are amaaaazing. But, I wanted to do the whole thing, for real, no excuses this time.

This week my schedule looked like this:
Monday: Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X
Tuesday: Plyometrics
Wednesday: Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
Thursday: Yoga X
Friday: Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
Saturday: Kenpo X

Needless to say it was a challenging week!

But I am already feeling results and rejuvenation that I haven't been getting from my previous workout routine (occasional weights, crappy elliptical, runs outside when it's not 100 degrees).

I have more energy.
I'm more alert for longer periods during the day.
I want to eat healthier - it's like my body knows it needs real food when it's been working out like this.
I'm more active in general.
I have a better outlook on life in general.
I'm less stressed and more relaxed once I've sweated out 8 oz. of water every day through this program.

I know myself, though, and know that at some point I'm going to get discouraged and want to give up. To eradicate that, I made these fancy calendars so I have no excuse not to do it!
i just freaking love adding those check marks


In summation, I love it so far, and I can't wait to see the transformation happen on my body! I will keep you updated on how it's going and hopefully some wisdom at the end of the 90 days if you want to try it yourself!

lurve,
Hannah



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7 Quick Takes #1

Posted on Friday, August 16, 2013



I officially, as of this morning at 7:30 a.m., am a working from home gal! It was a long arduous process (and reason) for this change, but I'm excited. So far so good - I've got my succulents cheering me up, an Aromatherapy CHOOSE HAPPINESS yuzu and lime candle to set the mood, and a jar full of new pens and a stack of neon sticky notes to get me going. More on my job and what it involves later...much too long for "quick" takes.
To celebrate my new position and my new lifestyle, I went to the salon and dyed my hair for the first time in, well, ever! I was going for an ombre look like this but it didn't get as dramatic as I'd like. I'm working on finding a good DIY as soon as this falls out. Any suggestions? I'm willing to try anything to save that $$$!

this light is terrible but it is ombre-ish now

Had plain old coffee with cream for the first time in a long time this week, and HOLY COW what have I been doing without coffee for the last 3-6 months? During school my roommate Caitlin was a saint and made coffee for me and my other roomie almost every morning and I LOVED it. I got out of the habit once married, just because it meant I needed to make the coffee instead of it magically appearing out of the goodness of her heart. But man, you best believe I'm going after it now - especially with this creamer to go along.
Currently I'm in my home office (which I will tour for you at some point) and watching the hubby dig up what used to look like an unmarked grave in our backyard. The mound of dirt was once enclosed by an inconvenient raised garden bed, which we quickly removed...yet left the scarily body-shaped log of dirt there for far too long. Now, it's being chopped up and transported away with our recycling bin. (Don't ask me why he didn't use our 3 extra garbage cans. I've got nothing.)

I'm on day 5 of P --- 90 --- X and am LOVING it so far! I've been meaning to get all 90 days in sometime since about 3 years ago, and never got around to it until now. Especially now with working from home, I'm hoping I'll keep it up and be in super-duper good shape come November 10! I'll keep y'all updated on how it's going sporadically.

hopefully I'll get a cool nickname like pam the blam


I made an awesome meal the other night using very little skill and the wizardry that is a crockpot. Here's the recipe:
     boil chicken breast.
     peel apart with your hands, trying not to burn the tips of your fingers (I failed on this part)
     stick in crockpot
     add 1 bottle of Kraft Anything dressing, Catalina style
     cook for 4-8 hrs, whatever you put your crockpot at
     serve on microwave tortillas & cheese.
It was a delish hit.
Super excited to be joining all this linking and such. I'm still not satisfied with my blog design and layout so I'll probably be tweaking those as the next couple weeks come and go, but they're good for now. Off to do some p90 and then camp out in the back yard with the hubby! enjoy your weekend!


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College Livin'

Posted on Wednesday, August 7, 2013

I'm aiming to get some thoughts out while the subject is fresh on my mind, and I don't want to wait too much longer before doing so or the thoughts will just go bye-bye and never come back, knowing my brain.


I read this awesome piece from Art of Manliness (yes, I'm a woman, and yes, I subscribe to the Art of Manliness) about living frugally in college, and it made me realize - holy cow, I'm a college graduate, I should have some advice for someone somewhere!

Probably the only person who will read this is me when I have an 18-year-old who's graduating from high school and moving out into the world, and I will think to myself, I wrote a blog post about that, I wonder what I said. So, future me, here you go. Random assortment of advice to follow -- no guarantee that this will still work in 2040 or whatever year it is when you read this.

1. Don't be scared. Well, that's not exactly true. Just realize that everyone around you is just as scared as you are, and you're gonna get through it. Even those girls down the hall whose room looks like a fairy land, when your roommate informs you that she doesn't believe in dressers or hangers or washing her clothes -- yes, even they are scared. Don't be afraid to admit it. Being nervous just means you're ready to start this new chapter of your life.

don't be that guy
2. Try to make friends with the people you see a lot - your floormates, the people who eat at the same dining hall as you, some people in your classes. It will make hanging out with them and moving past the are-we-friends-or-just-acquaintances stage a lot easier when you see them in the bathroom at midnight.

3. In contrast to #2, being friends with people in your classes is easier for some than others. It was really difficult for me to move past Facebook friendship with pretty much anyone in my classes - I was never comfortable participating in classes until about week 12 of 15, so no one paid much attention to me. Don't worry, you'll find friends elsewhere if you don't have the nerve to talk to someone in your class.

4. Join SOMEthing. Be it a club, a church, a job (more later on that one), what have you -- hands down the best way to make friends. College isn't worth it if you don't find friends who are passionate about the same things as you are. Take advantage of the time you have with literally thousands of other people the same age all hanging out and not having worries.

5. Be smart with your money. That means yes, having fun with your friends when you need to, and taking out a loan or two if your parents can't support you -- college is worth every penny. But don't splurge needlessly on things like a fancy TV or a gaming console. Try to convince your roommate too...much easier that way and a lot easier on the wallet.
otherwise when you graduate you will have $0.00 and look like this 24/7
6. GET A JOB. Not only will this make it easier for your parents to trust you with their money (if they're paying or loaning or whatever) but you will gain valuable things you can't get any other way: resume experience and spending money. Most colleges have awesome job opportunities doing a whole lot of nothing -- man a desk in the library, check people in at your Rec center, staff a computer lab, do something! Most of them will let you do homework during your down time. Getting paid to study = best part of an on campus job.

7. Be crazy once in awhile. Jump in the school fountain even when it's illegal. Pull way too many all-nighters for no reason other than girl talk. Dare your friends to do stupid things.

8. Go to cultural events that are free. I can't tell you how much I wish I would have done this more while in college. See if your college or city offers discounts for major Broadway plays or musicals. Listen to the campus choir. Go to band concerts and cheap bars with live music. It's worth the awkwardness.

8.5 also learn the Carlton bc it's awesome

9. Live off campus after a year or two. Yes, living on campus is great as a freshman, and (I believe) vital to your development on campus. But the money you spend on on-campus housing can be put to a much better use for the future (a car, etc.). Find some friends and rent a house close to campus if you can. It's a fun and cheap way to practice running your own household.

10. Get as much job experience as you can. Yes this was a previous bullet but it deserves a second note! Employers look at your resume for experience in your field. If it's lacking, they're going to dismiss you, no matter what your GPA is or how many Greek things you experienced. If you have usable skills and years of experience, you are a prime hire. Get an unpaid internship if you absolutely have to -- do whatever it takes to get the foot in the door of your career path. During one semester, I worked 3 jobs (two internships and a research grant) because someone pushed me too -- and I'm so glad I did.

I'm sure I'll think of more later, especially since this turned out more mushy than I had planned. Oh well.

deuces, y'all.

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(First) Five Favorites!

As part of my new attempt to get myself writing every. single. day., (aka one of the main reasons for this blog), I have decided to join some link ups.

Scary, grown-up world I'm living in now!

So, joining Hallie, here are my hump-day Five Favorites:

1. Dr. Pepper & Triple Sec, because who doesn't need another good drink to settle on when she gets home from one job and has to start another job at home approximately 10 minutes later? No judgement for drinking in the office -- when your office is your home.

Apparently no one else drinks just Triple Sec & DP? This has cranberry juice added.
2. These sandals from Target, because who doesn't love a cheap-o pair of sandals that will get you through the length of the summer with ease? Plus they are fancy enough to dress up with a skirt or dress or down with shorts and a tee. Love them.
hello lovelies

3. The Bloglovin' app for iPhones (and probably Androids?) everywhere, because I am becoming slowly obsessed with a lot of you strangers out there on the internet and your wonderful lives. (not meant to be creepy -- and unfortunately true.) I love love love being able to pull up your new posts whenever they appear!

4. The announcement of the GLOW app, details here. I just ran out of my free month with my current app for NFP charting, and was looking for a replacement when BAM, announcement of new amazing and design-friendly app called GLOW was announced! It is said to drop next week and I cannot wait!


5. My photographer letting me know that our wedding pics will be done and blogged either today or tomorrow! I've been biting my nails in anticipation of them (since June 29, to be exact) and am super excited to see them. I'll make sure to share some as soon as they arrive!

ciao, bellas!
HG




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Newlywed Life: an Update

Posted on Tuesday, August 6, 2013

David and I on our honeymoon:

beautiful ocean views behind us

David and I after our honeymoon:

this is actually before marriage but w/e


You get the picture, right? (pun very much intended)

Actually, to be honest, our experience with marriage so far has been glorious. Perfect. A little taste of the afterlife. Sweet & sugary. Ice cream sundae with the cherry perfectly on top.

Okay, now I'm getting sweets cravings. 

But honestly, our experience with marriage has been everything we could have wanted so far. We're happy, healthy, no one has broken down or given up, and we've been CRAZY busy.

Since our honeymoon we've:
-been to two other weddings
-bought a bunch of furniture
-had to work late almost every other night
-considered buying a puppy
-got a new job (me)
-and just had fun.

Number 1 thing I've learned about David so far: he changes temperature more than a 50-year old menopausal woman. Seriously. We'll be laying in bed, trying to go to sleep, and he'll put the sheet on because he's cold. Two minutes later, sheet's off because his skin is on fire. And on and on! It's really very opposite of me - I can be asleep and frigid and not know it til the next morning, because I'm such a deep sleeper.

Number 1 thing I've learned about me so far: I really really really HATE doing the dishes. David's been an absolute champ on cleaning up after my botched attempts in the kitchen. And it's glorious. But I need to work on it (humility or something).

Eventually, I will get wedding pictures up.
byeeeeeeeeeee


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The formidable "mommy" blogger

Posted on Friday, June 21, 2013

To the few and far between that read this,

Hello. Welcome to my new "mommy" blog, as I use the term with proudness and a plea for forgiveness.

I'm Hannah, and I'm married to the most wonderful husband, David. I've seen and followed many bloggers on this here internet exchange ideas, become friends, offer advice, and generally be an awesome witness to life and the beauty of motherhood.

I want to be one of them.

Now, I'm not a mom yet. I am barely a newlywed and have little experience with everything. But I thought it might be fun (or embarrassing for future children) to create this here blog. No idea how often I'll post, or what have you -- but I wanted to chronicle my experiences as a Catholic newlywed and hopefully share some wisdom or laughs along the way.

If you're like me, and you happened upon this blog by chance, and got SO obsessed with a woman/family (or were just really, really bored at work) and traveled alllll the way through the eons of internet time all the way back to the very beginning of your now-favorite blog...welcome. I'm proud of you. Not many have the guts and the determination to do so. (Trust me, I am one of you. My husband is a little ashamed of how "creeperish" I can get over people I don't know.)

But more than likely there's just a few of you who have seen this. And that's okay. I've started and restarted (and restarted, and restarted) journal after journal in my day. Being now a working woman and a wife, I don't have time to make my handwriting all pretty and keep a separate one by the bed every night. I often think of things I want to write about on the fly, without much warning, and need to get them down as soon as possible. Hence, blog format is great -- I can create a word doc, and Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V later, and I'm solid.

I chose the name of this blog specifically. It's part of my all-time favorite quote: "Be gentle to all, and stern with yourself." Said by the freaking B.A. St. Teresa of Avila, it epitomizes who I want to be as a wife and a mother (someday). I am far too often easy on myself and treat others really how I should be seeing myself. I want to be gentle in my life -- to see problems and solve them with grace and ease, but never cease to reexamine my own life and be stern in what I should change.

So. Posts coming up...
1. Wedding deets and flaws and pictures galore!
2. Honeymoon extraordinaire (jealous of my tan, you will be)
3. Random happenings from the life of Hannah and David.

Get excited!