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Friday, April 29, 2011

Royal Wedding - Congratulations William and Kate!

Did you watch the royal wedding?  I unfortunately fell asleep before it started (it started at 3am where I live) and woke up at 4:30am which was near the end of the wedding.  Luckily I recorded the ABC coverage and was able to watch it this morning before I went to work.

Kate Middleton looked absolutely gorgeous!  Sarah Burton (from Alexander McQueen's fashion house) did a fantastic job.  She looked exactly how a princess should look for her wedding.  I know a few blogs are critiquing her make-up, but I think she looked fabulous.



I can honestly say I am not a fan of her bridal bouquet.  It should have been a bit bigger and more exciting, it just looked droopy to me.

Prince William looked wonderful as well.  I was late to work today because I was wanted to watch their first kiss as a married couple, and was surprised when they kissed twice on the balcony. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Why I love Postcrossing

When I was looking for a new hobby to get involved with when I moved to the United States, I stumbled upon Postcrossing.  Postcrossing is a project that allows people to send and receive postcards from all over the world.  The best part about it is that you have something fun to look forward to receiving in the mail (which is great when you typically only receive bills and bank statements).

A selection of postcards received from Postcrossing

Originally you can only send 5 postcards at a time, but this number increases when you send more postcards.  If you want another option, you can always do a direct swap.  I am currently swapping postcards with a guy in New York, but I have also swapped with people from Turkey and China.  Direct swaps don't add to your sent count, but it's a fun way to get postcards from specific areas in the world (and also interact with more people!).

On your Postcrossing profile, you can also write a little bit about yourself, as well as write specifications on what sort of postcards you would like to receive.  Be forewarned, you may not receive postcards with your specifications.  I was given an address of a girl in Russia who only wanted postcards that showed dogs or retro cartoons (which is almost impossible to find where I live), and I ended up not sending her a postcard at all because she was extremely picky.  I really enjoy postcards that show city skylines, and this is written in my profile, but most of the postcards I receive are completely different than what I requested.  This is really cool, and my postcard book is very diverse because of this.

I have currently sent 23 postcards that have been registered by the receiver, and yesterday I sent out a few more:

6 postcards for postcrossing, 1 direct swap, and 1 personal
You're probably wondering how much this costs.  I really lucked out because both Borders and a store near my apartment are both closing down, so I was able to get a lot of postcards for very cheap (some were only 5 cents!).  The most I have ever spent on a stamp is 98 cents for a postcard going international (which is roughly 95% of them).  Personally, I think spending ~$1.50 a postcard isn't unreasonable because you receive a postcard back and you get to connect with someone else in the world.

Another question you're probably wondering is what to write on the postcard.  I normally write a quick introduction about myself, followed by either why I chose the postcard for that person (based on what is written in their profile), or a quick bit of trivia about San Francisco (all of the cards I send are from San Francisco, minus a few rare exceptions).  Most of the time I'll make the effort and try to find a postcard that the person would really like, but as in the case mentioned earlier, sometimes the requests are almost impossible.

I hope this post convinced you to at least check out Postcrossing.  If you're interested, feel free to check out my profile.  My username is sparklicacid.  

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Sad face at Vancouver :(

Did anyone else watch the Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks game today?  It was intense!  I really felt for Cory Schneider when he got injured during the penalty shot.

I should clarify that my boyfriend and I are both Canadians, and are cheering hard for a Canadian team to make it to the Stanley Cup Final.

Go Canucks!
This being said, tonight's game was hard to watch.  My boyfriend made a meme that summarizes our feelings on the matter:

Happy Easter!

Today was a special day for two reasons.  It is Easter Sunday and it is also my boyfriend's birthday.  As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I decided to make my boyfriend bread pudding for breakfast.  Here is the recipe I used:

Cinnamon Swirl Breakfast Bread Pudding (found in Cosmopolitan magazine)

4 eggs
1½ cups milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ loaf day-old bread, cut into cubes
¼ cup pecans, chopped
Nonstick cooking spray
Maple syrup

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, and whisk until all the ingredients are completely incorporated. Stir the bread and pecans into the egg mixture. Coat an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the bread pudding, and cover with foil. Let sit in the refrigerator at least one hour and up to overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread pudding, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake an additional 10 minutes, until the pudding is browned. Serve hot with maple syrup. 

I mixed the pudding last night, and baked it this morning.

Bread pudding before baking:


Bread pudding after baking:


The pudding turned out very well, and was great with syrup.  I would highly recommend this recipe since it is both simple and yummy.

For another Easter activity, we decided to color Easter eggs using a $2 kit we found at Safeway.  Here is the finished result:


We also decided to make Skittles Vodka.  Using this recipe, we made Strawberry and Lime vodka, as seen below:

Strawberry Skittles Vodka

Lime Skittles Vodka

The great thing about this recipe is that you can still taste the skittles, but the vodka isn't overly sweet.  We will definitely make this again.

Overall, I had a very good Easter.  I am a little bit disappointed that I was unable to find Cadbury Mini Eggs where I live (I eat way too many every Easter) but there is always next year!

Science overload

On Friday the facility I work at decided that they should schedule four different research seminars on the same day.  Learning about science is fun and all (I have a degree in it after all), but after all of those seminars my brain was fried and this is what I ended up drawing:

One hour's worth of doodles.



As you can see, my drawings are very creative.  I'm particularly a fan of the dinosaur and the paintbrush.

Tomorrow morning I will attempt to make Cinnamon Swirl Breakfast Bread Pudding for my boyfriend's birthday.  If it turns out decent, I will be sure to post the recipe with pictures.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

I like something at Anthropologie!

I have the worst luck when it comes to Anthropologie.  I have browsed the store tons of times and have not found anything worth buying.  I'm not sure if it is because Anthropologie is not my style or because I do not know where to look.  I have also had no luck with the catalog, which is disappointing.

The only exception is the aprons.  I think they are gorgeous, I just can not justify paying $32 for them when my grandmother gave me some vintage ones months ago.  Although, the Citrus Bouquet Apron is very tempting:
 This all changed today when I came across the Apothecary Skirt.


I really want this skirt.  I wish I lived closer to an Anthropologie store.  I'd order it online, but I haven't tried on any skirts and have no idea what my size would be.  A trip to the city might be necessary in the near future to pick this beauty up.

On a personal note, for the past few days I keep dreaming that I am forgetting something important.  In one dream, I am at an airport sitting with someone I haven't spoken to in years, and when I get to security I realize I have forgotten my suitcase, and by the time I find it I have missed my flight.  Another night, I arrived at the airport only to realize I have forgotten my passport at home, which is an hour away by train, and by the time I get it I miss my flight.  In another dream, I am at a hotel getting ready for a conference but when I open my suitcase I realize I have forgotten all of my business clothes and have only packed beachwear.

I have no idea what these dreams could mean.  When I used google I got such thoughtful interpretations such as "it is a warning that you may have forgotten something" or "you are expressing an overwhelming amount of stress in your life".  I am confident I haven't forgotten anything important pertaining to my future travels, and although work is hectic I wouldn't say it is overwhelmingly stressful.  Hopefully it all sorts itself out.

On a final note, I found this mash-up of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" and Britney Spears "Till the World Ends" on Youtube yesterday and felt the need to share.  Enjoy!





Tuesday, April 19, 2011

My first experience with MapMyRUN

As I mentioned in my first post, I really enjoy running.  I like to go for a run every Sunday afternoon and explore different areas around where I live.  I normally map out a ~3 mile run on google maps before I go, but last week I learned about MapMyRUN.  MapMyRUN is a website that allows you to find running routes plotted by other runners living in your area, as well as design your own routes that other runners can use.  There are hundreds of routes plotted out already, so there are many options to choose from if you want to check out a new route.  A great thing about this website is that it also tells you the ascent on each run, so you can see how hilly (or flat) a route is.  I decided to pick a route and try this website out.  I excitedly picked out a route close to where I live, blasted my ipod, and decided to explore. 
Route suggested by MapMyRun

This is the route that was suggested to me on MapMyRUN.  It tallies in at 3 miles, and shows an ascent of over 400 feet.  I have been trying to build endurance, so I was excited to run some hills.  However, this path was not very obvious when you were actually on it (it was hard to tell where to turn, and there were a lot of paths between streets).  As you can imagine, I got lost.  There was no more sidewalks, and the hills became extremely steep.  I also didn't remember seeing Glendale Ave on the map before I left (and sure enough it is not even on this map).

This was one of the very few occasions that I did not have my blackberry on me, and one of the occasions where it would have been useful.  I decided to turn left instead of turning around, since I knew heading in that direction would probably lead me to a road name I would recognize.  Sure enough, after about 5 minutes of running I encountered a street I recognized, and decided to improvise the rest of the way home, which actually turned out to be really somewhat to the suggested running path.

The route I actually took.

 As you can see, I stayed on one street by mistake, which sent me east instead of north.  I still enjoyed my run, and it clocked in at 3.6 miles instead of 3 miles (not necessarily a bad thing).  If any lessons can be gained from this, it is to either remember the route (or print off the map) if you are unsure of the area, or bring your phone with you when you run.

I will definitely use MapMyRUN again, though I think next time I will choose a route in an area that I am more familiar with (and less hilly).

On another note, I noticed that Lululemon has come out with a Mind over Matter jacket.  I already see a huge problem with this jacket:

This jacket offers virtually no protection from the elements!  You'd get soaked if it started raining during your run.  I heard this is priced at $128, which is outrageous in my opinion!  I think I have to go to a Lululemon store and try this on for myself to see what the deal is.  I'll be sure to post pictures when I do.

In any case, I'll stick to wearing my lilac snow pacesetter pullover when I go for a run.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Pleased to meet you!

My name is Martina.  I am a 20-something chemist who enjoys fashion, celebrity gossip, yoga, running, and a good book.  I decided to start this blog for two reasons.  The first reason is because in all honesty I am not the most confident person, and having a blog is the best place where I can openly share my opinions.  The second reason is because I spend an incredible amount of time on my laptop reading other blogs and websites, so it was about time I started my own blog.

There are a few things you should know about me:

1.  My favorite magazines are Vogue, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan.  Tim Gunn, Clinton Kelly, and Trinny and Susannah are my style icons.  My favorite celebrity gossip websites are Celebitchy, Lainey Gossip, and Perez Hilton.  I can’t stand the tabloid magazines and refuse to spend money on them, but I will happily read gossip on the web.

2.  I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry (with first class honors) in 2010.  My specialty is bioanalytical chemistry, with a strong background in separations.  I decided to get a chemistry degree because I really enjoy learning how things work, and it is a great way to get involved in the cosmetics industry, which is my dream.

Wearing my convocation gown.  The shoes I am wearing are Jimmy Choo Quiet Peep Toe Sandals, and were a present from my dad for graduating with honors.

3.  I am addicted to Lululemon.  I bought my first remix hoodie and pair of yoga pants in 2007, and ever since I have been hooked.  The addiction intensified in 2008 when I joined a yoga class that was hosted in my apartment building.  Currently, I own at least 30 items of clothing, along with 5 headbands, a black manduka yoga mat and a namaste yoga tote.  I can honestly say I have worn every item many times, so at least I’m not spending money on something that just sits in my closet.  I was very excited to visit the Lululemon Lab a few weeks ago in Vancouver, and now that I will be living there in a few months I’m sure my Lululemon collection will continue to grow.

Standing in front of the Lululemon Lab in Vancouver, BC.  I am wearing my Lululemon movement jacket.

4.  I am actively working on my fitness, and my goal is to be able to run a 10K race next year.  I got serious about my fitness a year ago, and I make a strong effort to attend a yoga class and go for a run outside every week (running on a treadmill doesn’t even compare).  Ideally I would like to work out 5 times/week, but I will admit that goal does not always happen.

I hope you enjoy my blog!