Domestic Duff

With the help of all my roommates (especially mother hen Brittany) I am slowly learning how to cook. I feel like I have improved quite a bit, considering that my favourite meal at the beginning of the year was chicken, fried on my main man, Mr. George Foreman. Now, however, I am making things like salmon, pizza dough with actual yeast (versus the not-so-nice recipe that is listed on our whiteboard) and last night's dinner - a delicious orange and soya sauce glazed pork tenderloin.

Probably another reason I am spending more time cooking: it is the best procrastination method ever! In my lame attempt to avoid work yesterday, I made bran muffins, an apple crisp, and my lovely pork tenderloin dinner, complete with mashed potatoes and ACTUAL vegetables (I can't believe it either).

But enough with that...now I'm just bragging! Here are some pictures of my most gourmet meal to date:

Yeah, I have photo shoots with my food...no big deal.

Dinner for me and my new main man (sorry George)!

PS: may start food blog in the summer called "Domestic Duff," discussing my learning to cook attempts. Blog will surely be chalked full of stove fire adventures, rotten vegetables, and grated fingers.

-Hilary

I, Heart Cake

Yesterday to avoid studying for my media law midterm (and because I am super sweet!), I made these rather adorable heart-shaped cakes for my boyfriend and roommates. Brittany convinced me to make them from scratch (as opposed to my usual cake-in-a-box) and I even whipped up a batch of buttercream icing to go on them!!! Thank you Sears and your beautiful spring form heart pans!

Here was the result...

Needless to say, I had cake this morning for breakfast.

-h

An Equation

+

=

(on a slightly smaller scale, with the flames inside the stove)

I realize it wasn't a forest fire, but I was reminded nonetheless of this fantastic childhood commercial:

-hilary

The Bachelor

Being a house full of six girls, we are obliged to indulge in some girly, giggly, man-crushing time at least once a week.

With such a commitment, we were all extremely happy when a new season of The Bachelor premiered a few weeks ago! As I type, Amanda and I are sitting on the futon waiting to see what psycho things these girls are going to do to get this "perfect man" (who needs to be on a tv show to find his soulmate, hmmm...)

The sad part is that I think we all genuinely like the show. Half of it is us being pathetic girls and loving sappy shit like this (the bachelor just kissed a girl while hanging from a bungee cord after jumping off a bridge, how stupidly cute is that?)...the other half is us LOVING watching the overly-dramatic things these girls do to try and impress Jake (bachelor).

The Bachelorettes are all, obviously, super crazy (with the exception of the one we all like - the one sane girl in the house). We all really like that Jake cannot detect the crazy in some of them, and seems completely oblivious to the crazy-eyes he gets from some girls. Especially this one:

Ridiculous, right? How can he not see it?

And I would like to end this post with a quote:

"I just had the best date of my life today. The only day that will top this one will be the day I marry Jake."

I JUST BARFED EVERYWHERE (and sadly love it).

-hilary

Back Alley Photoshoots

The Carleton University student newspaper, The Charlatan, is usually just that - a newspaper, however once in a while it decides to publish a snazzy little thing called a magazine.

Shocking, right?

Anyways, for this last issue I was the photo editor. My favourite part of this position was making my friends dress up in ridiculous costumes and pose for photoshoots in the back alley behind our house. Thank god they are so willing to help out, huh?

These are my faves; the theme of the magazine was "subcultures and the fringe movement" and with such, my rad roommates perfectly portrayed their roles as hippies, ravers, beatniks, greasers and punk rockers.

THANK YOU FRIENDS!

Love, Hilary

Family Fridge Magnets

Our fridge in the house is really quite sad. It's boring and white with absolutely nothing entertaining on it. Now that I am home for the holidays with nothing better to do than to make crafts all day(heavenly!), I decided to make a few photo-magnets to brighten up our kitchen.

The inspiration? Our crazier-than-life-hyper-decorated fridge at home:

Our new family magnets:

More crafts to come, it's a guarantee. Hope you like these!

-hilary

The Happy List

I was recently shown a post on another blog where the author listed 100 things she disliked. That post inspired me to make a similar list where, instead of being a Debbie Downer, I would write off the top-of-my-head about the things that make me a super happy camper. So here we are, good luck making it to the end (maybe I have already bored you and you didn't even make it to the end of this little blurb -eeeek) ...

1. Driving alone at night and belting out your favourite tunes circa 1999

2. The smell of walking past that little Christmas tree lot right after Brewer Park on the way home from a boring day of classes

3. Peanut butter and jam on a tortilla

4. Watching stop action videos on Youtube

5. This blog (she actually just listed things that make her happy too, how fun!!!)

6. The build-up to Christmas/everything about the Christmas season: the lights, the gift-buying-to-match-someone’s-personality, and the anticipation of having your brother wake you up at 4:30 a.m. on Christmas morning

7. The cycling segment of Wii Sports Resort, I look absolutely ridiculous when I try it

8. Sprawling out over my double bed after months in a single

9. Anything colourful, i.e. both my bedrooms

10. The instant connection felt between me, and the perfect pair of jeans (these jeans usually belong to Alex)

11. My weakness for LuluLemon bags, its almost fatal

12. Walking on the beach in Ireland and remembering the time when I would run along the same shore and collect seashells and pebbles

13. Making colourful and time consuming paper collages wherever there a blank wall waiting to be filled

14. The Ikea scene from the movie 500 Days of Summer

15. Coming home from university to a house where there are candy/chocolate dishes on every other table. I am munching on a mini Toblerone as I type.

16. Warm, fully-matching pajamas, i.e. my purple asian pjs – the roommates know what I mean

17. Realizing that whatever journalism assignment you are working on isn’t as hard as you thought it would be

18. Positivity – screw reality, things are more fun when you dream

19. Any non-espresso based drink (minus caramel macchiatos, they are good!) from Starbucks

20. Organized closets

21. Living with six girls and having there be no stupid, girlish drama

22. The mall at Christmas time

23. Grilled cheese with ketchup

24. Realizing that I do have the ability to make double layered birthday cakes that only mess up a little

25. The most amazing store in the entire world – The Papery

26. Ariel’s Indian man impression, especially when she talks about keeping plastic on her sofas

27. Dancing/belting/being insane while listening to Taylor Swift songs

28. Impromptu dance parties with my roommates in that little space between the dining room and the kitchen

29. Italian wedding soup with extra Parmesan cheese

30. Making incredibly personalized cards for people and being super excited to see their face as they read them

31. Making lists – so organized, so comprehensive

32. The show LOST and its addicting ability to make me watch four seasons in three short weeks

33. Dropping my cell phone and realizing that “HA, it’s not broken AGAIN.” Take that cell phone gods!

34. Chasing my brother around the house when I am trying to hug him

35. Watching the recording of my third birthday party, it may be semi-narcissistic but I am an effing hilarious child

36. Creativity and crafts - fun craft blogs!

37. Chris Bailey when he is not doing one of his weird toddler/old-man voices

38. Doing something psychotically weird and having my roommates give me that oh-so-familiar “what the hell” expression

39. Playing neopets and scamming 13-year-olds while doing so

40. The noiseyness of a type writer’s keys

41. Doing Benjamin Button impressions

42. Childhood innocence

43. Whistling at the dinner table with my dad to make my mom angry

44. Leaf fights

45. Snow fights

46. Watching Glee with all my roommates + often Dane and Rayne and squealing/screaming during the entire hour… then going to my room and downloading all the songs from that episode and putting them on repeat.

47. People who are happy and optimistic. Sure I worry and complain, but in the end is that REALLY going to get you anywhere?

48. Good looking houses

49. Wrapping my Christmas present and all of my dad’s because he incompetent

49.5 Ending lists with a weird half-number because it is exactly what people weren’t expecting

WHEW. I apologize for the length.

-hilary

Taylor Swift

Have you ever noticed how there is a Taylor Swift song to match your every mood?

Right now Amanda and I are sitting on the futon in the living room crying to the piano version of "Forever and Always" and "You're not Sorry" and belting out "You Belong with Me"...if someone was to look in our window right now they would most certainly think that we were insane.

One thing that guys might not know about girls, is that we ALWAYS over-analyze songs and decipher them so that they somehow match what we're going through. If we're listening to a sad song, most of the time you can just jump to the conclusion that we're doing some major boy-bashing.

Annnnnd this is now on repeat...

Once upon a time, I believe it was a Tuesday

When I caught your eye

We caught onto something, I hold on to the night

You looked me in the eye and told me you loved me

Were you just kidding? 'Cause it seems to me

This thing is breaking down, we almost never speak

I don't feel welcome anymore

Baby, what happened? Please tell me

'Cause one second it was perfect

Now you're halfway out the door

And I stare at the phone; he still hasn't called

And then you feel so low, you can't feel nothin' at all

And you flashback to when he said, forever and always

Oh, oh

And it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong

It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone

'Cause I was there when you said forever and always

Was I out of line? Did I say something way too honest

Made you run and hide like a scared little boy?

I looked into your eyes, thought I knew you for a minute

Now I'm not so sure

So here's to everything, coming down to nothing

Here's to silence that cuts me to the core

Where is this going? Thought I knew for a minute

But I don't anymore

And I stare at the phone; he still hasn't called

And then you feel so low, you can't feel nothin' at all

And you flashback to when he said forever and always

Oh, oh

And it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong

It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone

'Cause I was there when you said forever and always

You didn't mean it, baby, I don't think so

Oh, oh

Oh, back up, baby, back up, did you forget everything?

Back up, baby, back up, did you forget everything?

'Cause it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong

It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone

'Cause I was there when you said forever and always

And I stare at the phone he still hasn't called

And then you feel so low, you can't feel nothin' at all

And you flashback to when we said forever and always!

And it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong

It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone

'Cause I was there when you said forever and always

You didn't mean it, baby, you said forever and always,

Yeah

Amanda's favourite lyrics right now:

"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you, been here all along, so why can't you see you belong with me..."

WE LOVE YOU TAYLOR!

-h

The most wonderful time of the year

It's the most wonderful time of the year because its...

Christmas? No, you'd think it would be because of that right?

Nope, it's EXAM TIME, the wonderful period of death that all us university students need to make it through before we get to experience the fattening Christmas baking and spoiled warmth that going home for Christmas brings.

At this time, I'm sitting in the basement of the library. I just finished laughing my guts out because as I started typing this blog, I looked over and saw Nat was about to do the exact same thing. IT'S NOT EVEN THAT FUNNY... but we laughed for a solid three minutes. We're just experiencing a severe case of "library fever."

Library fever - a mental health condition that comes from spending seven consecutive hours in the subterranean vault of the library; symptoms include giggly outbreaks, hysterical silent screams and the desire to bluetooth your roommates funny pictures of cats

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it just won't come fast enough.

On a positive note, will post Christmas tree pictures soon!

- hilary

Baking Extravaganza

With December just around the corner I figured that starting Christmas baking was completely acceptable.

After I pestered my mom to email me her special sugar cookie recipe, I felt I was condemned to share their deliciousness with the entire house (and special guests Linda and Karli)...

So the sugar cookie adventure began, with a night full of Costco-sized bags of flour and lots of fun Bulk Barn sprinkles. I'm also proud of the fact that in our frantic search for a rolling pin, Ariel and I managed to improvise and use our coffee tumblers as handy rolling devices.

In the end, the cookies came out looking great, if not a little burned from our psychotic stove. Since I am the biggest photography whore, I obviously took a million pictures of the cookie decorating/eating process and decided I would post them here for your viewing pleasure!

Tools of the trade..

-hilary

Death by Steak (the best way to die!)

So I might have eaten a bad steak tonight. It was kind of greyish in colour and has made my stomach make this gurglegrumbleikdfowiejrs sounds. I can't really blame the steak for going bad, I mean, I did pay $3.00 for it and it was 30% off on top of that... Was I asking for it? What can I say, I'm a cheap and semi-broke student. In the end, I just George Foreman-ed the hell out of it and smothered it in BBQ sauce. Pretty good, huh?

This is what my steak looked like, except that brownish part in the middle was EVERYWHERE!!!

On a similar note, Nat also feels sick. Too much DELICIOUS pad thai can do that to a girl.

Also, a steak related quote to end this dinner ordeal story:

"The only time to eat diet food is while the steak is cooking."

AMEN Julia Child, a-freaking-men.

- hilary

Roommate Bonding

We had a girl's night tonight and made cupcakes and watched Four Christmases (doesn't Christmas look SUPER weird pluralized? It should not be done)... ANYWAYS, never have I been more hyped on sugar. Solid Friday night.

The cupcakes in all their pixelated wonder! Delish!

- hilary

Not very gleeful

EVERYONE IN OUR HOUSE LOVES GLEE, so can you imagine my HORRIBLE surprise when I found out that the best show ever (besides LOST) is having an extended HIATUS!!!

WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!?!

December 9 until April 13 is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH too long to wait. I may die.

In honour of this sad, sad occurrence, I am dedicating this post to outlining my top five favourite Glee moments thus far.

5. The Tina/Artie kiss. SO cute!! Artie, who cares if she doesn't have a stutter, get on that!!

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4. The ENTIRE Single Ladies episode. Kurt you are AWESOME and a fab dancer. Keep working it out. Any show that allows for a house full of girls to swoon over dancing football players is a-okay with me!

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3. Don't Stop Believing performance. The song that originally got us all hooked on Glee. So powerful, it actually almost made my cry.

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2. The Sue Sylvester and Mr. Schuester showdown (Major alliteration!)...

How epic was the slow-mo, dubbed over fight? Always entertaining.

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1. Any scene with Puck. Lets put it this way: he appeals to the timeless desire for a bad ass, rebellious man. And what a man he is. YOU CAN CLEAN MY POOL ANYTIME YOU WANT. As we say in the house: "puck me please!" Ouuu, especially like the "Sweet Caroline" thing, tickles my heartstrings!

LOVE

- hilary

Project Craft

Since I am further procrastinating from doing anything productive, I thought I would share with the blogosphere the fun, semi-practical (although my roommates would disagree) crafts that I am making. But before I fully indulge in you my crafty plans, I would like to show off my pride and joy, the colourful paper tree that dwells on the wall in my bedroom.

You like? It took me hours!

So CRAFTS. Well in the immediate future, I am most definitely planning on expanding my paper wall collage to include a sun and some kind of starry night scene on the ceiling. Read: I want lots of coloured paper for Christmas.

Ok, so other than that, I bought this medium sized styrofoam ball last week. I plan on spray painting it (with Brittany's silver spray paint left over from halloween so I don't need to actually go buy some myself and look like a hooligan) and then covering it with lots of fun buttons and beads, all stuck into place with pearl-topped pins.

I apologize profusely if you have no idea whatsoever what I am planning on making... don't worry, the roomies didn't understand either, and gave me that "Hilary, you're SO crazy" look.

Here's a picture of the supplies anyways, hopefully it will clarify things a little? I just want to hang it somewhere and have the light bounce off of it in a happy manner, is that too much to ask? Will update you once project is done, no worries.

Other than this, I am extremely excited for the purchasing of our very first Christmas tree and fully plan on making EVERY SINGLE decoration that graces its branches! So stoked!! More to come...

Hilary

Boredom

Right now Ariel, Alex and I (Hilary) are sitting in the most boring journalism class. Ever. Every Friday, we have these guest speakers that come in to talk to us, teaching us all these valuable facts we apparently need to know if we are to be successful journalists.

Ariel is on urbanoutfitters.com looking at some fabulous gilded mirrors (like she doesn't have two already).

Alex is playing a sheep game on stumbleupon.

Both have been on facebook for half the class. I would have gone on as well, except that would involve me reactivating my facebook account and losing a very valuable bet. Not happening!

Our guest speaker today is discussing something about the trends and tensions of education. She reminds the three of us as some kind of weird hybrid between Professor Umbridge and Rita Skeeter from Harry Potter. Seriously, she is their love child!

And the clock ticks down until 11:30...oh Friday freedom, you will be oh so sweet.

tick.

tock.

GET US OUT OF HERE.