How To: Doggie Birthday Party

Yes. I throw my dog birthday parties. Yes. I'm a crazy dog mom. And yes. It is awesome.

Don't worry. You can also attempt to be as cool as me and do the same thing for your dog (or pet of any sort I imagine)

Here's What You'll Need:

Decorations:

This is essential. How do you expect your dog to know it's their Birthday without a big sign??

Treats:

The candles are also a necessity. Again, how will they know how old they are turning without them?? Make sure you make dog/pet friendly treats because they have special tummies that can't have everything. And no one wants to be sick on their Birthday. Here is the recipe I used.

Guests:

It's not a party without guests y'all!

and of course....PARTY HATS!:

I think the picture explains why.

(It's awesome)

Now here's what you do once you have all that ready.

1. Let the guests greet each other.

2. Try not to eat the Party hats. Treats will be coming.

3. Sing Happy Birthday to the special little lady and help blow out the candles.

(Dogs seem to have a hard time with candles)

BTW- Your neighbors WILL laugh at you when you do this.

4. Eat the frack out of those treats!!

5. And eat and eat and eat!!

Tip-make sure to do this outside. It gets messy.

6. After that you pretty much just need to go nuts and have fun. It's YOUR day!!

Other Options:

Presents-

I don't do presents during the party because dogs get a little confused.

Games:

Next year I want to do games but I'm not sure what to do yet. Perhaps some kind of doggie pin the tail on the cat or something????

Alright. Now that you know what to do, go out there and have some crazy awesome fun!

Local Spotlight- Vera Fare

The Boyfriend and I checked out a new restaurant here in Bozeman the other day. It's called Vera Fare and it is Bozeman's first all gluten free restaurant!!

Naturally I was pretty stoked when I heard about this place and even MORE stoked when I discovered that one of their specialties are gourmet WAFFLES!!

I had the Nutty Sundae Waffle (pictured first), and boyfriend had the Fiesta Frittata (second picture) and of course we both had coffee. All of the food was simply magnificent. The waffle was so rich I could hardly finish the whole thing!

One of the most difficult things about going gluten free has been the lack of breakfast foods so this was a real treat.

Vera Fare serves breakfast all day and also has dinner.

The boyfriend and I will definitely be checking out this place again!!

And by the way, the waffles were WAY better than gluten waffles. And seriously, look how pretty they are!!!

What I've Learned Wednesday!

What I've learned this week-

1. Apparently the new way to tell a person that the house they rent is for sale is to just put a sign up outside.

2. Wedding photography is hard.

3. The chain rule.

4. New Fall Television may just be the greatest escape ever.

5. A whole weekend is much too long to be without my dog.

Busy Busy Busy

This has been such a busy week for me. It's been hard to get to blogging because there has been SO MUCH TO DO!

I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend. This weekend will be full of old friends, good food and pretty places. I can't wait to see it all!

What I've Learned Wednesday!

So I've been thinking for awhile about what I could do to replace Rope Swing Wednesday. All I do now is school so I decided on something a little school-ey.

That's right. School-ey.

So every week I'm gonna tell you what I've learned. Whether it's school or just a little life lessonAnd then I'm gonna add a photo of my choice. You heard me. MY choice.

You'll NEVER know what I'm gonna say!

And I'm pretty wise. I mean, I really should have a beard I'm so wise.

Unfortunately I can't grow facial hair.....yet.

I

So yeah, ya'll better check in now ya herr??

And without further ado....What I've learned this week.

1. Derivatives.

2. Relationships take CONSTANT work.

3. Even if you've done something a million times it can still go wrong...or at least not as planned. This came from photography class......so frustrating.

4. How to make gluten free brownies.

5. The best gifts don't need to be material.

Which brings me to something else... IT'S MICHELLE'S BIRTHDAY TODAY! Instead of asking for presents she's asking everyone to donate money to the Autism Speaks Foundation. I'm so proud of her for doing this!!! So you should all go over to her blog and contribute to the cause.

Last Summer Party

A few weeks ago we had a last hurrah for the summer and invited our friends over for a party. It was our first time hosting a larger get together and I must say it went very well!

With school well underway it's super important to remember fun times with friends.

And drinks.

Lot's and lot's of drinks.

Undesirable #1

Okay. So today's post is gonna be a little something something about me.

I know. Gross.

So here's the dealio. A few months ago I decided to make an extreme change to my diet.

I gave up gluten.

That's right. Gluten is now undesirable #1. (Don't you just love a Harry Potter reference??)

This was a hard change to make because well, I freaking love all baked goods. But the fact is, more and more people are diagnosed with celiac disease every day and it can present itself in many odd ways.

So I decided to make the change.

So here's why I'm telling you this. No, it's not because I think the whole world should be gluten free. And no, I don't just love sharing every little personal thing about myself. (Unless I've been drinking but that's a whole other story)

Being gluten free makes a big difference in how I eat out and what I eat at home. I really enjoy sharing recipes and I've also been itching to share with the world some of the awesome local eateries we have here in Bozeman. But doing these things would be silly without recognizing the fact that I'm doing it from a gluten free perspective.

So I hope you all enjoy my future, gluten free related posts!! And if not then that's just too bad.

Sorry for the boringness of this post. I just thought I'd give a little heads up before I go all gluten free on your asses.

On a side note. If you are interested in going gluten free the first and most important thing is to talk to your doctor first. There is actually a test they can do to see if you are celiac and if you've already gone off gluten then it won't be accurate. So talk to them first.

Back to Basics

Omigosh you guys. College.

So I'm taking an intro to photo class here at M.S.U. for my photography minor. And it ROCKS!

It's so much fun to get to film and a 35mm camera and a DARKROOM and everything!

I won't lie. It's been a looooong time since I last worked with film (High School? yuck) and I'm really nervous about messing stuff up!

Lucky for me developing the first roll of film went well and now I have NEGATIVES people! HUZZAH!

With all the digital madness it really does feel great to have the chance to get back to the basic skillz and procedures of photography. You know, to really understand what you're doing and how it works.

Next up on the agenda.....printing a photo and an aperture assignment.

SEE???! Learning really CAN be fun!

This is the back view of my trusty camera. And yes, that is Sirius Black in his animagus form. Thanks for noticing how cool I am.

Maya Angelou

Well here I sit. My back is super sore form sitting on stupid bleachers....but it was all worth it.

I saw Maya Angelou tonight. She gave a lecture at the Brick Breedan Fieldhouse in Bozeman and I was one of the lucky people who had the good fortune to attend.

It really was an inspiring event.

Jeni Fleming, a local artist in Bozeman, and her band gave a great performance before the lecture and they were amazing. I particularly enjoyed their rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Then finally, Maya Angelou came out. It was amazing. I kept thinking, "freaking Oprah is even in awe of this person. Freaking. Oprah."

I have never seen Maya Angelou before and I was blown away.

She was inspiring, funny, and just an amazing person to see speak. Also, she's like, super cute. For reals guys.

I am so thankful to be part of a University that can make events like this possible.

Today

Today I am a pool of weepy hormones.....

Thank God for chocolate cookies.

What I've Learned

So this is what I've learned in my first two weeks back at college:

1. Ceteris Paribus means all things equal. Yay economics!

2. The 3 most important words in photography are "Move. Your. Ass"

3. Limits. Ugh. Calculus.

4. Despite the best intentions, an early morning class is always a drag on Friday.

5. Sometimes all you need is a rum and coke.

Chocolate Mousse with the Weirdest Recipe Ever

So the other day I decided I NEEDED some chocolate. I'm sure you all know the feeling. Don't pretend you don't because lying is bad.

My friend gave me this recipe for chocolate mousse and I thought I'd share it with you.

Because sharing is caring.

So the ingredient list is super weird. I mean, soy sauce??

But trust me. It's WAY GOOD.

Ingredients:

2 Large Avocado's, cubed (2 cups)

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

2-4 Tbs Cane Juice or Sugar

2 Tbs Coconut Oil

1-2 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar (yup, you read that right)

1/2 tsp Soy Sauce (weird right?)

1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Place the first SEVEN ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Sift Cocoa Powder to remove any lumps (I skipped this because I was feeling lazy) and blend into Avocado mixture.

Eat.

I recommend adding fresh raspberries because it makes it sooooo good.

Note that this is a completely vegan recipe. If you're into that.

Store this in the fridge, covered, for up to one week (like it'll last that long) or freeze it for up to one month.

So there you have it folks. A super easy recipe that allows for maximum chocolate consumption.

YOU ARE WELCOME.

Sunrise, Sunset

Sunrise

So today was one of those days. I woke up, PIMP cup in hand, ready to take on the day. But somewhere along the way something happened that turned me into a giant stressball. I'm not sure what but if I did, rest assured I would punch it in the face.

Now on days like these I generally retreat to my bed and don't leave, but now that school is again a factor in my life (and cause to said stress) this is not really an option. Cuz you know....homework....

So here is what I did to deal with my stressball mentality. (Mix of advice from friends and some of my own)

1. Take a deep breath

2. Make a list of a few feasible things to do.

3. Do said things.

4. Have some chocolate.

And that is exactly what I plan to do.

Sunset

Back to School: How to be way cool like me

It's back to school time which means SCHOOL SUPPLIES. If you guys are like me (cheap), you generally opt for the most cost effective option when buying notebooks and folders (despite the extreme temptation for the Justin Beiber options). While these are very wallet friendly finds, they are also terribly, terribly boring.

I mean, look at this thing.

Yuck.

Like you need something else to put you to sleep when in class.

So here is what you have to do. Well, you don't HAVE to do this. But you should if you want to be way cool like me.

You need stickers. Lot's of stickers. And pretty much whatever else you can stick to something or paint with or draw with..

Luckily for me I am already equipped with some sweet DINO stamps and quite the array of Winnie the Pooh and Sesame Street stickers (thank you old Valentine's Day kits!)

After you get all your gear comes the fun part. Stamp! Stickerfy! DECORATE!! DO IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!

When done properly you should get results such as these.Hello Kitty wants you to study.

Like a Boss.

Some DINO power ensures you won't slack and half ass assignments.

Guaranteed.

Basically when you do this everyone is going to think you are the coolest person they have ever met.

Obviously.

I mean, who's not going to want to be your friend after they see you have THIS on your on your notebook??

Yup. That's some Potter.

Looong Weekend

After my first week of school this long weekend has been most welcome. We haven't gone on trips and haven't had any crazy wild parties (do we ever??) but I'm not disappointed at all.

Instead my weekend has consisted of-

Homework-Catching up and hopefully getting ahead.

Sleeping in-After switching to an early morning math class this has been a welcome change.

Arthur on netflix-Yes. I watch kids shows. They are teaching important life lessons here people!! Like the fact that squirrels most likely WON'T take over the world. PHEW! I was really worried about that one.

I hope everyone else is having a fun and relaxing Labor Day!

Dear College Girls

Dear College Girls,

Hi! I just wanted to talk to you ladies about something real quick that I find perplexing. I know college can be rough and a lot of you have a lot of pressure to like, get a husband or whatever. This is the only way I can explain the crazy amounts of make-up you put on your face.

Seriously. It's as if you were attending the royal wedding or something. That kind of glam is just not necessary for economics. It's just not.

And it's not just that. It's the hair as well. It's perfect. Perfectly curled. Perfectly poufed. And enough hair spray to rival the helmet on Vader.

Your hair and make-up however is honestly not what I find the most perplexing. I personally like to be overdressed rather than underdressed for any occasion.

Here's my beef guys.

After all that work from the neck up....

WHY DO YOU WEAR SWEATPANTS????!!!!

Best. Email. Ever.

So I wake up Monday morning and start to get ready for school. I'm a little nervous because it's my first day. You know the drill...is my outfit alright? Will I find my classes? Will I make friends??? The usual mumbo jumbo....

But then I checked my email...and found a nice surprise...

You know those friends that you've had in your life FOREVER and who are like, the best ever??

I sure hope you do.

That pretty lady in the picture above is like that for me. Michelle and I have literally been friends since kindergarten and she's still a super important part of my life.

But I digress...This post is about an email.

This is what it said-

I found a rap mix cd from high school. Here's the condensed version:

girl you wanna come to my hotel, baby I will give you my room key...teen drinking is very bad, yo I got a fake id though...peace up, a-town down...oh! yeah! watch out! she said baby let's go and i said YEAH...she said she wants some marvin gaye, some luther vandross...this one's goin out to all the strip joints, yo meet me a susie's rendezvous...just cuz she dances go go that don't make her a ho, no...thats just the way it is...i wanna know your name annnnd i wanna know if you gotta man...livin in a gangster's paradise...one, you're like a dream come true, two, just wanna be with you, three, girl its plain to see that you're the only one for me and four repeat steps one through three, five, make you fall in love with me, if i ever believe my work is done than i'll start right back at one (sidebar: wtf is bryan mcknight doing on my rap mix?!)...please don't shoot it's just me, thug queen, the horse stealer...regulators, we regulate any stealing of this property...fo shizzle dizzle.

You're welcome. Have a lovely first week of class!!!

Needless to say I felt better after that.

Best. Email. Ever!