follow + find friday {blog hop}

Today I'm co-hosting a super fun link-up with Nicole from Me + the Moon.


Thanks for joining us! So let's get to it:

1. Follow your hosts. 

They will be numbers 1 - 4 on the list. I try to always follow back, but it's a tad easier for me if you leave a comment letting me know you're new here. :) My co-hosts this week are Misty over at Monkeys and Tutus  Terri over at Rambling Momma + Nicole over at Sunkissed with a Twist!

  2. Link up your blog's main page

3. Try to stop by at least 3 blogs and follow ones you love. 

I'm sure they'd love it if you left a comment, as well :)

4. Take a button! 

Sharing is caring :) The more awesome blogs = the more awesome bloggy friends you make.

<a border="0" href="http://meandthem00n.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src=http://i1077.photobucket.com/albums/w475/meandthem00n/FindandFollow.jpg></a>

5. Tweet this hop!

Tweet

Spread the hop love. 

I've decided to make this hop every other Friday for the time being-- e-mail me at nmariephoto@gmail.com if you'd like to co-host! 

a love note & momma's texas chili

The other day I was at campus in the computer lab studying for an exam.
I was minding my own business, looking over my note cards, reading my text book, and trying to memorize 20 different pieces of art.
I just caught a cold so I was still wearing my comfy clothes that I had slept in for the last two days, had dirty hair (thank goodness for dry shampoo!), and my mouth hanging open because I couldn't breathe through my nose.
Yeah, I'm sexy like that.

So as I'm sitting there cramming for my test, a tall guy walks by and drops a note on my desk, but keeps walking briskly, around the corner and out of view.

Oh crap. 
What now? What is this guy trying to bug me about? Is he writing me a note to tell me to shut my mouth because I look like a weirdo and I need to wash my hair because I stink?

Upon opening it, I saw this:

Shit's deep, yo.
As you can imagine, I was surprised.
And flattered.
And impressed that he knows when to properly use your and you're
At first it made me smile...
I've gotten random phone numbers before, but no one had ever taken the time to write me a poem.

Then, I felt a little awkward.
I hadn't even seen his face so I had no idea what he looked like.
Um, was he creepin' and watching me read the letter?
I don't think so because I was sort of in a nook the way computer lab was set up, and the way he walked out - there was no way to spy on me.
But what about when I left the computer lab?
Would he be hanging around the library or the elevators or in the student center, waiting for me to walk past so he could follow me out to my car?
I hoped not.
Creepy is an understatement.

Thankfully, as far as I know, he wasn't hanging around anywhere.
But, like I said I didn't see his face, so I guess I'll never really know for sure.
Anyway, I guess the point I'm trying to make here, is either this guy is the best guy in the world or a serial killer waiting for me to make the wrong move... and hopefully it's not the latter!
If I go missing, we'll all know it was this guy.
Good thing the boyfriend saved the number, so if that did ever happen, he'd be able to track the weirdo.

Speaking of best guys in the world aka my boyfriend - he had the fantastic idea to make chili for dinner last night! {That was probably the most awkward transition ever, but hey. That's how things go around here.}

Growing up, as a kid I remember my mom making the best chili in the world.
Texas style of course.
It was perfect chili for a chilly night, snuggled up on the couch ready to watch a movie.
It's been a while since I've had my mom's chili, but I think mine is almost as good as hers.
Almost. Nothing beats my momma's finger lickin' good cookin'. Love you momma! :)
Oh - I usually put cilantro and avocado slices on top of my chili, but sadly I had none.

Here's the recipe you should try if you ever get a hankerin' for some delicious Texas Chili:

Momma's Texas Chili

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 can of Ranch Style Beans with Jalapeños
• 1/2 chopped white onion
• 1 chopped tomato
• 8-12 oz of tomato sauce
• 3-5 minced cloves of garlic
• a heaping amount of cumin (I love cumin so you can add as much as you like)
• 3-4 dashes of fajita seasoning
• salt & pepper
• a dash of cayenne
• 2 dashes of chili powder
• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado
• shredded mexican mix of cheese
• fritos

In a saucepan on medium-high heat, brown the beef and onions. Season with salt and pepper, cumin, and fajita seasoning. Once browned, add the minced garlic, chopped tomato, and saute e for about 1 minute. Add the Ranch Style Beans with Jalapeños (bean juice included) and the tomato sauce to the saucepan. Rinse the tomato sauce can with a small amount of water and add it to the the saucepan too (you don't want to add too much water, because then you'll have to add flour to thicken up the chili). Season the sauce with more salt, pepper, fajita seasoning, cayenne, cumin, and chili powder. Taste it to make sure you don't need to add anything else. 

Keep the temperature at medium-high heat until the sauce begins to slightly bubble. Then reduce the temperature to low so it can simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes. Then stir in 3/4 of the cilantro. Serve in a bowl with shredded cheese, avocado slices and cilantro as a garnish. Grab a handful of Frito Scoops to put on the side.

Now go make this chili and eat your little heart out. Then come back to tell me how delicious it was.
Happy chili night, my friends.

P.S. You can make chili dogs for dinner the next night with the left overs, if there are any. Your tummy and your hubby will thank you. :)

it's a blog hop party!

Today I'm co-hosting a blog hop with Angela from Pretty Little Inspirations
along with two other awesome bloggers!
Make sure you link up, follow as many new bloggers as you'd like and,
most of all have some fun. :)


It's time to party and meet some new friends! 
Twitter, Facebook and blog hop party on my blog!

Link up your blog, twitter and facebook!

Let's Party! :)

Rules!

1. Follow your host's Blog, Twitter and Facebook

2. Follow your co-hosts Blogs, Twitter and Facebooks

3. Link up your Blog, Twitter and Facebook

4. Tweet about this link party!

Tweet

5. Visit a few people in the link up and follow them.

Then grab a button and spread the word!

copy & paste code
<center> <a href="http://www.prettylittleinspirations.com/search/label/link party" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k575/AngelaLynnx0/hop-0012_zps25f6cec0.jpg" /></a></center> <br /><br /><br />  

will ferrell will do anything to get you to vote!

It's finally here, Election Day is now upon us!
Which means it's time for you to get your bootay to the polls and vote if you haven't already.
I hear this all the time: "one vote doesn't matter anyway, so I'm not voting."
One vote doesn't matter?
Are you crazy?!
You can bet your bottom dollar that your vote matters, because each and every vote holds much more power than you may think.
And if you don't speak up, then you're allowing someone else to speak for you.

There's so much at stake in this election.
Whether it be taxes, education, women's rights, foreign policy, healthcare or the economy - so much is on the line. You have the right to choose who you think will best serve your interests, and not only who you think will be the better President of the United States, but who you think will better represent your State.
The President has many limitations, so picking the best Representative and Senator can make a world of difference in the policies that are put in place going forward.

I believe it's every citizen's duty to vote each and every voting year. It's YOUR responsibility as an American citizen to take part in this democratic process that so many have fought so hard to have. But with that said, please, PLEASE be an informed voter.
Low information voters are just as bad as non-voters, in my opinion.
I know reliable information can be hard to come by these days, because there are tons of lies and junk to sort through, but here's what I suggest:

1. Visit each candidate's website and read up on the issues and where they stand.
2. Take some of those issue and google them. Use keywords about the issues and type in fact check    
    with them. Some great websites that you can go to directly are politifact.com and factcheck.org.
    Here's another  good website too: november6th.org. Research issues that you think are the most
    important to you and the whole of the country.
3. Make your own informed decision, based on evidence you found. DO NOT vote for a candidate
    or party just because that's what your parents told you to do. You have your own mind, so use it!
 

I know that not all of you will agree with me on who should be the next President of the United States, but that's not the point here. Even if you're voting for the other candidate, it still matters to me that you vote. Because as I said earlier, when you don't vote, you're allowing someone else to speak for you. And with the amount of money in politics these days, that's something you never want to happen.

Citizen's United has to be one of the worst decisions ever made by the Supreme Court. It allows corporations to donate an unlimited amount of money to candidates and wealthy fundraisers are now able to drown out our voices with their huge campaign contributions.

As Elizabeth Warren put it so fantastically:

"Corporations are not people. People have hearts, they have kids, they get jobs, they get sick, they cry, they dance. They live, they love, and they die. That matters. That matters because we don't run this country for corporations, we run it for people."

So don't let big corporations drown out your voice. Vote and get everyone you know to vote too.
I don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't want some billionaire deciding the fate of our country with only the top 1% in mind. I want a country that is for 100% of the people.

Voting is the one fundamental thing we all do (or should do) as Americans.
So if you do only one thing today, make sure it's voting.
Your voice can change the world.

And if you need just a little more inspiration, Will Ferrell has an offer for you! ;)

Happy Election Day, friends!

find your ornament swap mate here

If you signed up for the Ornament Swap that Erin and Jessah are co-hosting, you can find your swap mate here.

I've talked to a few people who don't know who they're swapping with because some of them are on the East Coast and are still dealing with the devastation from hurricane Sandy, so I thought I would hep spread the word about the match-ups.

Also, since there's 200 swappers, many of them are probably on the East Coast and are in need of help. One fellow blogger told me she was hadn't slept in a bed, let alone her own bed since the hurricane and was just informed she may not have power until Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving?!

That's still three whole weeks away! How terrible!

If you are able to help, every donation is greatly appreciated. 

You can donate to the American Red Cross for the Sandy relief effort here. 

And to find your Ornament Swap mates, go over heerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre.

I'll be thinking about all you East Coasters. Hope all is well...
Or as well as it can be.

this bandwagon's got plenty of room...

and I'm totes jumping onboard.
This is, by far, my favorite trend of the year:

The big nerdy glasses that everyone and their momma seems to be sportin' these days.
Aren't big, thick nerd glasses just awesome?
Heck yeah they are. 2012 has been a huge year for nerd glasses, what with the whole geek/nerd movement gaining more and more momentum.
The bigger the better.
That's what she said.

I think they're such a cute and fun accessory, a definite fall must-have.

I wear contacts most of the time, but these glasses are a great way to add a little spice to your outfit.
On days where I'm spending a lot of time at school and in the library (which seems to be never-ending lately), I opt for my glasses because being glued to my books or staring at a computer screen for 12-13 hours a day really isn't good for your eyes.
My eyes tend to dry out pretty easily nowadays, and my babies need to breathe!
Luckily, I can make sure they get the air they need while being super stylish at the same time.
Win!

I bought my glasses last year so I missed the big geeky glasses train by a mile, and if you did too - never fear my friends! GlassesUSA.com has a special treat for all of my lucky readers.
When you guys and gals buy glasses from GlassesUSA, you get to take 10% off any order of prescription eyeglasses with the code Blog10.

They also have a storewide offer of 15% off of your entire order amount + FREE shipping on orders of $50 or more. You can use the code FS15.
Now if you're ridiculously picky like me and you're nervous about buying glasses without being able to try them on first, they've got a pretty niffty virtual mirror so you can see what you'd look like.

Personally, I'm loving both the plain black frames and the printed/colored frames.
Combined with a pair of skinny jeans, a cute cardi, and scarf -- you're good to go, my friend.

So go get your online eyeglasses shopping on!

You can thank me later. ;)

It's the Freakin' Weekend

Baby, gonna have me some fun! 

Name that tune.

Actually, that was a lie.

I probably won't be having too much fun this weekend, because I've got 3 tests to study for. Yes three. One today (chemistry) and two more (physics and biology), both on Monday. 

Oh joy! Wish me luck.

So since there won't be much time for blogging, I decided to get a jump on it and write my first ever (yay!):

Friday's Letters

Dear Garmich, Germany, I miss you like crazy. I miss your beauty, your laid-back lifestyle, and all of the outdoor adventures you have to offer. I miss bike ridding through your amazing town and gorgeous mountains, walking through the fußgänger, and having a beer and pizza at the Irish pub. I also miss you because I miss my mom and dad terribly, and I can't wait to come back to visit them. We've got some catching up to do, Garmisch, so expect to see me next summer (if not this winter)!

Dear Zach, Thanks for making the 35 minute drive to San Marcos with me to get a meningitis shot for school on your day off last week. It was so much fun laughing at your lame silly jokes and spending the day with you. :) And thanks for taking me to Freebirds to get a steak burrito smothered in hot sauce and death sauce. It was the perfect way to clear my sinuses and made me feel a little less achy. Seeing the movie Argo afterwards was a nice treat too. You sure know how to have a fun-filled day after needles and cold rain. Love ya babe!

Dear Longhorns, You better bring your A-game on Saturday! Y'all were playing so well until that horrifying game that shall not be mentioned, and the game against KU was an ugly, ugly win. If you guys can play that ugly and still pull off a win, then I know that when you play at your best - you're untouchable. So bring it on Saturday because we're all counting on you to make Texas proud! 

RISE n SHINE Horns! Hook'em.

Dear Self, You need to get your butt back to the gym like, yesterday. This is not helping you. Just because it's officially hibernation season, doesn't mean anyone needs those hibernating bear's extra pounds. And just because you're super busy with school, doesn't mean you can slack off and not go to the gym as much anymore. Want that spring break bod back? Hit the gym, PRONTO.

Don't forget to link up with Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds

to share your Friday's Letters!