Things that make my life happy

So, today I decided I should get out and do my Russian homework (grr...hard and t e d i o u s) at Starbucks instead of on the couch in my apartment. I love Starbucks. I don't care that it's a huge, heartless corporation--I love it. The chairs, the cliché light jazz music, the whirr of the espresso grinder...love, love, love. And you know what I love the most? Cinnamon Dolcé lattes. Which, I found out today, is only 180 calories if you order it skinny (skim milk, no whip). For a Grande. 16 oz. That's less calories than a glass of milk, people. Only SOOOO much more delicious. Good work, Starbucks. You never let me down.


Meanwhile, today we found out that my roommate's older sister is having a baby GIRL!! She's due in May, and it's exciting.

Okay, confession time: I love looking at baby stuff online. It's not that I want a baby right now. I don't. It's just that tiny clothes, shoes, nursery items, etc... give me serious joy. Don't know why, they just do. Anyway, having a roommate who's an aunt-to-be gives me reason to baby shop. Yessss.

I'm thinking about this outfit from babystyle. Cute and springy.




With these shoes from Tip Toey Joey.




And while I was over at babystyle checking out all of the cuteness they have to offer (and believe you me, it is PLENTIFUL), I found the perfect gift for Aunt Kaitlin to bestow upon the new little sweet pea...
these organic vegetable baby teethers!















Look at their little smiles!! And they're made of organic cotton and not harmful plastic!! What more could a health food junkie want for her new niece?? Perfect.


Life is good.

Etsy love: Turtle Papers

I just realized I've never talked about my love of etsy. There's SO much great stuff, and it's all handmade and beautiful....and buying from them makes you feel like you're supporting great, creative people instead of huge faceless corporations. Don't get me wrong--I love Target, too. Everything in moderation.

Anyway, I'm currently really digging TurtlePapers's etsy shop. Really, really incredible stationary. Check these out:




Okay, so the images won't show up. But check them out. Way too cute. I'm all about them. And while I'm on etsy, I may need a new lunchbag as well...

Note to self:

Never eat a whole burrito at Qdoba fifteen minutes before you have to get laced into a corset and sing your biggest aria. I don't care how hungry you are. You will regret it. Especially when they decide to follow said aria with a run of the scene in which your character's only goal is to eat as many cookies as possible.

I'm shocked that I didn't throw up right there on the stage. Yuck.

Bad night.



On a lighter note: I will blog about cute things tomorrow. I've been feeling less than inspired lately, but I'm going to try to get back on the horse (as soon as I start feeling better from aforementioned mistake...blech.)

Oh, Snap.

Ha. Pardon the title. I'm just in one of those moods right now.
So, I generally only bake when I'm stressed or bored, but I'm baking today because I promised the ladies in the costume shop I'd make them some ginger snaps. I'm there enough for Cosi fittings, I figure I might as well thank them with food.
Anyway, these are my absolute, hands-down, favorite cookies ever. They're just so stinkin' delish. Having never been a chocolate-chip girl myself, I needed to find a recipe for cookies that I liked. I found a rough one in a book, and tweaked it to my liking (roughly based on the three-ginger cookies they make at Trader Joe's, although these aren't quite as crunchy). The sugar ginger is my addition, and makes a HUGE difference. You can usually find it in the Asian section at the grocery store. Also, most recipes call for ground ginger (like, from the McCormick section), but I like to use fresh (I don't go all the way to grinding myself a ginger root, but the wet stuff that comes in a jar works well). Also, the original recipe calls for 1/2t cinnamon and 1/2t ground cloves, but I hate cloves, so I omitted them and used all cinnamon.

So, yeah, here's the recipe:

Gingersnaps

3/4 cup Shortening
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Molasses
1 egg
2t Soda
1/2t salt
2t fresh ginger (in jar, such as Spice World)
1t Cinnamon
2 1/4 cups flour
Sugar ginger, minced, to taste (I usually use about 1/8 cup)

Cream shortening, sugar, molasses, and egg. Add
remaining dry ingredients. Mix well. Roll into balls (about 1 inch),
then roll in white sugar. Place on cookie sheet
and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.

Random Fact: using an Air-Bake pan makes the tops look all crinkly and cute. Regular cookie sheets won't do that. They'll look and taste fine, though. I don't know why it makes a difference, but it does. If you have an air-bake, use it.

Addicted.

So, it's official. I'm addicted to SoBe Life Water. It's even better than Propel. And I love Propel.
Plus, they're 10 for $10 at Target AND you get a free $5 gift card for every 10 bottles you buy. Which makes it 10 for $5. Which is a steal for this delicious stuff.

Knife of doom

This is a great Knife.
However, it should only be used for it's intended purpose--CUTTING BREAD. It should NOT be used to attempt to open a package of shredded cheese, however impossible to open that package may be. It is worth the extra two minutes you may have to spend searching for a scissors to save your fingers from the certain doom they face at the hands of this knife.

(Today I sliced my thumb (and half of my thumb nail (yes, literally half (straight down the middle)) open with this brilliant knife. I still love the knife. But MAN, does my finger hurt. Oh baby.)

(That was a lot of parentheses. Sorry. I just have a lot of thoughts.)

(And yes, I realize that it is not the Forschner-Swiss Army corporation's fault for my own idiotic knife usage. Sometimes my own lack of common sense astonishes me.)

Breathing...

Here I go, actually blogging about Opera, for once...please try to contain your excitement:). So, I had my coOperative audition yesterday at the Chicago Lyric (I know, not intimidating at all, right?). It was a great day, despite the extreme cold (honestly. I've never been so cold in my entire life. I checked weather.com--it was -20(!) with that windchill. And I was in a dress and nylons. Gross.) It was fairly exciting, though--we had to show our ID at the stage door to get in, then head up to the 5th floor (wow, I am such a baby opera dork). I was practicing in one of the warm up rooms overlooking the river, and the sun was shining in, and it was just beautiful, and then someone came in over the speaker system saying "Falstaff rehearsal will begin in 5 minutes in room 230. Thank you." Despite the fact that I couldn't go to Falstaff rehearsal (not for lack of volition, we just weren't allowed to wander from our audition area) I had one of those moments when I just felt so lucky. Man, I love singing.


Meanwhile, back in Kalamazoo, Cosi is in full swing, and I'm having a blast. Minus the corset part.

That experience will have to grow on me. We have to wear them (along with our hoop skirts) for all our rehearsals so that we can get used to the whole shallow breathing, inability to bend over, excessive cleavage (especially when sitting--holy cow!) business... let's just say I'm glad I was not born in the Victorian era. Three hours a day in that stuff is plenty for me, thanks. Also, I like eating.

School supply joy.

So, today I made yet another trip to my good friend the bookstore--I had one more book to buy and two coursepacks to order (which brings my grand total for books this semester up to the $550- $600. Seriously.), and I ended up having to make a trip to the other bookstore (yes, there are two on campus), because I wanted to buy the book used ($60 instead of $110).
Sorry, long story. Anyway, whenever I buy books, I also get myself a notebook or a pen or another small cute item...because, really, what difference does $5 make when you're spending $600 on books anyway? School supplies make me so happy. Particularly these.


Cutest notebooks ever from MiquelRius designs.



My favorite pens--Especially the pink. From Sarasa.


Super cute flash cards.

Yes. New pens and notebooks. Life is good.

Have cupcakes, will travel.

Oh, man. I started this blog with the full intention of posting every day, but here it is, 2 days since my last post. Well, In my defense, I'm Dorabella in Così fan Tutte right now and rehearsals take up what's left of my life after homework....bah, excuses. I should stop.
Anyway, yesterday I found some extra time to make some cupcakes to bring to rehearsal for a friend and fellow cast member's birthday. I thought I should share this, because it has saved me so much time and energy. Figuring out how to transport cupcakes is the most ridiculous thing ever (and you usually end up using like 5 different tupperware containers or a box, and then the frosting gets all messed up and ugly...). This thing is a lifesaver. It holds three dozen cupcakes and they don't bump into each other. It's amazing. People generally laugh at me for owning it, but they get over it once they eat a cupcake.



Last night at rehearsal, a friend said to me "Man, Renee, you're gonna be the best mom." To which I responded, "Or...the best opera singer. With a passion for cupcakes."
Either would be fine with me. Hopefully both.

My love/hate relationship with Anthropologie

Well, I suppose it's clear why I love them...



As far as hate goes...see the title two posts down. If I had $250 lying around for dress buying, you know where I'd be shopping.

Meanwhile, this one's on sale for $90...



Also, I want this bag. Wait, make that every bag.

Oh, and don't get me started on their shoes. Oh man.

OK, I'm finished now.

Edible Valentines

Wow. These cookies at Sur la Table are so beautiful, they make me want to bake. I might just have to make Valentine's cookies to bring to Chorale this year...
Here's the recipe I use--they're the most delicious sugar cookies I've ever tasted, if I may say so.

Sugar Cookies
Blend:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
then add:
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
chill for about 30 minutes (until slightly stiff)
roll to 1/2 inch thick
cut into shapes
bake 6-9 minutes @ 375

I usually just use a standard glaze for icing (confectioner's sugar, water, and sometimes lemon juice, along with whatever food color I'm using).

(FYI: the cookie cutter set is $25, but I found a similar set from Wilton for $4.50.)

I'm a broke college student, I'm a broke college student, I'm a broke college student...

OK, it's a well-known fact that I'm addicted to Piperlime (great prices, great selection, free shipping, the cutest packaging ever...who could ask for more?), and I've been lusting after this pair for quite some time now. And also these and these. They just refuse to go on sale. Come. On.

Once

If you're looking for a great movie to watch, this one's definitely worth a rental. I watched it over break with friends and loved it. The music really makes the movie--it's so soulful and emotional. I downloaded the soundtrack the night we saw it, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since. Good stuff.