Marilyn Monroe Quotes

Marilyn, Marilyn...she's definitely one of my all-time favorites to quote. Not many people take us blondes seriously, but she was able to stand her ground and leave her legacy. Girls continue to look to her quotes for advice generation after generation, and surely for many more generations to come. Here's to Marilyn!

"I believe everything happens for a reason. People change so you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so that you will eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

Augusten Burroughs Quote

What better way to kick off my Favorite Quotes page than with a quote from my absolute favorite author of all time: Augusten Burroughs. In his book, "This is How," he says,

"You would be amazed by what you can give up, lose, or break, and yet still be a person who gets happy over brownies." - Augusten Burroughs

The New York Public Library

Today I was walking aimlessly around the city when I came across the New York Public Library on 42nd Street & 5th Ave. The building is massive, and although I've posed for a few pictures on the outside steps before, I never actually explored the insides of it yet. Lately, I've been meaning to find a good place to snuggle up with my Macbook and heard the library has plenty of creativity-inspiring rooms, so I decided to check it out.

I walk two steps into the building and I literally have to catch my jaw as it plummets to the floor. It is absolutely beautiful inside. The stairs, the floor, the ceiling, the doors, the hinges - every little part of the structure exudes some type of beauty. I notice in front of me is a room with an exhibit of some sort; curiosity pushes me in.

Lunch. I see displays all around the room about...lunch. Yeah, I thought it was weird too. Again lead by my curiosity,  I begin to read. Picture after picture, description after description, I'm sucking in all of the information spattered around the room. Before I know it, an hour has passed and I learned more about the evolution of lunch in America, specifically New York City, than I knew about the Civil War. 

Oh yes, it's your lucky day...Cool Lunch fact regurgitation time!

Cool Lunch Facts:

• The Lunch Hour was essentially founded in New York City (between hours of 12pm & 2pm) by the working people in the city. Prior to the establishment of "a lunch hour," dinner was the main focus of the day, and any snack you ate before dinner was considered "lunch," as was any snack you after after dinner. Lunch didn't actually become the meal we know and love today until the workers in NYC normalized the feeding between 12pm & 2pm.
• Cafeteria style lunches began in New York City - this style of dining became so successful that cafeteria style restaurants starting popping up in other cities around the country as well. 
• Automat lunches and Automat coffee were all the rave. You'd put in a nickel to this Jetsons-esque machine, open the door, and take out your sandwich, pie, or coffee. Think of it like an old-fashioned, yet quailty-food, vending machine...or something that George Jetson might have used.
• Side note: You know life is getting weird when you realize a show about the future feels out-dated.
• Women were dieting even back then! Although the mindset back then used to be a lot less Christina Aguilera - "You're Beautiful"...you'll know what I mean when you see the photo from the magazine below that reads, "Nice People Don't Eat"...
• "Quick Lunch" was very popular amongst New Yorkers - it was said that restaurant quality was not determined by quality of food, rather, how quickly they could serve their patrons. 

Automat Coffee - the machine even sings. Really.

Strawberry jam on a raft? Yes, please!

iPhone users - zoom in to read! Somewhat useless, yet interesting facts about Automat coffee!

"Nice people don't eat..." I don't know who wrote that article, but what I do know is that when I don't eat, "Nice" is not the word most people would use to describe me and/or my behavior.

The Automat Sandwich machine...nothin' like food sitting in metal cabinets to really ramp up my appetite!

"Should I eat dessert?"....All women everywhere justifying the answer "yes" since 1898.

More Automat Food Fun!

I posted this to merely point out that people used to eat lunch for a dime. I now eat lunch for 100 dimes.

Fancy lunchboxes from back in the day.

When I leave the Lunch exhibit, I head straight for what quickly becomes my favorite part of the entire library - "The Rose Room" - an amazingly, creative, inspiring room that is uber quiet, bright, and beautiful! Shhhhhhhhh!! ....Pictures below!

What a fun gem that I stumbled into today! I'll definitely be back there soon!

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Whole Wheat Muffins

2 Things to know about me.

1) I love Fall

2) I love baking in the Fall

Today, however, it was 82 degrees outside.  According to the 10-day forecast, I'm looking at least 10 more days of 80-something-degree weather.

Despite the forecast, I've caught myself doing "fall things" lately. I think somewhere deep down, my subconscious genuinely believes that if I start wearing leggings, baking delicious Fall treats, and lighting my "hot-apple-cider" scented candles around the apartment, that I may be able to trick Mother Nature into thinking Fall is here, so she can adjust the temperature accordingly. 

So, this afternoon, I decided to bake muffins! Although the weather hasn't yet adjusted despite my desperate attempts to alter it with the flick of my whisk, I thought you all might enjoy the delicious recipe I pieced together! 

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Whole Wheat Muffins:

I know, I know...that sounds like a mouthful. But trust me, once your mouth is full of the concoction detailed below, you won't want it any other way!

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup boiling water

**Will also need cupcake liners for baking

Preparation

1. Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in oats, raisins, and chocolate chunks.
2. Combine liquid ingredients: milk, oil, vanilla, and egg in separate bowl
3. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in boiling water (make sure you don't use any more than 1/2 cup boiling water to avoid melting the chocolate!). Let batter stand 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400°.
5. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle Cinnamon Sugar on top of each muffin-to-be. (If you do not have pre-mixed cinnamon sugar, just mix 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon).
6.  Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

When cooled, remove wrapping and take a big bite out of this delicious savory snack - you deserve it!

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Whole Wheat Muffin 

Here's to hoping fall arrives soon!

Bon Appétit!

The Cherry on Top

Of all the internet sites, in all the towns, in all the world, you click into mine... 

Welcome! =)

I'm so excited that you're here. No seriously, I am. Because if you weren't, then all this time I spend pounding away on my keyboard would serve no purpose other than giving my cat, Josie, something to swat at as she chases my cursor across the screen. If I can enlighten your life even a fraction of the amount that I've enlightened Josie's, than I'll chalk this up to a win.

To tell you a little bit about myself, I'll start with telling you what I love most about life. People. I genuinely enjoy people in general. This doesn't mean I >>always<< like to be surrounded by people necessarily (everyone likes a good dose of "me time" - am I right, people?) but I just find it fascinating that everyone has their very own unique story. I find it even more interesting that their story, despite all of its twists and turns, somehow lead them to the moment where we meet. I haven't quite figured out if I'm a firm believer in fate or if I can simply acknowledge meetings as mere coincidences, but either way, it's pretty cool that out of all the gin joins in all the towns in all the world....we end up at the same one.

With that said, I think the relationships we form with the people in our lives, whether it be family, friends, partners, etc., are the most important and intriguing parts of life. Everything else, whether it be the styles we wear, the food we eat, great books we read, cute pets we see - are all in place to enhance our lives and experiences with one another. We don't necessarily need these things as we do the people in our lives, but these things are what I like to consider The Cherry on Top in my life.

This is what I want to share with you all - so you can use any or all of the things that inspire me to inspire you. And maybe, the inspiration will be passed from person to person, through a web of relationships , inspiring friendships and new ideas across the globe. Dreaming big is something I never really grew out of. So sit back, turn on your favorite tunes (or Pandora if you're feeling frisky and unpredictable), and enjoy sifting through The Cherry on Top.