Pretzels or Snickers Bar?

This Thursday evening, I am heading to my parents' house after work to help my dad hand out Halloween candy.

This is how I am dressing up except with a burgundy dress and dark yellow scarf! Go go Gryffindor!

My mom will be off with friends (or something glamorous like that) for the night so mon père and I have to hold down the fort.

This entails one of us taming the beast (Ellie) while the other distributes the candy to the trick-or-treaters.

Like mother, like daughter.

"Look what I bought for the kids!" My mom exclaimed excitedly, disappearing off into the dining room while I was over for dinner Sunday night.

She emerged with a bag of good candy (a variety pack of chocolate bars) and pretzels.

PRETZELS.

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"Aren't these adorable?" she beamed, holding up the plastic tub of Halloween pretzels. "You can let the kids choose between the two."

My dad and I were appalled.

"You're turning into one of those old people!" I told her.

My dad sighed, "We may as well be handing out toothbrushes and apples."

Of course, the two of us have continued having fun with this.

"Utz Pretzels," my dad answered tonight when I called after class.

We laughed.

"I just opened a bag and set them in front of Ellie," he continued. "She won't even touch them."

My mom refuses to believe us that pretzels are a junky treat.

I suppose she'll have to see the proof herself late Thursday night when we are all out of chocolate and have a tub full of pretzels leftover.

Something Scary

After Kelsey, Taylor, Melissa, and I casually polished off a tin of Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes last night, I knew it was time to start chasing down the healthy eating and exercise train.

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Before bed, I dutifully packed my breakfast and lunch for work, adding a banana for good measure. I even set out my workout clothes so that I'd be all set for the gym.

I was ready.

As I was blow drying my hair this morning and imagining how great I was going to feel once I was skinny again ("Jenna! You're getting too thin!" People would gush as I waved a dainty hand at them as if to say, "Oh, goodness! Me? You really think so?"), I suddenly remembered a very scary part of weight loss endeavors.

The scale.

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"You cannot track how well you're doing if you don't know your starting weight," I told myself. "You can do this."

Besides, seeing as it is Halloween week and all, it only seemed fitting that I do something so frightening.

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I gingerly made my way to the bathroom and shut the door behind me.

I eyed the scale nervously.

We had actually enjoyed some really happy times together.

"Remember when I used to tell you how skinny you were?" The scale seemed to smile encouragingly at me. "That was great! We can do that again someday!"

Solemnly, I took a deep breath and stepped on the scale.

It's only a number. It's only a number. It's only a number.

"THANK GOD!" I sighed, clutching my chest for dramatic effect.

The number was far from perfect, but I was also not as close to my heaviest weight as I feared.

And tonight, I am proud to report that I had a flawless day.

I limited my calories to 1200, fit in a great workout, and am now enjoying my mug of hot tea sans dessert.

Jenna on her way!

New Friday Tradition

Yesterday marked one of the most amazing Friday nights I've ever had.

Which makes it sound like I was proposed to by my imaginary boyfriend. Or watched a sunset while drinking cocktails with friends. Or won the lottery and could finally afford a Burberry trench.

Nothing quite that dramatic occurred, but it was lovely all the same. 

After work, I headed to Whole Foods where I took my time meandering around the store, inspecting different products and taking in that incredible Whole Foods scent.

I put together a supper plate and after adding a few bottles of red wine, a wedge of Meadowkaas Uniekaas Gouda (I swear that was what it was called), a loaf of garlic bread, and the most festive pumpkin cupcake to my cart, I was all set!

Once home, I put in a load of laundry while I warmed up my dinner and the garlic bread in the oven.

I changed into an oversized tshirt and worn, jersey yoga pants. 

Arranging my food on a plate, I thought, "Eeeeep! This is enough for two!"

Unfortunately, since I am single, I was forced to eat it all myself.

Mwahahah.

Okay. I only was able to eat half and had to put the rest in the fridge.

I didn't even get around to this adorable cupcake!

But anyway.

After my comforting supper, I cuddled up on the couch with my new Target Threshold microplush blanket and finally had the time to read Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.

A coworker and I went to get our copies of the novel the second day it was out, and it's been sitting on my nightstand, unread, for over a week now!

Needless to say, it was driving me quite crazy.

It's been fourteen years since the last Bridget Jones novel was released, and Mad About the Boy is appropriately set fourteen years later in 2013. 

Night my friend, Kenny, jeopardized our friendship.

Bridget is a single mom trying to recover from the loss of her husband, Mark Darcy (who was KILLED by a land mine in the Sudan!), take proper care of her two children (Billy and Mabel), write a screenplay, and somehow fit in time for online dating.

I am a Bridget fan through and through. I liked that Bridget still felt like Bridget all these years later. Fielding hadn't lost Bridget's voice, and that was comforting. 

Unfortunately, there were more negatives than positives for me, and this novel left me pretty disappointed. Bridget's obsession with Twitter? Annoying. The somewhat disorganized and sporadic writing structure? Very confusing. Killing off Mark Darcy? Literally cried at every single mention of him, and that is no exaggeration.

After finishing the novel around 1AM, I climbed into my cozy bed where I enjoyed the most fantastic sleep.

I slept long and well, which can be hard to come by! You often are awarded sleep of one variety and rarely both.

After a relaxing Friday night with such incredible food and a fun novel, I feel ready to tackle all of my schoolwork and chores today.

Money may not buy happiness.

But Whole Foods certainly can.

Midweek Getaway: Nashville

My October fun continued this week with a quick getaway to Nashville.

My cousin, a music extraordinaire, was chosen to play in the strings section for the Michael Bublé concert, and my aunt wasted no time coordinating a group of us to travel south for the Wednesday night performance.

Here are some highlights from our 24 hours in Nashville.

We nearly collided with a little, red Mazda driving in front of us during the drive down when it made a sudden stop. We were so embarrassed, we didn't want to even look over at the car when it passed by later. Except we totally did. And the driver was gorgeous.

We met our famous violinist for lunch at Noshville where I enjoyed the most perfect grilled Reuben. Our waiter was très bizarre, and we got scolded for asking or doing just about anything (such as being brazen enough to request separate checks). It was mostly funny.

Famous cousin is wearing the blue lace. The rest of us are plebeians. 

Tuesday afternoon consisted of shopping in an incredibly charming area around Vanderbilt's campus. All of the shops were unique, and I seemed to find something I wanted in every single one. Each of us girls ended up purchasing a fun dress- successful shopping trip!

We stayed in a beautiful Embassy Suites where the staff took excellent care of us.

We had a smorgasbord before the concert. Champagne, beer, iced tea vodka, and wine were all in attendance as were a zillion types of appetizers.

A glimpse of the feast.

We took the hotel's shuttle to the concert. During our brief ride, we met an Australian couple on holiday!

"I'm a big Hugh Jackman fan," I told them.

The wife nodded, "Aren't we all?"

Amen.

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The Michael Bublé concert was AMAZING! This was my fourth time seeing him perform, and I swear...he gets better every time! I've never experienced another artist who is so involved and interactive with his audience. My favorite song was "All You Need Is Love" during which confetti shot out of the ceiling! I am such a sucker for raining confetti.

Our cousin was on the gigantic video screens at least 7-10 times! She did such an awesome job, and we felt incredibly proud to call her our own.

I bought my mom a Lime-A-Rita during the concert. She hated it.

We went to Music Row after the concert where we met a bunch of Canadian hockey announcers. We did some dancing with them and while they were mostly nice, they were a tad creepy. It's a fine line, isn't it?

On the way home today, we stopped by McDonald's, and it was awesome.

We had such a wonderful time down in Nashville, and it was just another reminder of how blessed I am to have the strong, fun, loving family that I do.

I think it's time to plan my fifth Michael Bublé concert.

No umbrellas allowed!

So I've been a terrible blogger this month.

Between work, trying not to fail out of grad school (Okay- that is incredibly dramatic, but grad school is really kicking my butt), and attempting to maintain somewhat of a social life, blogging has fallen by the wayside.

This past weekend was homecoming at my alma mater, the University of Cincinnati.

My dear roommate, Kelsey, who had knee surgery back in the summertime, was able to venture down south and brought along one of her friends, Anne. Anne's boyfriend, Zac, traveled up from Nashville, and along with Kelsey's fiance (the famous Tool-man Taylor who builds and fixes everything in our house), we had quite a fun group.

We stayed in Friday night drinking champagne and eating Chipotle.

Saturday morning, we awoke to one miserable day.

The temperature was only in the upper 30s, and it was pouring rain!

Not ideal football spectating weather.

Kelsey and Anne decided to stay home, but I wanted to at least make an appearance at the football game.

Okay. I really just wanted to wear my Kate Spade red rain boots and have people compliment them.

Taylor, Zac, and I headed over to the noontime game bundled up and ready to go. I brought along my trusty "Gustbuster" umbrella and paired with my scarf and gloves, I felt warm and comfortable.

"Excuse me! No umbrellas inside!" A security guard called out to me sharply as we went to enter the stadium. He nodded towards a huge pile of forbidden umbrellas.

WHAT? NO UMBRELLAS?

What would happen to my hair?!

Never one to disobey the law, I sadly dropped my umbrella into the heap, wondering if I would ever see my incredible Gustbuster again. I imagined someone recognizing its worth and swiping it, an evil grin across his or her face as the criminal ran into the gloomy day, perfectly protected from the rain.

Without my umbrella, I stood there watching the game, the rain pelting my head as my hair grew increasingly wet, and I grew increasingly cold.

Probably needless to say, I didn't last long.

One quarter to be exact.

I told the boys I was walking home.

As I neared the sad, sad mountain of confiscated umbrellas, I felt certain that mine would not be in the mix.

I pondered the moral code for this sort of thing- if my umbrella was stolen, did that give me the right to steal someone else's?

No, I couldn't do such a thing.

By some sort of miracle, no one had taken my umbrella! It was still there! Happy waiting for me. Hurrah!

After an afternoon spent at home warming up and drying off, our group ordered in pizza before venturing out into the much drier night.

We went to a few bars and ended out night on a very positive note.

Here is hoping for a homecoming with better weather next year!

Or that I at least bring a poncho along.

Black Dresses, Burgers, and Bubbles: Wedding Recap

This past weekend, before I was a criminal, I was a very happy wedding guest.

Here are some highlights from the Cleveland wedding.

I went with my friend, C, who is a tried and true amazing wedding date. He is a great dancer, always ready to fetch you another drink (more wine, please!), so much fun, and dresses up quite nicely.

For the wedding day festivities, we paired up with C's best friend and his date.

I had met C's friend before and am a huge fan, but I was totally anxious about his date. What if she was a mean girl? What if we had nothing in common? What if she hated the royal family?

Luck was on my side though because the mystery date ended up being incredible! We became fast friends and bonded over just about everything. I am genuinely sad that she and I don't live in the same city because I know we'd be total besties.

The wedding was at 1PM. I had never been to a daytime wedding before! In Cincinnati, most weddings are in the evening. Between the mass and reception, the four of us went to C's house where he grilled burgers, and we enjoyed a few drinks. It was a great afternoon!

The reception was in this really neat place with a giant dome. Servers were handing out flutes of champagne as guests walked in the door- so posh! I loved it.

By the end of the night, the two of us girls were drinking Dirty Shirley Temples and dancing to the Spice Girls and ABBA while the boys smoked cigars outside.

Everyone circled around the bride and groom at the end of the reception and sang Green Day's "Good Riddance." Very cool.

The next morning, our lovely quartet traveled to Starbucks for some much needed caffeine. Three out of the four of us ordered PSLs. I was one of them, of course.

It was such a great weekend, and I am so glad C invited me to be his wedding date.

I am already looking forward to the next time our foursome can team up!

My First Speeding Ticket

This past weekend, I journeyed up to Cleveland to attend a wedding with a friend of mine.

I had a total blast and hopped into my Corolla to head home around 5:30 or so, Sunday evening.

Traffic was pretty dense until I made it past Columbus.

Then? The highway was my oyster! Wide, open roads ahead!

I was singing along to the Kinky Boots soundtrack having a grand time when suddenly, I saw him.

A police cruiser crouching down in the median.

I glanced at my speedometer.

I was doomed. So, so doomed.

I tried to casually slow down, but I knew I was in for it.

My stomach dropped as I saw the lights come on, and I slowly made my way to pull off to the side of the road.

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Hands shaking and fighting back tears (big girls don't cry and all), I reached for my wallet and took out my license in addition to my car's registration.

I rolled down my passenger side window, and the police officer shone his flashlight into my car.

I had the audio book of Tina Fey's Bossypants sitting out on the seat. I hoped that made me appear likable.

He told me how fast I had been going.

I am too mortified to report that number on this blog, but let's just say I was doing some serious cruising in the fast lane.

The officer took my information and retreated back into his car as I stared at the open road ahead, contemplating the state of my life and desperately trying not to cry.

"You are an adult," I murmured to myself, "and adults do not cry."

When the officer came back, he shone his flashlight into my car once more and sighed, "Well, I have some unfortunate news for you..."

OH MY GOD. I WAS TOTALLY BEING SENT TO THE SLAMMER.

"...you got pulled over in a very expensive county. This ticket is going to be a fortune."

And it was.

$240.

But it was not going to jail, and I appreciated that.

The officer was kind to me and tried to make polite conversation as he wrote out that horrible three digit bill I now owed to the state of Ohio, but all I wanted was for him to leave so I could openly sob.

After a final lecture regarding cruise control and hitting deer, I was permitted to go.

"My parents are going to kill me!" I cried as any 23-year-old adult would.

And then...my Bluetooth changed screens.

HOME CALLING.

Oh my GOD- they already knew! They totally already knew.

"Hey Jenna! Are you back in Cincinnati yet?" my dad's cheerful voice played over the speakers.

Okay. He definitely didn't know.

I reported my transgression and very fortunately didn't receive a reprimand.

I suppose my parents thought a $240 speeding ticket was enough of a punishment.

No Kate Spade bags for me for a while. And definitely no more crazy speeding.

Lesson learned!

"What? You REALLY don't want this dress?"

I've been in a sour mood all week.

Schoolwork stress and the devastating news that my dad was kicking me off his insurance plan have had me feeling glum.

This evening, I set off for Nordstrom to find the perfect dress for the wedding I'm going to this weekend.

I was in desperate need of some serious retail therapy.

Upon my arrival, I breathed in that magical Nordstrom scent and meandered around the formalwear section, waiting for an associate to help me.

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Except no one was helping me.

Never mind! I could find my own lovely frock.

I found a few contenders and took them to a dressing room.

Neither was a good fit.

As I headed back out into the store, a young woman approached me, "What are you looking for today? Do you need any help?"

Hurrah! Finally!

"Yes! I do need help," I told her. "I'm going to a wedding this weekend, and I'm looking for a dress. I really like v-necks and an empire waist."

"I have THE PERFECT dress for you!" she exclaimed, taking off with me close behind. "Do you like black?"

"Sure!" I replied, exciting to see this PERFECT dress.

She pulled a pretty dress off the rack, but it was one I had already inspected and walked past earlier. It had a lace top with a solid black skirt. The skirt was a thick material, and it just looked a little uncomfortable to me.

"Oh, that one," I said.

"Will you try it on?"

She just looked so enthusiastic about this dress! I couldn't say no.

"Of course I will!" I took the dress from her, and we retreated to the fitting room.

Putting the dress on, I just felt...frumpy.

Even worse?

The zipper was stuck.

"Let's see here..." the saleswoman said, trying to pull the zipper up. "I think it's just caught on this material..."

"Maybe we should try a bigger size?" I suggested, hating this experience more and more by the second.

"No, it's not the size. It's this dress...hey!" she called to another saleswoman. "Can you help me with this zipper?"

Approximately three minutes and two saleswomen later, the zipper had been secured.

"OH MY GOSH! PERFECT DRESS, right?" the saleswoman grinned. "Now, let me just leave you to bask in it! I'll be right back."

I stared at my reflection.

Bask?

More like wallow in self-loathing.

I looked as frumpy as I felt, and the top was way too low-cut. It was awful in so many ways.

I waited a few minutes for my saleswoman to return to unzip me and then finally gave up and squirmed out of it myself.

Of course, she returned as I was exiting the fitting room sans dress.

"So! Buying the dress?"

"Oh, no...I'm sorry. It's just...it took two people to get the zipper up. That really isn't going to work for my situation." I imagined my poor friend attempting to work the zipper. He would never be able to master that zipper by himself.

"What? You REALLY don't want this dress? REALLY?"

Okay. Now she was officially REALLY annoying me.

"I feel fat in it, okay?" I finally said, throwing a Hail Mary. "I feel FAT."

"Oh...oh. Okay."

So I left Nordstrom without a dress.

Thank goodness I had a classic black dress on standby.

But it really just goes to show...you can never find a formal dress when you're looking for one.

Never.

Musings and Whatnot

It is Saturday morning (If we're going to be technical, it's Saturday afternoon), and I am lounging in my wonderful and perfect bed.

Here are some musings from my week!

1. Animal print flats make me feel fierce. I bought these shoes recently from Target, and they make me feel so unstoppable and confident. Wearing these flats, I feel as though I can take on the world (or at least the tumultuous life of a twenty-something singleton).

2. There is no place like home. As much as I loved staying with Ellie at my parents' house, I'm so glad to be back in my own place. I'll miss their soaking tub and Miss Eleanor May, but I'm ecstatic to have my 15 minute commute back and be sleeping in my soft, jersey sheets once again.

3. Buying balloons is awkward. In so many ways. Driving home with balloons bopping around in your backseat is both awkward and dangerous. It also might be detrimental to your mental health. By the end of my car ride, I found myself talking to the balloons and scolding them for not staying put.

4. Panera Bread is so comforting. I stopped here for dinner before my Wednesday evening class, and it was exactly what I needed. Eating a hot bowl of soup with a delicious sandwich just makes me feel cozy and happy.

5. Sleepytime Tea is a gift from God. Speaking of comforting, let's pay a moment of respect to the calm and relaxation that a nightly cup of Sleepytime Tea brings. Add a novel to this scenario and a bathtub full of hot water, and I believe I'm in heaven.

6. Jhumpa Lahiri released a new novel! I was first introduced to Jhumpa Lahiri during a contemporary fiction class where we read one of her short story collections, Unaccustomed Earth. Lahiri writes the most beautiful prose I've ever encountered. Her new novel is called The Lowland.

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7. I'm going to miss living with this sweet face. God. She's so adorable.

October is here! Fun things ahead!

I will not claim October as my favorite month of the year.

That belongs to December.

But it is inarguably my second favorite month of the year.

October 2013 is full of fun and exciting events! Here is a sneak preview...

My roommate, Kelsey, is coming in town this weekend to celebrate her birthday! Kelsey had some very intense knee surgery back in the summer and had to move home during her recovery. She's one of the most fun and vibrant people I know, and this weekend is going to be a blast with her in town. Even better? She's going to be able to celebrate with only one crutch! Woo woo!

Next weekend, I am heading up to Cleveland to attend a wedding with a friend. I cannot wait! Weddings involve love, getting dressed up, admiring someone's gorgeous wedding gown, complimentary wine, and dancing. They're essentially the best thing EVER.

On Tuesday, October 15, the NEW BRIDGET JONES NOVEL WILL BE RELEASED! A coworker and I are heading to Barnes and Noble at lunchtime that day to secure our copies. I've already cried my tears over the fact that Mark Darcy is DEAD (devastating) so hopefully I'll be able to begin Bridget's newest adventure with that tragedy out of the way (alright, not likely).

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The third weekend of October means Homecoming at the University of Cincinnati! Need I say more?

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Towards the end of October, my cousin is playing backup for MICHAEL BUBLÉ! My aunt is currently coordinating a last minute girls' trip to see everyone's favorite Canadian crooner. I'm hoping I can get my Wednesday night professor's blessing and will be jetting off to Nashville for the concert, which would be my fourth Michael Bublé concert (not bragging...but totally bragging).

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This Halloween, I am planning to dress up as a leprechaun! Imagine a darling green dress, green tights, and TONS of gold glitter!

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Of course, October also brings with it cooler temperatures, gorgeous foliage, that special autumn scent, pea coats, and plenty of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

I am very much looking forward to the month ahead!