i got a job! and i'm moving!

dream loft?

During the job hunt, it felt like this day would never, ever come, but thankfully, it finally has. I got a job! So I'm moving! At the end of the month! To Madison, Wisconsin! Too many exclamation points?

This whole polar vortex thing has me a little worried about moving to the midwest, because even without this abnormal weather, it's ridiculously cold in Madison. But now I'll be within driving distance of Chicago and the Blackhawks, even if I won't have a car. And I'm definitely looking forward to setting up a new life for me and Ruby. Maybe even work on this "date a hockey player" goal of mine. I'll settle for finding a hockey-watching buddy, though.

Now I'm trying to find an apartment in two-ish weeks, which is a little difficult when I'm currently 2,000 miles away. But to help keep things organized, I typed up this Apartment-Hunting Checklist, using info from this really helpful post (their link no longer works, so I made my own version), and adding a couple items of my own.

My top 3 priorities (not including a cat-friendly space, because that's obvious) are kitchen, laundry, and access to a bus route. Pretty normal stuff, I think. Fingers crossed that I'll fall in love with an apartment.

Let me know if you've got your own tips and tricks for finding an apartment, or if you've got more things to add to the checklist!

providence, ri (and philadephia, and boston, and newark)

It seems like flights just haven't been working out for me this winter. First, this fiasco trying to get home from Madison, WI in December, and now this trip out to Providence, RI that ended up taking an extra 8 hours with a postponed job interview and a detour through Boston.

first, a red-eye flight to philly, which was fine and dandy, until they canceled my next flight out to providence bc of maintenance issues. so i spent the morning hanging out in these rocking chairs figuring out how to get to providence and then working out my interview schedule.

solution: flying to boston and then taking the train down to providence. while waiting for the train, i stopped by flour bakery for some lunch - a roasted lamb sandwich, which is basically the only thing i ever get from them other than their breakfast sandwich. it was as amazing as i remembered.

i also struck up a conversation with this biostatistician from brown university who also had his flight cancelled and was making his way down by train. he'd also gone through med school and is now applying to residency programs, which is kinda cool. i got his business card too. not sure if i'm going to contact him bc i have nothing to say, but it was nice. 

finally made it to providence. it was ridiculously cold, and i got pre-frostbite (or something) on my pinky finger just on my 10-minute walk from the amtrak station to the hotel. it still feels funny... i would have loved to explore downtown providence and done some shopping, but it was way too chilly to even think about walking around outside. this polar vortex is really cramping my style.

I ended up interviewing the next day, and heading to the airport right after. Thank goodness my return trip was smooth sailing, with a stop in newark, nj, and included a cute weimeraner. It's good to be home, where winter is is a balmy 50 degrees. 

link love (and happy 2014?)

photobooth shenanigans from the s'mores party i had a few days after christmas

I'm pretty sure this is my first post for this year. So, happy 2014! This week, I flew to Providence, RI, and had a slew of problems trying to get there, which you'll hear about tomorrow. I got there in one piece, though, and had the Team Canada roster announcement (for hockey, who cares about the other sports) to tide me over until I finally arrived. Seriously, thank goodness for smartphones, otherwise I'd be bored out of my mind and probably still stuck trying to fly out to Providence.

Anyways, now that all the hockey rosters have been announced (and the Blackhawks are sending 10 players, tied for most in the League), I'm even more excited for Sochi*, and February in general. I know we barely started January and 2014, but I feel like this month is just a filler until February, when I'll start my new job (deets on Sunday), move into my own place, and basically become a full-fledged adult. I can't wait.

articles:
- the origins and meanings of ashkenazic last names (boring title, super interesting read, especially when you find out this one dude you didn't like has an insult for a last name)
- banished for questioning the gospel of guns

diy: 

- wall of origami rainbow koi (maybe you'll see this in my new apartment??)

fun finds:

- this napa valley rehearsal dinner 

- dictionary of numbers - putting numbers in human terms
- how to improve your wine, the cheap, easy way
- 20 kids who are totally winning at hide and seek

*and about the gay rights (or lack thereof) issue in Russia and people wanting to boycott the Olympics, here's a well-written opinion on why there's a better option. 

link love

Hi friends! It's the last link love of 2013, and it's unfortunately going to be a short (but good!) one. But that just gives you more time to enjoy family and friends for the holidays, right? Yeah, I'm pretty much just making excuses now. But it's definitely been a busy week, and I'm loving it. I got this awesome glass fish statue thing during white elephant last night, I've got a friend visiting from out of state, and I'm hosting a s'mores party tonight. It should be a blast.

Hope you end the year with a bang!

food:
- cranberry hand pies

fun finds:
- trees cut from paper shopping bags
- this list of notable instagrams
- these minimalist nature photos
- the best of SNL 2013
- essential kitchen skills no one taught (but everyone should know)

merry christmas

No Christmas tree for us this year, since my cat loves climbing it and knocking down all the ornaments and the fake branches, so I made these DIY marquee lights out of cardboard and a string of Christmas lights to hang up instead. 

Hope you're having a relaxing day with family, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. I'm making brunch for the family with my mom's new waffle maker, and then we're heading to my aunt's for dinner. Should be a good time.

I'll be back in a few days with pictures from the s'mores party I'm throwing on Friday, and a DIY s'mores kit. Here's to ending the year on a sweet note!

madison, wi

Hi friends! No link love today, because I haven't had the time to pull one together. It's definitely been a busy week. Instead, have some iPhone pics from my two-day trip to Madison, WI for a job interview. This company really spends a lot of time and effort into their recruiting process, and it was a blast. And if it all works out (and that's a HUGE if), I'll be within driving distance of Chicago and my beloved Blackhawks, which makes all this goshdarned winter cold worth it. I really hope it works out. I'm beginning to fall in love with Madison.

waiting for my flight. i swear that dude knew i was taking a picture and deliberately walked into my shot. also this picture is really green for some reason.

somewhere over minnesota. maybe wisconson. who knows. 

the wisconson state capitol. absolutely stunning.

it's not *that* cold. but really, it's not, considering that it gets below zero at its coldest. but it is the first time i've heard of freezing rain. the weather ended up turning a 7-hour trip home into a 12+ hour ordeal with tons of delays, missed connections, luckily grabbing a seat on standby to a nearby airport, and an extra stop in Salt Lake City for some emergency medical care. ay carumba. at least i made it home safely. props to all the customer service representatives that have to deal with rude customers. i can't even bear to stand next to one of those conversations, much less be on the unhappy end of it.

Well that ended up pretty rambling there at the end. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and if you're flying anywhere for the holidays, safe travels and fingers crossed for no delays!

two for today

a couple recent snaps from my instagram. happy hump day!

Ottolenghi's green pancakes with lime butter and avocado. recipe from Plenty

super awesome care package from allison. sloe gin, peach shrub, letterpress card, BNTO, apple jalapeño jam, and a bow tie for ruby. a girl could get used to this.