Tweet Twit Twat: The Downfall of Social Media

Ayyyyyyy Bloggarinos!  (That's my impression of The Fonz in case you didn't get that.)  I'm feeling sassy and inspired today so I feel like it's a good time to revive the good ol' bligblog.  (Because who wants to read a blog written by someone who is feeling docile and unimaginative?  I mean, seriously.  I only want to read blogs that are written at the author's peak of sassiness.  Otherwise you're just wasting my time.)  Is that weird that my first paragraph is almost entirely encapsulated in parenthesis?  Eh.  Whatever it's my blog.  Get over it.

So have any of you noticed how RIDICULOUS people are getting on social networking these days?  Like, for real.  Just because you can take a picture of your food and post it online doesn't mean you should.

Look, I'm browning hamburger in a skillet.  That requires exceptional culinary skill.  And I took this picture at a jaunty angle with my cell phone so you understand that I am kind of artsy in addition to being a culinary genius.

And just because you can "check in" at the gym and post a picture of yourself flexing in the mirror doesn't mean you should.

Killer thighs, bro.

Now I know that this one is going to bother some people but you know what?  I don't care.  Because even if you are pregnant and you can take a picture of your "belly bump" every single day and post it online, doesn't mean you should.

OMG!  You're about to pop!  I bet you can't wait to get that little guy out of you!  You must be SO uncomfortable!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a strange and semi-unhealthy obsession with social media.  I even got cut off by Facebook one time because I was spending a "suspicious" amount of time on their site (don't judge me).  But even I have a hard time dealing with the abundance of these types of posts on my news feeds.  I proposed on Facebook a few weeks ago, that people should have to pass a test to get a license in order to operate social media.  I think it's a brilliant idea (obviously, I came up with it) but others seemed to be in favor of it too.  So what do you think my little Blogettes?  (You'd better say it's a good idea...or else...)  And now, for the best part of the internet, funny cat.

"BLAAAHHHCCCHHHH!  Your Facebook PDA disgusts me!" - Crazy Cat says no to social media PDA.

PS While we're on the topic of social media, I have a brand new iPhone now and am back in the Twitterverse!  Follow me @brittanytate01

Coyote Rape is Real

Hey there Blogsters!  I just thought I'd write a post because the weather has been SO amazing here in SD this past week.  We're talkin' high 70's, low 80's.  IN JANUARY.  This is the part of living in Southern California that I luuuuvvv.  That's right.  Love with 4 u's instead of o's, 3 v's and no e's.  That's on a whole different level.

Anyway, with the warm weather and Andrew off suntanning in the desert (he deployed 2 weeks ago) I've taken up hiking on the weekends.  I found this really cool area only two miles away from my house that has a ton of hiking/mountain biking/horseback riding trails!  It's called Daley Ranch and it basically rocks my face off.

I keep trying to drag everyone I know up to Daley with me, but for some reason most people are resistant.  Maybe it's my over exuberant attitude towards dirt trails.  I guess that could be slightly off-putting.

A picture of me explaining how awesome Daley Ranch is, over a healthy lunch of green beans, french fries, and mystery meat.

So far I have only convinced my roommate and our dogs to go hiking.  That's basically one person.  So, I've decided to put up some pictures of my hiking experiences in hopes that it will lure you all into the awesomeness of walking on dirt trails at a steady incline.  I need a hiking partner.  I need someone with me so I don't get raped...by a coyote...  MY SAFETY IS AT STAKE HERE PEOPLE!  Do your part to end coyote rape; go hiking with me.

My roommate Jasmin and I trying on some bitchin' hiking hats at Walmart.  If you become my new hiking partner, you too can look cool like me!

This is Middle Pond.  It's a tiny little pond in the middle of the desert-y hike.

I have deemed this part of the hike "Death Trail".  It's because you want to die halfway up.  Please don't let Death Trail discourage you from the fun that can be had on your hike with me when you become my new hiking partner!

Clancy and Guy thoroughly enjoyed their hiking experience.  They made it up Death Trail and so can YOU!

I'm bbaaaacckkkk!

Hey bloggies!  I'm baaaacccckkk!  After going home to Washington for awhile over Christmas I got a lot of requests/angry threats (kidding...kind of...) to keep on a-truckin' with my blog.  To be honest, I quit blogging because I just got kinda busy and just kept putting it off.  I'm sorry I ditched you...so sorry.  You needed me, and I wasn't there for you.  I understand if you want to quit reading.  And I understand if you want those mix CD's back that you gave me.  You put a lot of time and effort into them and I acted like I didn't even care.  But I did care blogette.  I did.  I listened to them every night as I fell asleep.  I thought of you every day.  I want your reading eyes back in my life.  And I know you want me back too.  (This part of the blog was meant to be read while listening to this song.)

So anyway, I'm back and I'm ready to write.  I hope you'll stay with me.  I'll even keep obnoxiously advertising my new posts via facebook.  I'll be on your newsfeed so much, you won't even remember why you missed me.  So get ready blig blogs...get. ready.

And now, funny cat.

Post 6: Cinnamon Sugar is Awesome

Hi Bloggies!  Tonight I thought I would pass along a recipe that I just tried (and by "just tried" I mean I literally pulled these out of the oven 30 minutes ago).  I found the recipe on Velvet Lava Cafe and I am already a huge fan!  These French Breakfast Muffins (or as I like to call them, French Toast Muffins...I don't know why...)  are incredible!  They are delightfully sugary without being super sweet...make sense?  No?  OK well get off my blog then.

These muffins are really easy and you probably have all of these ingredients in your house already.  That being said, I of course, did not have any nutmeg so I  substituted cinnamon.  Just for funsies.  They still turned out good.  And here is a mediocre photo of said muffins taken by my phone.

Yes, they are covered in cinnamon sugar!

1/3 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg (preferably room temperature)
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I substituted cinnamon)
1/2 c. milk

Topping
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until combined, but still a bit lumpy. Don't overmix. Scoop batter into muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray. It was recommended that I use a large ice cream scoop but I don't own one of those bad boys.  So instead, I used a measuring cup and just eyeballed the amount of batter I used. Using this method I produced 10 muffins (notice in the picture there are only 9...).  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they just start to turn a bit golden at the edges.

Post 5: I Heart Chocolate

Today is just a mini post due to the fact that yesterday I quite possibly broke the world record for longest blog post.  It's no secret that I love me some chocolate.  So when my friend Julie asked me if I wanted to try out Extraordinary Desserts in downtown San Diego I couldn't help but say yes!  As we walked in the front door we were greeted by the most amazing desserts I've ever seen.  And, be still my beating heart, they had a macadamia nut chocolate cake that was to. die. for.  If any of you are ever in San Diego you definitely need to try it!

This piece was big enough to feed a small country.

Post 4: THE WALL IS DONE!!!

It's done!  It's DONE!  ITTTT'SSS DOOONNNEEEEE!!!  After a very VERY long week Andrew and I have finally finished the geometric pattern wall that we've been working on!  I am so excited you guys.  It looks so much better than I even thought it would!  I'm so excited about my fab-o new wall and I want to show you guys how we did it so you can try it.  I originally got this pattern from a blog that I L-O-V-E called Before and After.  She got the pattern from another blog, which got it from another blog, and so on and so forth, yadda yadda yadda.  Anyway, I love this pattern.  It sort of reminds me of the Hollywood Squares of the Hollywood Regency look.  I'm totally into Hollywood Regency so this look works really well for me.  Now all I need is a funky Klismos and I'm set!  So here is how I went about getting this look: (WARNING: This post contains and ungodly amount of photos.)

Step 1: Paint the Wall
We chose to paint our living room Fountain Spout by Behr in order to lighten it up (See Post 3).  Therefore, Fountain Spout became our base color for the pattern, which turns out to be the color of your stripes.

It's OK Andrew, just sit back and relax.  I'll take care of the painting.

Step 2:  Calculate

This is the part of the project where it would be good if you have a personal accountant or engineer or something.  You need to measure your wall and try to calculate your measurements.  After sketching this out several times I decided to do 14.5" squares and space them 3" apart.  This didn't end up working out perfectly as my wall is not entirely symmetrical but I don't really care.  It's close enough for a flakey-non-mathematical designer.

Step 3:  Tape, Tape, Tape

OK Bloggettes.  Before you start this step you are going to want to take several moments to mentally prepare yourself for the mission you are about to embark on.  Maybe turn the lights low, light some incense and pray to whatever diety you see fit.  (You may also want to gather some friends and participate in a drum circle...it couldn't hurt.)  After you feel substantially prepared you are going to start taping straight lines according to the measurements that you have determined in Step 2.  From my experience, you are going to have the best results if you try to keep your pieces of tape as long as possible.  The more pieces of tape you use the more likely it is that you are going to have wavey, non-straight lines.  Oh and I also used Frog Tape instead of the regular blue painter's tape.  Frog Tape is sold at most hardware stores, I got mine from Home Depot.  I think it works a little better than the blue tape.

You may want to invest in a laser level for this step...$20 at Home Depot.  It literally saved my life.

Step 4:  Keep Taping

You may feel faint.  You may want to quit, but you can't.  You started this and you, my friend, have GOT TO FINISH IT.  Remember that drum circle you did before you started?  Remember that incense you lit and all of those prayers you prayed?  THAT WAS TO HELP YOU IN A TIME LIKE THIS.  NOW KEEP TAPING.

This is such a satisfying point to reach...until you realize you are only halfway done.

Step 5: Beer

Alright Bloggies, I understand that sometimes prayer and incense and drum circles can only get you so far.  So when you feel like you are on you breaking point.  When you feel like you may have made the biggest mistake of your life by starting this project.  When you feel like you just might rip it all down and live with a plain, old, boring wall.  GRAB A BEER.  Beer gives you perspective.  Trust me.  Take a break, enjoy a cold one, and look at all the progress you have made so far!  YOU CAN DO THIS.

Please notice the paint and frog tape behind the beer.  This project consumed my life.  Oh and by the way, I highly recommend The Stone Brewing Company's Stone IPA.  Very effective.

Step 6:  Tape Squares, Not Lines

At this point you are going to set your beer down and start taping squares.  The squares are going in the middle of the criss-crosses that you already taped.  You want to put a square on every other criss-cross, alternating rows.  At this point you will also need to take an exacto knife or box cutter and cut the centers out of each criss-cross.

Clancy was so helpful with this step.  Moral support is important.

It's starting to look so cool!

Step 7: Paint the Wall (Different from Step 1...but not so much.)

YOU ARE DONE TAPING!  Congrats!  The hard part is over!  Now you just get to paint over your beautiful tape art.  This may be difficult to do but trust me, the paint will look SO much better than the tape.

We used Rain Storm by Behr as our secondary color.

Your Frog Tape may bubble up but don't let that discourage you, it will still seal the paint out for the most part.

Step 8:  Remove that Tape!

And here it is, here is the point we've all been waiting for.  Slowly and carefully pull the tape off!  This is so exciting!  I'm so happy for you!  I told you that you could do this!

Go Andrew, go!

It's important to have friends witness this momentous occasion.  Thanks for helping Austin and Jasmin!

Almost there!

WE DID IT!!!

Can you see the spot that Andrew messed up?  It's OK, I will fix it today :)

I'm so happy with how our wall turned out.  After all of the work I think it was totally worth it.  What do you guys think of it?  I think everyone should have a fun, funky wall in their house!

Post 3: It's Hard to Write a Blog

Listen up Bloggies!  It's time to dry those tears and blow those runny schnozzes 'cause I'M BACK!  I know you all missed me while I was gone but believe me when I say that I missed you too!  I do recognize that I need to apologize for my absence.  I had really good intentions, I swear.  I meant to write... but there was this little problem that I had.  This problem called "I lead a pathetically boring life."  I've started about a bajillion household projects in the last week and I have yet to finish any of them.  So guess what you get to hear about today?  That's right!  Those lame, half finished projects!  WOO HOO!!!

Project Numero Uno: Brighten Up the Living Room

OK so we last left off with my rambling about selecting neurotically cheerful paint colors for my living room makeover.  As I mentioned, I went with a lovely selection by the name of Fountain Spout (by Behr). Let me tell you my little Blogaritas, it really does not get more jovial than Fountain Spout.  I'm tellin' ya.  Just look at this color and you're going to have a perma smile plastered on your face.  Check it out!

Before...How gloomy...

During...Look at Andrew go!  I think Fountain Spout is really motivating him!

After!  Fountain Spout has really lifted Clancy's spirits!

So what do you guys think?  Is Fountain Spout your color of choice?  It's OK if it's not...everyone that's seen it so far has said, "Wow.  That's...blue..."  But I don't care because I LOVE IT!  And I will love it even more once I finish the geometric pattern that we are painting on one of the walls!  Here is a sneak peek:

Pattern Wall!  More to come on this topic in following blog posts...

Well, that's all I've got for now.  Stay tuned for more posts on my other half finished projects and step by step How To's!  Sleep tight Bloggies!

PS I dedicate this post to the lovely Karina Brazas...thank you for pestering me until I put a new post up. Maybe next time you go on a jaunt to Europe you will take me so I actually have something to write about!  (Just a thought...)