E'CLEC

I'm BACK!!

2008-08-13T15:04:00.001-05:00

Well it's been about 4 months. My plan to post a few times a week didn't work out but hopefully I'll be posting more now that I've settled in to my new job.

Oh, what's my new job? I'm an event planner! Yay! The event planning bug bit me about a year ago and when I left my last "real" job, I told them I was hoping to become an event planner. It took about 7 months to find a job. I was originally hired on to be an account executive for daily catering but on my 3rd day I was asked to take on an event planning position. You can probably imagine what my response was...

Anyways, I'm back and it's time to post and get this baby organized! Watch out blog world!!!!

It's the Next Big Thing: Review Chicago

2008-04-03T11:14:00.003-05:00

Review Chicago is a Chicago based information blog. Created by Scott Sweeney in April of 2008, Review Chicago strives to be an informational and entertaining blog. Everyday, we will post articles and information pertaining to anything Chicago. Included will be daily reviews of music venues, Chicago related websites, bands, movies, and basically anything else. In addition, we will have write ups Bar of the Month, Band/Artists of the Week and more. There will also be weekly giveaways including tickets to sporting events, gift certificates, and other prizes. Welcome to Review Chicago!

Please check out the site and support my friend! I think it's only a matter of time till this thing blows up and becomes something huge!

Cinners

2008-04-02T19:58:00.003-05:00

Image from Cinners Website

There's a new food spot opening in Chicago on Friday and by the looks of the website, it looks like a good time! Cinners is described as "chili parlour and cocktail lounge". The menu is simple but unique. I can't wait to try to Cinner Dip: cream cheese, Cincinnati Chili, onions, and shredded mild cheddar cheese served with tortilla chips. I'm used to being served that dip at parties with canned chili so it will be a nice change. I love the combination of chili and cocktails, there's something old school and kinda off about it, but still, it tempts me in ways I cannot describe. The prices seem reasonable and the drinks sound unique. Am I the only person who's getting sick of going to different restaurants and seeing the same ingredients in drinks except their names are different?

Cinners is located at 4757 N. Talman in Chicago 60625 from 4pm to around 2am 7 days a week.

Who wants to go for the grand opening on Friday?!?!

The Price is Right

2008-03-28T10:36:00.003-05:00

Image from Cbs.com

Has anyone else been watching The Price is Right? Drew Carey is actually a pretty good host. Everyday I am drawn to the tv at 10am to watch it.

p.s. hopefully I get a full-time job soon so I stop making posts on daytime game shows.

My Ebay Items...

2008-03-26T18:24:00.004-05:00

Click here to see all of the items I currently have for sale on Ebay. If you see something you like, please bid on the item. I'm offering a discount for E'CLEC readers depending on the item (message me for more info). Thanks!! =)

The Ricky Gervais Show

2008-03-24T18:57:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon this podcast about a month ago and didn't listen to it until Saturday night when I needed to listen to something other than my same playlist while I cleaned. I ended up walking around my room laughing out loud like an idiot while I cleaned.

The show features Ricky Gervais, Steve Merchant and Karl Pilkington. A lot of the show features odd stories from Karl while Ricky and Steve try to figure out if Karl is in fact an orange headed moron. Karl's stories are ridiculously entertaining, as is his popular Chimpanzee News feature. I do feel it's very important that we know about a monkey who stole his zookeeper's wife.

For information on downloading the podcasts, visit the podcast page of Ricky Gervais' site.

Shrinky Dinks

2008-03-22T14:48:00.004-05:00

Photo from The Curiosity Shoppe

They're called Shrinky Dinks right? I hope I'm not the only one who called um that. $12 for 4 sheets here.

Sublime Stitching Craft Pad

2008-03-22T14:11:00.004-05:00

Image from Amazon

The patterns from Sublime Stitching are are so adorable. I bought the Stitch-It Kit last year and it kept me entertained for a while (I used one of the patterns to create this). I've been meaning to do some more embroidery and this may be the kick in the butt I need.

Sublime Stitching Craft Pad has more than 75 patterns! I can't wait to get my hand on one of these. According to Amazon, the release date is March 26 but they appear to be available now on the Sublime Stitching Website.

Click here to purchase from my Amazon store. Happy Stitching to you!

Gocco

2008-03-20T15:05:00.002-05:00

Do you know what a Gocco is?? I seriously just discovered it and I am in looooooove. I want one, like right now. Check out the website for more info.

I also found a great description of how to print with a Gocco from a blogger and there's even a Gocco photo set on Flickr.

Cloud Hangers

2008-03-19T13:43:00.002-05:00

Check out these adorable cloud hangers available from Fred Flare.

A set of 3 is now on sale for $3.99!!!

Cupcake Holder

2008-03-19T13:29:00.004-05:00

Check out this cute cupcake holder on sale at Crate and Barrel. It holds 23 cupcakes and it's only $16.95!!! I really think you should buy one...

Image from Crate & Barrel

More Fabulous Blogs

2008-03-19T10:05:00.004-05:00

Your Heart Out really makes me wish I lived in Salt Lake City. Do you think the blogger would show me around if I visited? She obviously knows the best places to go so I think I should book a trip there soon!

I don't know how I stumbled upon All Things Cupcake but I sure am glad I did. If you love to look for unique cupcake items but don't have the time to check a bunch of websites, head over to this blog because it does the work for you!

I adore Oh Happy Day! Jordan manages to work in cute personal posts among great fashion finds, recipes and lots of other great posts. Be sure to check out her post on the open house she had for her adorable baby boy! So talented!

Bake & Destroy is so fantastic, I can't even find words to describe it! You really must visit the blog yourself. I love love love her homemade cupcake picks! Can I follow you around for a few days and see how you do it??

Ode to My Hair

2008-03-18T21:36:00.005-05:00

So I thought I would be selfish and dedicate a post to my hair. My hair is really really ridiculously curly but I straighten it every day. It's been blonde, black, pink, blue, orange, red, purple, etc... I'm actually very lucky to have hair after all I've put it through.

I used to be a hair model for Paul Mitchell stylists.

Yes, that's my actual hair with just a bit of styling and no curling irons or curlers were used.

I always used to say "I will never be blonde and tan" but all of a sudden, I was both.

I've never really been content with my hair. Every time I get my hair cut and colored, I do something different. Last summer, I started going to a Mario Tricoci Salon. I knew the manager and so my cut and color only cost me $11. I actually have been sticking with the same color and cut but the last time I went I felt really rushed and nothing turned out how I wanted it. The color still seems kinda wrong, the cut wasn't short enough, and I was charged full price ($200, yikes!).

My lovely, lovely friend Jillian, is studying at Pivot Point and texted me last week to see if I wanted to come in for a blow dry and style. I decided to go and get a haircut also. Well, the results were fantastic and it was only $5.50. My hair is so badass now:

So the moral of the story is to find a cosmetology school near you (I know Tricoci University has locations too) and get your haircuts, manicures, facials, etc... there because it is such a good deal and the students do a great job (a professional is there most of the time to guide them and help them, if needed). Looking great makes you feel great, and I know I feel even better when I don't have to pay a lot to look good.

Housewares Show Chicago

2008-03-17T20:42:00.007-05:00

Thanks to E'CLEC, I was able to score my Mom and I passes to the housewares show. We went yesterday and it also happened to be my cutie Mama's birthday. When we got there I said "this is going to be boring, I should have stayed home". And then we found the kitchen aid stage and I was oooooootay.

First up, Michael Chiarello

The crowd for Paula Deen was crazy so I ended up sitting on the floor in the aisle. I took video which I will post on youtube soon. Paula brought her husband along and they were super cute together.

I took pictures of Rocco Dispirito because I dislike him so much. I used to watch his show on nbc and yell at the tv because he is such a jerk. I texted my friends yesterday and told them if they hear about someone getting arrested for assault at the housewares show, it's probably because I attempted to beat up Rocco. Seriously, he's probably my least favorite person in the world (Rachel Ray comes in a close second).

Emeril was there too.

Cat Cora

There was a misunderstanding and Ming Tsai thought Karen was trying to flash him. It does look that way doesn't it?

We got cutting boards signed by Ming Tsai and then we all took a pic with him. He was ridiculously nice and funny. Love him!

We were getting ready to leave but I saw Curtis Stone would be on stage in a few minutes so I asked if we could stay a bit longer so I could just take a few quick pics of him and then we could leave. Well, my Mom and her friends found seats while I stood in the back and we ended up watching his entire set. He was hilarious and charming. Gotta love a chef who calls himself a "dickhead". Love Love Love him!

At the end of his set he announced the booth he would be in and that they were going to have a drawing for an entire set of kitchen appliances if you stopped by the booth and dropped in your business card. He also said you can make your way over there or you can wait for him and his crew and walk over with them. My Mom and her friends got in line to wait for Pam Anderson's cookbook and told me to go to the booth to drop in the business cards. It was in another hall and I didn't want to walk alone. My Mom told me to go and I said I would wait for Curtis and walk over with him. She said "just go, they probably took him the back way" and so I started walking. I had no idea where to go so it took me a while to get to the right place.

I finally got there and took my place in the line, which was not very long. A little bit later I hear someone say my name and I look up. About 5 people ahead of me is my Mom. "whaa? how? huh? where? why are you here? i thought you were waiting in line over there". She kinda looked down and then said "well, a few minutes after you left, um, Curtis came out and I walked over with him". I think my jaw dropped and I immediately asked for details. "Well, he was walking by and saying hi to everyone and so I said 'you know, it's my birthday and I really would have thought you would have something for me' and he told me to come with them and he'd give me a cookbook. So I walked over with him." I believe my response to this was "you bitch!". We keep going over the story because she can't get over how nice and sweet he was. I guess he kept making sure that she didn't fall behind and the group would make sure she was still with them when people stopped him for pictures. When we got up to Curtis, my Mom introduced me to him like they were old friends and he had a laugh with us because I told him how upset I was that she got to walk over with him. He was super sweet and took pix with all of us.

I got the generic signing in my book, but my Mom got "To Barbara, Thanks for the escort! Curtis Stone". So it looks like my Mom had a great birthday =)

Shameless Self Promotion

2008-03-14T16:18:00.002-05:00

I have some items for sale on ebay so check um out here.

Also, check out the links to my etsy store and my lil amazon store. There's some fun stuff in both of them!

And in closing, please give me your money. ;-) Just joking. Happy shopping!

Swirlz Cupcakes

2008-03-09T16:11:00.003-05:00

Last night I had a delicious cupcakes from Swirlz. I tried the red velvet and it was quite good (I think it was my first time having anything red velvet). The cupcakes were unbelievably adorable! The best part was the picks with their logo and name were edible (made of white chocolate). The pick was definitely my favorite part!

They have some fun daily flavors listed on their website so I think I'm going to have to take a ride to Swirlz and try some out soon!

Swirlz
705 W. Belden
Chicago, IL 60614
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm

The Secret

2008-03-05T10:59:00.003-06:00

Image from thesecret.tv

About a month ago I caught an episode of Oprah about the book "The Secret". I only saw bits and pieces of it but I loved the idea of making a board with all the things you want on it. "The Secret" really starts to make sense when you really think about. The law of attraction is real and we are constantly attracting to ourselves the things we think about.

I started reading the book and my boss saw I was reading it and told me he had the video. A few days later, he lent it to me and I've watched a few times since. I've tried to get my Mom and boyfriend to watch it. My Mom is a little more difficult to convert but Adam really liked what he saw and heard. The book is the same exact thing as the DVD. I preferred reading the book and then watching the DVD to really soak up everything.

The first week or so was easy with the positive thinking. I would wake up every morning and think "today is going to be a good day". "The Secret" teaches you that you can only control what you do and how you feel, you can't control other people. I understand that, but it's difficult to stay positive when you have people around you who are negative. Whenever I go to either of my jobs, the people I'm surrounded with are just not happy people and it gets kinda difficult to stay positive.

I've kinda faded out of being in "The Secret" mode. I want to get back in it thought because it made me feel really good. I've always said "it's only as big of a deal as you make it out to be" and "The Secret" sort of reinforced that for me. If you haven't read or seen the movie, you can visit the website and learn more.

Cupcakes

2008-02-17T12:59:00.005-06:00

My valentine's day cupcakes were a hit at the office and at home. I used the same recipe for the cupcakes I made for the surprise party on Saturday.

I used this recipe for the cupcakes. The frosting was a stick up butter, a package of cream cheese and a bunch of powder sugar. I didn't really measure, that's how I roll.

Movies I like... that other people don't.

2008-02-08T20:58:00.002-06:00

Pic from asdfplus.com

Little Black Book- A lot of my friends didn't like this movie because they thought it had an unhappy ending. I think it has a perfect ending. The first line of the movie is "Question: how does a girl who falls, no actually jumps, eyes wide open, down a rabbit hole, plummeting into chaos come out unchanged? Answer: she doesn't". Oh this movie makes me feel good. There are so many good quotes from this movie, so go check them out.

View from the Top- I love Mark Ruffalo. This movie is cute and quirky. It feels like it takes place in some time period that never really existed. The colors are bright and the characters are pretty standard: the girl who dreams, her backstabbing friend, her inspiration, and her guy. Oh and Mike Myers is in it.

Crafty Magazine Fun!

2008-02-05T20:37:00.003-06:00

I've been noticing more and more great ads lately. It seems like my marketing background has really helped me learn to appreciate a good ad when I see one. Some ads are so colorful and full of patterns so I wanted to figure out something to do with them. Well I found some black and white ads and cut out some random shapes. I threw this lil card together and I really like it. Hopefully someone else will too because I'm going to put it in my etsy store soon!

Crafty Magazine Fun

2008-02-05T20:37:00.002-06:00

In the City of Blinding Lights

2008-02-05T20:34:00.000-06:00

This is what I would wear in Paris

Thanks to Nubby Twiglet for turning me on to this fantastic site!

Updates & New Favorites

2008-02-01T22:24:00.000-06:00

Updates:

Golden Rainbow Publishing- A few weeks ago I filled out the handy dandy form on the BBB website about Golden Rainbow and their lovely "customer service". Today I had a voice mail and a message on my answering machine at home from a GR rep saying "I want to speak with you because we've been working on your issues and I'd like to know what else you would like us to do". First off, perhaps you could have called 2.5 months ago when I originally called regarding the issue. Obviously they are just calling now because the BBB scared them. And second, I made it perfectly clear in my letter that I want a full refund. They did not hold up their end of the contract. Refund my money, thanks.
--- AT&T will most likely be the next company to receive a letter. More on that some other time.

This post was super long so don't read the whole thing. Wait, no, read the whole thing. Wow I really do a great job promoting and encouraging people to read my blog. But anyways, I'm working part-time at my Mom's office and I didn't think I would like it, but I do. I was originally brought it to help out with billing but now I've sort of become a graphic designer. Their brochures were way to colorful (they said they spent a lot of money on color ink last year) and are full of errors. My favorite brochure said this:

Train-
ing

That was on the cover. How careless can you be? I've realized through all this that my marketing skills don't just apply to the restaurant industry (a belief I've had for a while) but they're universal. I love marketing and I really can apply a lot of things to just about any industry, and even ones I'm not passionate about.

Tuesday night at about 5pm I was called and invited to see Jersey boys at 7:30pm. I wasn't going to go and then realized I would regret it if I didn't go. It was so good! The cast was phenomenal! I've loved Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons for a while and it was fun to see how they got started. As the show started, I got the chills and it reminded me of being backstage and waiting for the curtain to open. I miss that feeling so I think I'm going to have to do something about it.

New Favorites:

Available @ West Elm

There's a good chance that this will be my new bedding. I'm in love with it and even more importantly, it's organic cotton. I haven't decided what color to paint my new room yet but that duvet will go with anything.

Check out Nubby Twiglet's blog. The pictures she takes are phenomenal (see pic above). And she's a fellow Sigg user. I wish I could buy everyone a Sigg... or two.

I am loving Hulu and Youtube right now.

Dot Dot Dot

Bedazzled Bonbons look pretty awesome, but I wonder how good they are...
I wonder if I'll ever update my etsy store with the valentine's cupcake picks I made...

Question*:

What's the best place to look for hotel/flight prices?
Any Vegas hotel suggestions?

Hide Your Hearts

2008-01-27T13:21:00.000-06:00

My boyfriend's nephew is my new best baby friend. The first time I held him, he was 3 months old and probably around 8lbs. I was soooooo scared that I was going to break him. But now it's a year later and he is amazing. He just started crawling about a month ago so he's on his way to being a lil trouble maker.

Eli does a tiger face where he sticks his tongue out and scrunches his face, it's quite awesome. He also does sign language so he's full of tricks. Here's a video of him at Christmas playing with his new tigger rattle that his uncle and I bought him. He's showing off his "yes" and tiger face:

His Mommy posted a few videos on youtube, this one is my favorite.

Sangria

2008-01-04T15:20:00.000-06:00

Image: Hostess with the Mostess

Hostess with the Mostess has a great Sangria recipe up on their site. I am a huge fan of Sangria and this one definitely sounds like a good one.

I had some sangria at Sangria in Chicago a few months back. They have a few kinds to choose from but I could hardly tell the difference between them. But they do have a lot of flavors of mojitos and a fabulous manchego cheese plate.

I guess I'm still longing for the first sangria I ever had at Emilio's in Wheaton, IL probably about 5 years ago. Maybe it was so good because I was underage (I was with my family at a family party and for the record, I'm not a fan of underage drinking). I remember the food being great and the atmosphere was lovely but it was the sangria I remember most. And now, I'm craving it.

epromos blog

2008-01-04T14:49:00.000-06:00

Image: epromos blog

Certain things really bring out my geeky marketing side (i.e. excel, data, promo items, etc...). Some of the promos on epromos blog are just amazing. I really enjoy the one above which is for a new wine bar. I always look at stuff like this and go "oh, how I wish I could have been the one to think of this one!).

Hello Kitty Hell

2008-01-04T14:40:00.000-06:00

Image from Hello Kitty Hell

I remember being a fan of Hello Kitty when I was little. Actually, I think I just really enjoyed going to the Sanrio store and buying candy and grab bags. They had some damn good candy!

I found this website today and it is unbelievably entertaining. Some of the Hello Kitty products out there are just ridiculous and I kind of feel sorry for people who spend their money on some of these products. Go check out Hello Kitty Hell for some mid-Friday entertainment.

Rainbow Publishing

2008-01-02T15:27:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, someone I knew told me that they signed up for this great deal where you get 10 magazines a month and it doesn't cost too much. I did my research on how much it would cost to go through each individual magazine publisher and get the mags and then the "deal" that I was being offered by Rainbow Publishing. I signed up at a convention I was attending and started making my payments. The magazines took a while to kick in. Here's the thing: You pay $27/month for 2 years but then your magazines continue for 4 years. Then, right before you sign, they point out to you that some of the magazines are only delivered for 4 years. So I think out of the 10 I signed up for, only 2 of them are for the full 4 years.

I have been making payments on this stupid scam for almost a year now and I'm pretty much fed up with it. I get magazines that I actually don't find very entertaining and 10 magazines/month is way too much for one person to handle (plus I'm still trying to catch up on the mags that were delivered when I was in AZ for a month and then working 60+ hours/week for 3 months).

Before Thanksgiving I found my paperwork and had all my mags organized so I decided to make sure I was getting all the ones I signed up for. Sure enough, 2 were missing. I called and spoke with an older lady who was not very helpful. She called a few days later and answered one of my questions but not the other. She said she would get back to me but I never heard back. I called 2 weeks ago and asked for a supervisor. The same woman answered and said the supervisor was out of the country. I explained that I really felt like I was being taken advantage of. She said she couldn't access my file because it was in the customer service room and they weren't in yet. I told her that she needs to have someone from there call me back as soon as they arrive. She said "I'll try but they're not too good at returning calls, you should call back and speak with Kim". With the time difference, I'm never really around to call when it's convenient for them- and I really think that in this case, they should be calling ME when it's convenient for ME.

I really want to cancel because it's not a deal. I've lost so much money already so I'm going to argue that they either need to refund quite a bit of my money or continue my subscriptions on certain magazines until the money is gone. I pay the monthly fee with my AMEX so I'm thinking that I could go through them and have them dispute the charges. I've done that a few times before and it has worked out really well.

On that note, if I get my way and can get some good magazine subscriptions, here's the ones I would choose:

Why Can't I be a Pirate?

2008-01-02T15:16:00.000-06:00

Or at least have a place of my own so I could decorate using this cute stuff from Z Gallerie. I was hoping some of these items would be on clearance after Halloween but I understand why they aren't. The pirate craze is still going strong and I am a proud part of it.

From Top to Bottom: Skull Shaker and DOF's, $29.95; Skull Doormat, $39.95; Jeweled Skull Tray, $12.95; Beaded Skull Placemat (set of 4) $87.80

Some Random Stuff

2007-12-29T13:22:00.000-06:00

Why is all the christmas stuff still at 50%? It should be cheaper by now!
I found really fun sheets of wrapping paper at border's for $1!!!
Walmart has a fun selection of ribbon!
I don't like waking up at 7:30.

Love her!
Make envelopes from pretty magazine ads- use the template or design your own like i did!
Super fun post
Nicole Kidman pregnant? YAY!
I wish I had a sewing machine so I could make this
Extraordinary uses for ordinary things found here
Oh, how I LOVE Giada DeLaurentiis
Jennifer Aniston is so freaking cute in The Break Up. I want those clothes!
I got a Sigg Bottle for Christmas!! Happy happy!!

Shop my Etsy store! More items will be added in the next few days so keep checking back!!

It's not Christmas yet!

2007-12-18T14:55:00.000-06:00

Someone cheated and stole something off one of their gifts...

Who? Me?

Wasting my time, in the waiting line- Zero 7

2007-12-18T10:22:00.000-06:00

"If this were my career, I'd have to throw myself in front of a train"- Jim Halpert

I think I just had an epiphany (or as Michael Scott would say "epiphrary"). I was doing my daily blog check and one of my favorite blogs that I aspire to be like, http://galadarling.com, had an entry on how she got to where she is (I know, I'm referring to the blog and the writer as if they are one, get over it). In this post, she had a link to an article that made so much sense to me.

I'm 23 years old and I'm burnt out on the work world. I've been out of school for a little over a year and already I'm ready to retire... but not so fast, I don't have any money. Let's trace back my work history, shall we?

When I was 15, I started working at the rectory of my church. It was 2 blocks away so I walked there before I got my license. I'd only work at few hours a week and the pay was ok for what i was doing. Basically my job was to answer the phone and greet visitors. The occasional homeless person would insist on coming in when I was there alone so a frantic call home would be made and sometimes, a 911 call. Other than that, the job was cushy. I did my homework, watched tv on a tiny portable tv, and listened to the radio (I can only imagine the fun I would have had if I had a modern laptop back then). There were quite a few times when I would curl up on the floor and nap- seriously! I usually wore pajama pants and comfy clothes so working at 9am meant it was time to go back to sleep. I worked there on and off until I was about 20.

When I was a freshman in college, my Mom told me to try applying at a pizza place. This was not a neighborhood joint- it was a world famous Chicago pizza, uh, joint. I worked there for a little over 2 years. I made some awesome friends there who I could commiserate with about how suckie our managers were and how horrible it was to not be 21, HA. I found out someone less qualified than me, who frankly, did not speak very good English, and who was only working at the restaurant for a few months, was making more money than I was. One day, Tarah and I visited our manager's office to ask for evaluations and hopefully raises. We were basically shot down which caused me to break out into a speech about how "I've tried to help you out in so many ways over the year. I've gone out of my way and this is how you repay me?" to which the owner/manager responded saying "Well if that's how you feel, then maybe you should go work somewhere else". We left and I was upset to say it nicely. I worked again that evening and spoke with another manager who supported me in my decision to think it over but most likely stop working there. A few days later the owner/manager tried to apologize to me and I told him I put a lot of thought into it and that I know this is how things were always going to be and that tonight was my last night. He said that if I was sure then I could just go home- sweet! A saturday night off!

While working at that lovely restaurant, the maitre'd from a popular, fine dining restaurant down the street came in one night to book a private party. One the night of his party, he was super nice to me and even went as far as tipping me when he left. I jokingly said "wow, I don't get tipped here, maybe I should come work for you". He told me to come by and apply. I did while I was still working at the pizza place but there were no openings available. A few months later, Vince called me to see if I was still interested. I thought, "yes! here's my chance out". He continued to say that nothing had opened up but he just wanted to make sure I was still interested. About a week after I was fired/quit the pizza place, Vince called again- there was a job available! Yes! I went in to "observe"- I liked it, they liked me. I was hired on as a hostess. This is the job I left for a year and a half, and am now back working at. This is also the job I had when I made some really dumb decisions but that's another story for a whole other blog.

College graduation was sneaking up on me and every class I went into was greeted with more stories about who has a great new job waiting for them after college. I really felt the pressure. I responded to a listing on craigslist for a telemarketing position with some restaurant website- it was a desperate attempt at a job. They called and said I would be more qualified for an outside sales position they had available. Interview, training in L.A., company trip to Vegas, and about 9 months of work and once again, I was burned out. I had a boss who basically told me at our christmas party that one of the main reasons I was hired was because i was "hot". I didn't want a job like that. There were plenty of other reasons for leaving as well, but I knew I wasn't going to last too much longer. I sat down with my boss in a starbucks one day and explained to him that I think I'm going to take a new job as a marketing account executive with someone who he introduced me to.

The marketing job was ok. It was me and this other woman who started her own company. Here's the deal with a marketing job: it has to be full time with full time pay or it's just not worth it for me because my brain is going 24/7 with ideas. This was full time with not even part time pay so I needed to find something else.

I applied for a restaurant manager job just to kinda see if I was offered the job and how much they thought I was worth. Well I was worth a lot more than what I was making so I took the job. Moved to Arizona for what was supposed to be 6 weeks but ended up being 4 weeks. Came back, helped train the staff for the new restaurant, and started to realize that 70+ hours a week was not a life. I had 2 days off a week, if I was lucky, and all I wanted to do was sleep. It wasn't a life and I decided to call it quits. I got so much experience out of that job so even though I really did not like it the majority of the time, I learned a lot and made so many friends.

So here I am. I quit the manager job about 3 months ago and am working as a hostess. I also have another marketing job with a local restaurant, which I LOVE and am working with them on a new business venture. While I'm not making a lot of money, I'm happy. I like my job for the most part. Our manager is a moron- I work more hours than he does and I could easily do his job. The great thing about this job is that I have time to do what I like doing. I have time to cook and make things. I haven't felt this great in a long time.

I don't want to be another drone working in an office. I really don't want to work for anyone. I want to be my own boss. If a friend wants to go to dinner, I want to be able to go to dinner. If I'm not feeling good, I want to lay in bed all day. I don't want to hear that I can't have pink hair or I can't wear what I want to wear. I don't want anybody telling me to get a job. I would love to make money on my own terms and I know I can do it. I have no problem taking chances and making mistakes. I can and will do what I want to do.

I'm selling stuff on Etsy. I ordered business cards. 2008 is going to be a good year. I know it.

Here's some songs from my "positive reinforcement" playlist:

in the waiting line- zero 7
hello tomorrow- zebrahead
i'm moving on- rascal flatts
move along- all american rejects
better part of me- house of fools
all i really want- alanis morrisette
18 wheeler- pink
a praise chorus- jimmy eat world
something real- american hi-fi
nobody's fool- avril lavigne
everyday- bon jovi
true to your heart- 98 degrees and stevie wonder

Restaurant Rant

2007-12-04T10:39:00.000-06:00

I love the restaurant industry, well most of it. I love going out to dinner. I really don't like the type of people who tend to work in the restaurant industry (drunks, criminals, drug addicts). Food tends to be my passion so a bad restaurant experience tends to leave a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). A bad server, host, or bartender can ruin an experience.

But I've also encountered quite a few disgruntled customers in my day. You know, the ones who come in looking for a problem so they can get something free. As a restaurant employee, you're usually told to "leave your problems at the door", too bad the guests couldn't do the same. Here's some of my stories:

-Some regulars at the restaurant I work at came in over the weekend and ordered grey goose martinis. The bartender made multiple martinis with grey goose and each time they were sent back by the table, who said "she's not pouring grey goose". I don't know how many glasses of grey goose were wasted but I know it's not the cheapest vodka. The problem was finally resolved after a new bottle of grey goose was opened and poured tableside.

-A few weeks ago we were really busy- our wait was 2+ hours for a table. A woman came in and asked for a table for 4 and was told of our wait time. She immediately threw a fit "YOUR WEBSITE SAYS YOU DON'T REQUIRE RESERVATIONS... I CALLED AND WAS TOLD YOU DON'T NEED RESERVATIONS". This lady made a scene in front of our packed bar and walked away extremely angry. The maitre'd was able to get her to return and she showed us the print out of "our" website. I looked at in and almost laughed out loud. She was looking at dinesite.com. If you don't know it by now, you should never trust a website other than a restaurant's official website- and even then it can be sketchy. The maitre'd tried to make her happy by telling her a table would be leaving soon and he would bump her up to the front of the line (we had quite a few reservations waiting and about 8 people on our wait list) but that would not make her happy. She left while ranting that we need to change our website. HA! You need to learn how to use the internet.

-A man came in and immediately asked "is your valet allowed to block off both lots out front?". We have it in our lease that our valet gets both front lots to use. Then he asked "well where can i self park then?", we told him that he can park in the back or in the parking garage. "well that's not what your valet told me, he said i'd have to go over to XXXXX and park". I later found out that the valets tell guests this because there is the possibility of getting a ticket or towed when you park in the back or the garage when you don't sign in with security for the building. So we apologized for the man's inconvenience of having to pay $5 for valet parking. He then requests a table for 2. We let him know that the dining room will be opening in about a half hour but he can sit at a booth in the lounge until then and get drinks and possibly an appetizer (our lounge opens at 4 but the dining room doesn't open till 5 because the staff needs to set all the tables- this is fine dining we're talking about, not Burger King). The man exclaimed "I want a nice table in the dining room for my mother and I to enjoy our dinner at". We explained to him that we could get him a table in the dining room shortly. "I don't understand what the difference is if I sit here or over there". We told him the staff was not ready for tables in the dining room. "Unbelievable, you know if I owned a restaurant I would want to make sure that all my guests are happy" and then he walked off. We kinda stood there in shock for a few seconds. Why do some guests refuse to follow the rules? Are you really that impatient and important that you have to give us a hard time?

I could go on and on but those are a few of my most recent stories. I guess the moral of this post is just to remember that when you go out to eat, try to understand what is going on behind the scenes and be a little more understanding. It could be your server's first day. The kitchen may be short handed because someone had to leave for a family emergency. In a restaurant and in our everyday lives, we need to be careful with how quickly we respond to a situation because you never know what's going on in another person's life. Your server may be moving a little slowly today because it's their first shift back after their grandfather's death- so it makes them feel really good when you start yelling at them because you got a regular coke instead of a diet.

I'll end my post with one more tidbit. When it comes to tipping, remember your server is probably only making a few dollars an hour so be a bit generous. Anything below 18% means the service was not too good, 18-20% means the service was good, and about 20% means the service was really good. I hope this post made some of my fellow restaurant employee friends laugh and made everyone else learn a thing or 2 about what goes on inside our heads.

Maki Sushi, Park Ridge, IL

2007-11-30T10:43:00.000-06:00

Tarah and I had dinner at Maki Sushi in Park Ridge on Wednesday night. We were seated at a cute table near the window and began to browse the menu. Tarah declared what she liked "California and spicy tuna rolls"... BORING! ;-) I started naming things on the menu and describing the sauces so Tarah was open to trying some new things.

We started off with Gyu-Negi Ma- thinly sliced beef rolled with asparagus and green onions served with sweet garlic soy sauce and french fries. I love beef and asparagus rolls and these did not disappoint and the french fries were tasty too; they came stacked like a box in the middle of the plate.

Of course we ordered a cali roll, spicy tuna roll, and 2 pieces of salmon (or sake) nigiri. The adventurous sushi for Tarah was a Hot Volcano Roll- shrimp tempura, crabstick, avocado, coated with tempura and deep fried and then topped with spicy mayo & Maam's Choice- spicy tuna, cream cheese, lightly battered in tempura and deep fried served with ponzu sauce. We also got a japanese pumpkin roll which was similar to a sweet potato tempura roll.

The appetizer was delicious and the rolls were tasty! My favorite was the hot volcano roll. I also enjoyed a pear martini with my meal and it was unbelievable. I don't think I've ever had a pear martini before so this was a treat. I decided to save room for dessert but was sad to learn that the Tres Leche cake was 86d so I decided on the Berry Bread. I asked the server if it was like bread pudding and she said yes. It was actually more like a little cake soaked in raspberry syrup and topped with more syrup, whipped cream and fresh blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. I can probably call this one of the best desserts I have ever had to top off one of the best meals I've had in a long time.

It was so nice to find a sushi restaurant close to home. The variety of sushi was great and the decor was a nice change of pace. This isn't your typical sushi restaurant- the decor is modern and the music is light rock. I can't wait to return and try some other rolls as well as one of their fruity smoothies. If you live in the area, you have to check out Maki Sushi for a delicious meal from beginning to end.

Pushing Daisies

2007-11-28T14:53:00.000-06:00

So last week, whatever show I was watching on ABC ended and some Seussical looking show started. At first, I thought it was a movie because I had never heard of this show. I watched the episode and found it kinda hard to follow but the premise seemed cute. It's so colorful and the costumes are adorable. Oh and the best part, is that ABC.com has episodes online and they're player works soooooooo great!

Fried Food and Bread Pudding

2007-09-17T22:49:00.001-05:00

I had a meeting today but it got cancelled so what did I do? Cooked and baked! YAY! I had some bread that was a few days old so I decided to make some bread pudding but I also wanted to make cupcakes... what to do?! I looked online for recipes but I never follow recipes. I just look up the necessary ingredients and then do what I want. I used 4 eggs, some whipping cream, sugar, DiSaronno, and almond extract, oh and a lil melted butter. I mixed in the bread and let it soak for a bit while I washed out some silicone cupcake cups. I decided that these would be more like little cakes you would flip over onto the plate when serving, so I melted some butter, then added sugar, DiSaronno, and slivered almonds. I put some of that at the bottom of ever cup. I also sprayed them with Pam, but I don't think that was necessary.

While those were cooking, I started playing around with some mac & cheese that was a few days old. I've wanted to make fried mac & cheese balls for a while now so I gave it a go. I rolled the pasta into a ball and then tossed it in flour, egg, and panko (I didn't have any bread crumbs so I used panko which is just as good and sometimes even better). I tested one and decided it was good and I should make more.

I also ended up making some tempura vegetables (green pepper, red pepper, zucchini) and shrimp. I also mixed up some cream cheese, imitation crab, and green onion a few days ago for crab rangoon so I made a few of those (thank you frozen wonton wrappers from the local fruit market). The tempura batter comes in a box that you just mix with cold water. FYI: Tempura battered avocado is delicious. I used to work at a sushi restaurant and on my last day, I made tempura battered pb&j w/banana sandwiches topped with powdered sugar and caramel sauce. It was gooood.

Anyways, back to todays meal. Too much fried food is not a good thing so I didn't eat too much. The rangoon came out okay but it needed something else- I'll figure that out some other time. The tempura stuff was good as usual. I don't make tempura sauce because I don't have mirin on hand, so instead I just make the sauce I use when I make seared tuna (dijon mustard and soy sauce. The sauce is great and just like you get in the restaurants (in fact, it is what you get in a restaurant I used to work at because my chef friend told me how to make it).

As for the bread pudding, it was great! I'm going to have to make it again soon and take some better pictures... or better yet, someone buy me a digital camera! Thanks.

Here's the pix:

Fried Mac & Cheese

Tempura Veggies & Shrimp

The Bread Pudding Cupcakes

Inverted BP Cupcake

BP Cupcakes in the Oven

Some of my favorites

2007-09-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

I get kinda selfish when I find stuff I really really like. I know, I should want to share the awesomeness with everyone. It's kinda like when you've had an album for a while and you've loooooved a certain song but no one has heard of it, then BAM! it's being played on the radio and everyone loves it (i.e. The Fray "How to Save a Life", a song I can't even listen to anymore cuz it's been sooooo overplayed). It just kinda ruins the song for me. So that's how I feel about other stuff- blogs, websites, products. BUT I want to promoted these fantastic favorites of mine because they are so phenomenal and make me so happy and maybe they'll make you happy too:

Tastespotting- I check this a few time a day. I have a goal to get one of my pix up on it (that is after I get an actual digital camera instead of the craptastic pix I take with my phone)
The ParTea Planner- I'm trying to start an event planning business and this blog has inspired me to want to specialize in tea parties.
This Next- discovered this when I was in AZ and bored outta my mind in my crappy hotel room
House Party- this idea is genius! I wish I would have thought of it- love love love it!
MeetUp.com- There are so many fun groups to join! So many great ways to meet people!
Pandora Radio- They actually play some good songs when you tell them an artist you like (my first choice: Butch Walker, second: Michael Buble and they gave me other great songs that sound like them)
Celebrity Baby Blog- this has been a favorite of mine for a while. I love how they tell you what celeb babies are wearing and where to find it
Joelen's Culinary Adventures- this gal is awesome, I want to be friends with her! She knows how to cook and photograph her amazing creations (and I joined her group at MeetUp.com)
Cupcakes Take the Cake- a blog about cupcakes- 'nuff said.

Superdawg

2007-09-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

I love hot dogs. If I were a hot dog, I would eat myself...

Tonight we tried Superdawg for the first time. I've lived about 15 minutes from Superdawg my whole life and my Mom and I have talked about going for the past few summers. Tonight we finally decided to try it.

We drove up to the order box and stared at the menu for a while. When we were ready we pressed the button and the operator responded. One plain hot dog for Mom. One hot dog with everything but mustard and some onionchips for me. About 7 minutes after ordering the food came to the car. The total was $12 and some odd amount of change. Yikes, that's pretty steep for 2 hot dogs and some onionchips. But whatever, I was surprised that the gal who brought the food over had my change in ready as soon as I handed her the $13.

We ate the onionchips in the car, they were good but not exceptional. Oh yes, this meal comes just a few hours after I declared that I didn't want to buy anything but organic food anymore. HA! Anyways, I got home and took the pictures and began to eat. The neon green relish was a bit scary but I just covered it with some ketchup. Yeah, that's right, I'm a REAL Chicagoan and I like ketchup on my hot dogs. The fries that came with the hot dog were not good. They tasted like frozen fries bought from the grocery store. As for the dog, I wasn't impressed. I'd take Portillo's or better yet, Gene & Jude's over Superdawg any day. The only thing I would go back for is the old school ordering process.

it's been a while

2007-08-20T23:22:00.001-05:00

almost 2 months and no post! i have been extremely busy with my new job. i manage one of the locations of a popular sushi chain and it is wearing me out. today was my day off and i blog surfed. love it. want to do it all day. it was very inspiring. i'll start posting links to my favs soon.

anyways.... this is going to turn into a very eclectic blog.

i'm watching a guilty pleasure movie right now

and on that note, i forgot how pretty he is:

i'll be back in a bit with another more useful post.

Macaroni and Cheese with LOBSTER!

2007-06-24T23:57:00.000-05:00

What will they think of next? Mac and cheese- good, lobster- good! I wonder how they taste together? Does the cheese overpower the lobster? I am more than willing to try out this combo.

Macaroni and cheese with lobster*
(serves 2-3)

1 live lobster of ca. 1.5 kg (or 2 lobster tails)**
40 g emmental cheese (grated)
40 g gruyère (grated)
40 g parmesan (grated)
400 g macaroni or other tubular pasta
1 tbsp chopped chives (plus more for decorating)

For the béchamel:
30 g butter
1 small onion (finely chopped)
60 g flour
220 ml milk (warmed)

Cook the lobster (or tails) in boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain and shell. Keep the flesh warm.
Cook the pasta to package instructions.
Prepare the bechamel: melt the butter, fry the onions in it until soft, but not browning. Stir in the flour, then take off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk, making sure to avoid any lumps from forming. Put back on the stove and gently reheat and let thicken - constantly stirring as you go. Season to taste.
To assemble, stir the bechamel into the pasta, then add the cheese and chives.
Arrange on plates, cut the lobster in slices or bite-size chunks, place on top of the maccaroni, then decorate with chives. Serve with a salad on the side, if you wish.

Thanks to The Passionate Cook for the pic and recipe.

Fresh Pasta with Basil, Tomatoes and Burrata

2007-06-24T23:39:00.000-05:00

How beautiful does this look? YUM! I LOOOOOOOOVE fresh mozzarella- but that's not exactly what this is. It's a special cheese named burrata. It's made my stuffing fresh mozzarella with cream. How genius is that?

Thanks to Misadventures In Italy for the pic and info.

Bacon Wrapped Cherry Tomatoes

2007-06-24T23:35:00.001-05:00

So simple and beautiful. My mouth is watering just thinking about eating one of these. I have a new found obsession with cooked tomatoes- not tomato sauce but nice, warm tomatoes that hold their shape. Everything tastes better with bacon. EVERYTHING.

Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pack cherry tomatoes (12 oz)
1 pack bacon (12 oz)
Toothpicks (soak the toothpicks in water for a few hours)
Nanami Togarashi (Japanese assorted chili pepper)

Cut the bacon strip into half-length. Put the cherry tomato towards the end of the bacon strip and wrap tight. Hold the cherry tomato with a toothpick, set aside. Sprinkle some Nanami Togarashi onto the bacon.

Heat up an indoor grill and grill until the bacon turns brown and crisp. For an outdoor grill, use low heat. Serve immediately.

Thanx to this blog for the pic & recipe.

Sriracha Sauce

2007-06-22T01:16:00.000-05:00

wow! i always wondered what this stuff was and recently I found out. I've seen the bottles in restaurants I've worked in and never gave it a chance. In the past few weeks I've enjoyed Sriracha on lots of sushi- I highly recommend it. But trust me, it's hot and spicy!

Pommery Pop Pink Rose Brut Champagne

2007-06-22T01:12:00.000-05:00

I looooove champagne. I've seen this stuff quite a few times and I've always wanted to try it. It's pink and in a cute lil bottle- does it get any better?

Cup-A-Cake Cupcake Container

2007-06-22T01:06:00.000-05:00

There is just something so cute about cupcakes. I love um. I can't get enough cupcake stuff lately. I know it's been a "trend" for a while, but there are really some creative cupcake things out there. These are unique and affordable.

Visit Cupcake.com to purchase.

Passion Fruit Caipiroska

2007-06-20T01:43:00.002-05:00

Passion Fruit Caipiroska
makes 6 drinks
from Food and Wine magazine, June 2006

3/4 cup frozen pure passion fruit puree, thawed
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
1 1/4 cups vodka
Garnish: 6 thin lime slices

Stir together all ingredients in a pitcher until sugar is dissolved.
Pour over crushed ice. Garnish with a lime slice.

Thanks to Tastespotting for another great recommendation!

FLOR Carpet Tiles

2007-06-20T01:36:00.000-05:00

I saw these on 190 North a few months ago and I thought they were great. The houndstooth pattern is adorable. I think they're pretty affordable as well. One day, when I have my own place (and money), I'm gonna get some of these babies. (via FashionKitty)

French Bull Dishes

2007-06-20T01:31:00.000-05:00

These dishes are cute. I swear, everyday I find about 10 sets of dishes that I want to buy. I know it would probably be a waste, but there are just way to many awesome dishes sets out there. Check out the rest of the designs here. The barcelona design is my favorite. (via FashionKitty)

Strawberries, Brown Sugar, & Sour Cream

2007-06-20T01:15:00.001-05:00

This is a delicious combination. Strawberries, brown sugar, and sour cream. If you've never tried it, I highly recommend it. I usually don't eat it this way but the presentation is fabulous.

Garlic Scape

2007-06-18T13:53:00.001-05:00

I had never heard of Garlic Scape until I visited Taste Spotting. According to Moscow Food,
"Garlic scapes are said to have a milder flavor without the hot garlic bite." I'm sold. Garlic Scape Pesto sounds great.

What would you use Garlic Scapes for?

Smartwater

2007-06-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

i always feel good when i drink this water... and it doesn't hurt that jennifer aniston is endorsing it now. love her!

Did you ever buy a product based on who was appearing in their ads?

Locher's

2007-06-18T13:46:00.000-05:00

Locher's shirts are adorable. I would definitely pay $70 for a shirt like this.

I can just see some little old lady telling me she likes my shirt, "the embroidery is beautiful. what does it say?". "Uh, um, uh.... cute little pucker?"

What would your cute and sorta offensive shirt say?

iPhone

2007-06-18T13:40:00.001-05:00

The day the iPhone arrives is getting closer and closer. I'm very excited! I haven't decided if I'm going to buy it yet. I really would like to, but I think the second I cough up the $500 for it, a better phone will come out. Then again, does it really get much better than this???

My favorite feature is the fact that you can choose what voice mail to listen to instead of going through all your saved messages.

I'm a little weary of the keyboard/touch sensitive feature. But Apple has yet to let me down so I guess I'm going to trust them.

Are you going to buy the iPhone?

BOYCOTT THE TALENTLESS!

2007-06-18T01:50:00.002-05:00

This is a call to action.

I am tired of seeing the same talentless faces showing up all over the place. I'm especially talking about certain females who seem to always get photographed without panties or always seem to be the center of controversy.

Ok, if you still don't know who I'm talking about...
Britney Spears
Paris Hilton
Lindsey Lohan
Katie Price aka Jordan

Stop photographing these "ladies". Yo, paparazzi, that means YOU. Don't follow them around anymore.

Britney has zero talent. I saw her live years ago and walked out of the show saying "that was NOT her singing!". Her life is pure corruption and I really wish her well. She had potential to be something but SHE messed that up. SHE made her own decisions. I don't feel sorry for her.

Paris Hilton. I have so much dislike for her. What has she done? I've heard guys (shocking! guys told me this) tell me that she's a smart business woman and she knows what she's doing. Oh so is that why all her business accomplishments are always in the news?

Lohan. I'll admit, I loved The Parent Trap and Mean Girls. Can't really tell ya what else she's been in, yet I can name over 10 guys she's been "linked" to (and by "linked" I mean linked). What an arrogant, selfish little girl. She needs a mom to put her in her place.

Katie Price aka Jordan. I really gave her a chance. I wanted to like her so badly but alas, she too failed me. The latest incident involving her poor blind son getting injured by a falling mirror is just sad. I feel bad for him but it's obvious to me that he wasn't being watched close enough. He was supposedly with the nanny at the time. Where was mommy? I know she's 9 months pregnant but I do believe most pregnant mothers are capable of watching their children. I don't understand.

Do you agree with the list?
Who else should we add?

Old Town Tortilla Factory

2007-06-18T01:18:00.001-05:00

I read about this place before I visited Scottsdale and finally dined there about 2 weeks into my month long stay. The Poblano Mariscos was excellent! It could quite possibly be the greatest dinner I've ever had.

I went back a few nights later with my boyfriend who was visiting me and again I ordered the same dish. The fresh tortillas are different nightly and come with different spreads.

My only problem was that I ordered a french martini that was not so good. The server asked me what was in a french martini. I didn't know if he was inquiring for himself or the bartender. I listed the ingredients to the best of my knowledge (I'm not bartender). I'm guessing he rattled off the list to the bartender and he poured accordingly. My first sip was pure vodka. I gave the drink 3rd and 4th chances to redeem itself but I had no such luck. I wanted to send it back but thought it would embarrass my boyfriend so I simply ordered a virgin peach margarita. It was sooooo good! As was his margarita (we're not tequila fans but this was a great margarita). As for the fate of the french martini, I convinced my boyfriend to drink it and after a few sips, he too agreed that it was not good. When the bill came, it was marked as a "smirnoff martini"- NOOOOOO! They butchered my beloved, but the food is sooooooo great, I'd be back in a heartbeat.

French Rabbit Wines

2007-06-18T01:16:00.000-05:00

I am so attracted to the packaging of this wine. I'm not a big wine drinker but I want to run out and buy this stuff simply because of the packaging. Tetra Pak seems to be packaging some good stuff these days. I wish I still had a family member who worked there. Nice work.

Has anyone tried it?

I WANNA BE e'clec TOO!

2007-06-18T01:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to e'clec.

Music.
Celebrities.
Food & Drink.
Movies & TV.
Fashion.
Awesome stuff.

They all unite at e'clec.

Be e'clec.