This past weekend was super packed, I loved it! My friend from a forum I regularly post on, Option5, had some business here in Tampa on Monday, so he came for the weekend.
On Friday night we went out to CineBistro in Hyde Park to have dinner/drinks & see “Kickass”. I loved the movie. It’s probably the first time I’ve wanted to see a movie again. I plan on doing that soon.
Saturday was CRAZY. I woke up bright in early to pick Matt up. We went to breakfast at First Watch, then to the Florida Aquarium. This was actually the first time I’ve been to the aquarium. I picked up some white plates that look just like paper plates & a set of red cups are dead-ringers for the plastic Solo cups. They are cute. (It’s Not Paper products from One Hundred 80 Degrees)
Behind the aquarium, there is SS American Victory Mariner’s Memorial and Museum Ship. We stopped in & explored a functioning, 1940s-era merchant cargo vessel which served during World War II , Korean and Vietnam war. It was intensity hot, but really fun to crawl around everywhere. You are practically allowed to go anywhere in the ship & it’s HUGE.
After the ship, we headed to Mosi. I wasn’t really impressed with the traveling Da Vinci exhibit. I always love Mosi, & it’s been completely redone since I’ve been there last. (Probably 3-4+?? years) Matt beat me in a brain game where you are supposed to relax and push a ball. Pretty much he beat me in every game besides the blood pressure machine inside the human body exhibit. haha.
That night, we met up w/ some friends for dinner @ Buddah Lounge in Ybor. According to Gregg, the sushi was good. Everything else was pretty bad. I had edamame & split pork dumplings w/ Gregg, I wasn’t too hungry.
After that, we went to James Joyce to get Joe drunk for his 21st! A lot of people ended up showing up. I was happy to see all my local O5ers. :) Super awesome night.
After brunch we went to Malibu Grand Prix and raced go-karts, played arcade games & hit balls in the batting cages. (I’m horrible at hitting balls with a bat, it was pathetic.) It made me wish Weg had hungout because we were drifting around the corners of the track:
After playing, we went to Muvico Centro Ybor 20 to see “Losers”. It sucked, but in a funny way.
It was an amazing weekend. I had a really great time.
I’m going to post pictures of my apartment garden tomorrow! :)
I’ve put it off for so long now, & I’d really love to catch up on everything that’s happened since I last posted here. I doubt my brain could even remember it all…. so here is a little wrap up. I have got to get current, and start posting regularly again!
#4sqday; helped a bit, & met/worked with some of the most amazing people ever. I.love.social.media…!!! Had a crazy amount of good times @ the swarm & afterparty (bought 15 shots for a big #4sqday salute!) & after-after party -Ended up @ a house show, with my favorite awesome couple.
Moved in w/ Gregg… in Wesley Chapel, yes… I’m living in Pasco county. Have been extreme nesting. Lots of Target & Ikea trips to fill the space w/ cute Allie-welcoming things. Slowing finding space for all my things. Very happy to be surrounded in a positive atmosphere & feel like I’ve finally found a place that’s “home”.
A good friend is coming in the weekend, lots of stuff planned. :)
Some funky stomach stuff is going on this week, every time I eat I get horribly sick. Thinking it could be an allergic reaction to something? I’m really starting to think about getting a food allergy test, if it doesn’t clear up soon.
Won tickets to this awesome event in Tampa where you take the trolley system downtown, & drink specials at ever stop. & a boat ride! Seriously, best date night ever…! Big, big ups to Urban Charrette!
Went to a baptism @ Ft. Desoto beach, picnic, explored the fort & shared ice cream. :)
& finally, I went to a social networking event tonight & hung out with some of my favorite people :)
Okay, that’s it for now, I have to have to go to bed, & I’ll be back way way more regularly! xo
Realize it’s possible, instead of telling yourself why you can’t.
Become aware of your self-talk.
Squash negative thoughts like a bug.
Replace them with positive thoughts.
Love what you have already.
Be grateful for your life, your gifts, and other people.
Every day.
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
Don’t compare yourself to others.
But be inspired by them.
Accept criticism with grace.
But ignore the naysayers.
See bad things as a blessing in disguise.
See failure as a stepping stone to success.
Surround yourself by those who are positive.
Complain less, smile more.
Image that you’re already positive.
Then become that person in your next act.
I’m terribly busy with #4sqday, and I’m still crazy new and unfamiliar with Wordpress, so my personal blog has kinda fallen to the wayside for now. I’ll be back shortly (within a week), I have a ton of ideas where I’m wanting to go with this blog. In the meantime, I hope you get down to this song, It’s become my anthem. -C’mon now, set it off! /dances
Tampa Bay Businesses Encourage Customers To Check In On APRIL 16, 2010
[March 31, 2010] – Tampa, FL – April 16, 2010 – Foursquare Officially announced that April 16 will be known world-wide as Foursquare Day. Tampa Bay Businesses are encouraging the community to “Check In” using the location-based social network, Foursquare throughout the day for local specials and swag. Restaurants and coffee shops will be among the many different businesses throughout Tampa Bay participating in bringing the community together.
There are multiple ways that local businesses can benefit from the use of Foursquare and the participation in Foursquare Day. Contests and discounts through location-based social networks will help businesses make use of the Social Web as a promotional tool and will allow for their customers to engage more with the brand locally. Foursquare users earn points as they visit new places or return to familiar establishments in hopes of becoming the “Mayor” of that location. Getting involved is easy so head on over to Foursquare and get your account so you can participate in all of the Foursquare Day festivities.
The Foursquare Day story is a story about ideas, community, Tampa Bay, social media, and crazy deadlines. Foursquare Day started as whimsical thought by Nate Bonilla-Warford. An optometrist by training, he has been a dabbler in social media for years. Nate is amused by simple number relationships, like squares and primes and he makes a big deal about Pi Day each year. The thought struck him that since four-squared equals 16, it would be great to check into foursquare on the 4th, 16th of the year.
Although many people were interested and helped immensely, a small group of people made up the core of the Foursquare Day team including, Jessica Barnett, Antony Fancis, Amber Osborn, Care Colgan, Bill Cason, Kim Randall, and Allison Barkely. What started as an idea quickly spun into a global phenomenon with groups in all over the world including London and Prague getting together to get their communities involved and excited.
I’ve made it my personal birthday mission to find a place in Tampa that sells macarons so I can enjoy them on the 31st. Does anyone have suggestions? Hot leads? :P
Friday; Watching a friend yell at a Verizon Customer service rep, eating chick-fil-A, watching “Armored” (terrible) staying up late catching up on Hulu queue.
Saturday; Awesomely loving baby shower, my favorite people Jen & Ori, afternoon nap, Out of state friend “Putting her lips on”, Wing house w/ so many awesome people, Dallas Bull, 2 double shorts, dumb waitresses telling us teriyaki is hot sauce, lots of shots, “I’m Awesome!”, trying to make everyone dance, Droid aps deciding what shots to order, jello shots in syringes(?!), bathroom attendants, failing at trying to steal ringpops, ice cream, trying to convince someone to give up their pillow top bed.
Sunday; Waking up at 8am, trying to meet up for Thai food, looking for knock-off purses at scary Flea Markets in the “hood” for two hours, Making fun of friends driving, too much rain!, Cheddars -Onion rings & buffalo wraps. Going to the mall, buying new flipflops <3, coffee, beer fetching :), finding black gum!, yucky sushi causing pasta to be made, Catching up w/ Flash Forward, Speaker of the dead, xo’s.
Links! Here’s everything I’ve found this week.
Get ready Easter, Martha Stewart has a tutorial on how to make chocolate eggs with real egg shells. This seems so incredibly tedious, but looks amazing.
A whole shop of German Glass Glitter, I have no idea what I’d do with it, but I want tons of it in all colors! So beautiful. I’m on a serious glitter kick.
These soft, sweet & puffy pieces of fried yeast dough are often found sitting under piles of powdered sugar. Though your waistline won’t want you to eat them oft, you can knead up a batch in a matter of minutes, then plop the dough into a gallon-sized, lightly oiled ziploc bag and let it rise in the fridge overnight. Wouldn’t a plate full of hot beignets, a bowl of banana’s and a supful of cocoa make the perfect remedy for this final plague of chilly winter mornings? Yes. Yes, indeed. Add to the usual platter of powdered-sugar coated beignets a heavy dusting of homemade citrus-spiced sugar, and you may just discover that you’re a morning person after all.
This framed poster reminds me of Liz, it seems like something she’d have in her cute abode. The real question is, if the daily love was directed towards her mister or her adorable pup, Walter!
This morning I went to look at yet another apartment. The last apartment (which I was crazy about) seemed to been too shady about changing the rental price/what was included -talking to two different people, so I just gave up.
The one I looked at this morning is Seminole Heights, which is what I am looking for, -it’s centrally located in Tampa. My commute would be cut in half. No tolls. During this entire apartment search, I have been steering clear of apartment complexes, while looking for either some sort of garage apartment, a few units together, ideally something with more “charm” than you’d find in a 100+ unit complex.
This one was interesting, it seems to be a house that was cut into two and made into two units. There is a garage behind the house w/ another apartment above it. So, there is three units on the lot. The owner brother & son live in the other two units. There is off street parking.
The kitchen, bedroom and bathroom are on all one level… I drew up this picture to explain. So the dark gray is a step up, and light gray is a step down.
The dark gray is wood floors, and the light gray is linoleum. (ICKY!!!) It’s really big for the price the asking. There is some weird stuff that bothers me, like weird metal ugly cheapy shelves on the walls, that I’d have to take down. & that horrible plastic floor, I’d need rugs, huge rugs to cover that hideous shit up. I like how the place is a huge circle, and how there is an office space, it makes me think of fabric and sewing machines. Yay! I think this weekend I am going to check another place, and one more Monday then I’ll choose.
Tomorrow is Jamie’s baby shower! I’m going with Jen, and her son Orson. I’m super excited to see Jamie and talk about everything baby related. =)
Saturday night I am supposed to go to a country bar w/ friends that don’t have blogs I can link to. Sunday I am going to the buddhist temple for the best thai food, and then looking at another apartment with another friend who doesn’t have a blog to link to!
Yesterday consisted of; buying a wooden sword & “knighting” everyone after, passing out post cards w/ a best friend, eating ribs & snowcones -excited that my tongue was blue, commenting on going to “checkout” guys -then realizing they were in high school (in my defense they had on ACU’s – of course I had to go see what was going on-) “Valentine”, Hayrides! where you forget to get off -& them looping back, meeting so many people I’m worried about remembering all their names, coffee/energy drink overload, smiling so hard my face hurt, eavesdropping on teenagers, packing for someone else, fashion shows **, being so sleepy you’re delirious, thumbs-up, steak, and scooting. Today consisted of; looking for gloves, hugs, watching Home makeover and crying at 9am, showering & blowdrying, driving on the interstate!!!, meeting up w/ best friend and her perfect bear cub, getting things I’ve been meaning to get (-reed diffuser, vanilla trash bags, tub cleaner, gifts, shampoo, swagger, orange car stuff, etc etc…) detailing a car, PI(e), picking up laptops, calling out of state friends, buying beer for yourself & people you wish were there, eating hummus, catching up with my rss feeds, and watching Dawn of the Dead.
- I still wish I had asked for those lockers at Habitat for Humanity. They haunt me with their awesome re-purpose possibilities.
- Talking w/ Renee on twitter has left me feeling like I want to go to the beach. I’m not a beach person at all, but I’d like a laid back weekend in the sun… Celebrate summer instead of dreading it! :) Maybe I can get some friends to go.
- Tomorrow is Zephyrhills’ 100th anniversary. I’m volunteering with Jen to guard/hand out flyers about this huge gate that Gregg had reproduced. (Replica of the one above ^) It should be an awesome time, I’ll make sure to post pictures of the finished one. :)
- Apartment News;
“Hey XXXXX,
As you know, when we talked & the ad on CL stated the apartment was $550 which included gas/electric. You said the deposit would be first & last months rent. -Which I agreed to. Once you spoke with Paul, you then said that the rent was $550, but electric was separate. (You estimated $50 per month.) & the deposit was $400.
Since the ad stated and you confirmed those details, this mix up is very upsetting. I really like the apt, but unfortunately, this could be a deal-breaker for me. I am prepared to make the first and last deposit, and pay rent of $550 including electric/gas as that was how it was advertised.
If you could forward this to XXXX so we can hopefully clarify the situation, I would really appreciate it.
This looks incredibly tedious, but I think the end product is amazing -It would wow anyone! (Pictures are always links to original)
What a good motto to live by.
Martha Stewart has a tutorial on how to make a stuffed bunny from recycled menswear. I think this would be a good gift for a baby, but with softer new material.
Custom-made granola! I don’t think it’s too expensive, $8.25 for my choice of ingredients: Low-Fat Granola, Golden Raisins, Organic Banana Chips, Roasted Almonds and Organic Flax Seeds. Yum yum yum.
I’m loving the artwork for Teargarden by Kaleidyscope by The Smashing Pumpkins. You can hear as it’s being made, it is being released over the internet from the band’s official website for free, one song at a time. Make sure to check it out.
Yes, that is a link to a tutorial on how to make bread that looks like pandas. This is on the to-do list for sure. I am wondering if I could just dye regular bread dough verse using cocoa and green tea? Too cute!
DROPCLOCK is an aesthetically intriguing motion clock screensaver. Every minute of real time is numerically expressed with heavy Helvetica dropping into water in super slow-motion. Yarrrr, Mateys!
Would like to see this this.
Etat Libre d’Orange’s perfumes have me amazed with their creativity. I am tempted to buy a sample of each scent. How can I not when there is scents named, “Fat Electrician”?!
“One of my favourites is Putain des Palaces, a feminine, powdery and easy perfume. It is reminding me of soft and toned down turkish delight, pretty violets and a lady´s dressing table with boxes of powder, perfume bottles and make-up. It is soft as old underwear in salmon pink satin, but also very sexy, no not just sexy, erotic, animalic.
Beneath the pretty, powdery surface it is steaming with animalic, I think, even forbidden lust. It´s longlasting, with nice sillage and I feel like such a naughty, naughty grrrrl when I wear it. For me, this is powdery perfection but at the same time as hard on animalic as for instant the most well-known musc perfumes are.”
