Buildings, a Beach and Bagels

What an array! Over this past weekend, I was in Chicago/Evanston visiting my friend who goes to Northwestern. We had so much fun. (I’m holding back on describing Chicago… cause that may or may not be part of my C post!) We were so lucky when I visited – the weather was beautiful!! I went for a run and found myself on this little beach (lakeish beach) – it was gorgeous.

Needless to say, after running on the sand for a while I was SORE the next day. It was worth it though. For a moment, it felt like summer.

(I’d like to point out my hardly recognizable Bates leggings) So after my glorious run, my friend and I enjoyed a delicious lunch. We did a bit of work (ew) before heading off to Chicago.

I’d like to share some beautiful building photos with you :

(Yes, I know this isnt’ a building but it’s a nice Bike picture, a word that also starts with B…)

Chelsea and I also went to this delicious bagel place – Einstein Bagels and I know this may sound LAME, but we had just come from yoga and I wasn’t all that hungry so I tried a bagel thin (an apparent fad..) but it was shockingly delicious. It had the bagel taste w/o all the extra bagel-stuff. I am a fan of the bagel-stuff so I wasn’t a huge fan of bagel thins… but since I wasn’t hungry it was good. Also I got coffee. Obviously.

So all in all my beach, bagel and building experience was fabulous. I have so much more to share about my trip but it has to wait until Chicago!!

Until then

Random Post – Until B

Later on today, I will write a post having to do with the letter B, but until then I thought I would share a few photos that I find hilarious – or moderately funny.

Who says you can’t indulge sometimes? None that I’m listening to, that’s for sure.

Sometimes being a girl is just so great…

It’s not even Thanksgiving… but hello Christmas?

King of the City? I would like to think so…

B Back later (get it?)

Avocado

Sooooo after a month-long hiatus I’m back! I have noticed that a “blog trend” right now is theme. I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this and decided on a theme for my blog : ABC’s. Each day I will have a letter and that letter will be the theme of my post. I think this will be challenging and amusing. So needless to say, today’s letter is A and I have chosen the word avocado.

Two nights ago, my friend and I made the most delicious dinner consisting of avocados, red peppers, chicken, tomatoes, taco seasoning and black beans. YUM.

Even though we were nervous about finding a perfectly ripe avocado, we were successful and it was perfect! Yumm

We sauteed the chicken with beans, peppers and taco seasoning

This didn’t take too long because we cooked the chicken in the oven before putting it on the stove top. We put a few tortillas in the oven to warm them up and then enjoyed our delicious, avocado-based meal.

Even though this meal didn’t consist of :

It was a delicious meal!! (PS I actually saw this sign… talk about aggressive advertising)…

So to list off a few more A words..

Anthropologie.. a fantastically beautiful store where I recently purchased new bedding and I wish I had purchased this book..

Animals.. and how cute they can be

This is my friend’s friend with a puppy that we saw on a walk.. naturally we stopped the owner and asked if we could pet the puppy.. can you blame us?

Anddd lastly : academics (and how much they are kicking my butt this year)

(Evidence of how much time I spend in the library…)

 

Until B!

 

 

Five Fabulous Fall Favorites (For you)

I love Fall. Yesterday, while reading for my Feminist Class, I came across this quote by Virginia Woolf in To The Lighthouse…..

“The autumn trees, ravaged as they are, take on the flash of tattered flags kindling in the gloom of cool cathedral caves where gold letters on marble pages describe death in battle and how bones bleach and burn far away in Indian sands. The autumn trees gleam in the yellow moonlight, in the light of harvest moons, the light which mellows the energy of labour, and smooths the stubble, and brings the wave lapping blue to the shore.”(Time Passes, Chapter 3)

I decided that in order to celebrate this autumnal bliss, the harvest moons and the light which ‘mellows the energy of labour’ I would come up with a list of 5 fall favorites!

1. Travel Mugs. Now this trend has been ‘in’ forever, but it seems as though everywhere I look, I see mugs! What’s better on a hot day, than a mug full of hot apple cider, hot chocolate or my personal favorite, pumpkin spice flavored coffee with soy milk?

Bates has this really neat program, which allows us to take portable ‘Bates Mugs’ out of our dining hall and then return them to various bins on campus after we are done with them. I love this because one of the worst parts about using a portable mug is carrying it around dirty for the rest of the day!

2. Oversized Sweaters and LACE

This is one of my favorite outfits. Tight(er) jeans, boots (with wool socks, of course) and an oversized shirt with BIG earrings. Sitting in class all day requires something comfortable. What would be better than an oversized shirt?!

 

Free People Anthropologie & J.Crew

I have also seen so much LACE around! I love lace. Lace on the shoulders, lace down the back, lace on the arms. I love how feminine and sophisticated it is.

my next purchase..

 

so for number 3…

3. TINSEL

Don’t be confused, I am not talking about Christmas tinsel – for we talk here strictly of fall, but as someone said to me the other day.. “Margaret, it looks like Christmas in your hair!” If you have not experienced the wonders of hair tinsel, you need to.

So here is how it works..

you choose your colors (I chose red, gold, purple, brown and orange) and the hair dresser ties the various pieces of tinsel into your hair at its roots. This little shine offers your hair a unique and subtle sparkle!

Downside – it falls out easily.. so you must be careful when washing and brushing your hair. Tinsel is so fun for fall – something pretty, post-summer just to keep things exciting.

4. I have to say it….Taylor Swift. What is be better than walking through the quad, with your mug, an oversized sweater,  knee-high boots, tinsel and Taylor Swift. Let’s be honest, nothing. A few of my most recent favorites…

The Story of Us, Sparks Fly and Last Kiss

As my friend said, “Taylor’s just looking for love, she has a story for everyone.”

I know it sounds silly, but Taylor is really doing something right.

5. Bikes!

I know bikes have been around since.. well.. a long time. But, what a better way to get around during the autumn months than on two wheels? People at Bates love their bikes!

 

Some people even have those neat baskets on the back or the front! How perfect for books etc.!

So picture these, people.

A beautiful fall afternoon, foliage for days, mug in hand, oversized sweater keeping you warm, tinsel in your hair, Taylor Swift singing her heart out (and you may be singing with her if you feel so inclined…) all the while, biking across campus.

Enjoy the Five Fabulous Fall Favorites (For you!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNH, Bates & Chebeague Island Inn

Hi all,

So as I mentioned earlier, I went to see my sister, Olivia at UNH! It was parents weekend and I had never seen the campus before. My parents picked me up at Bates and we drove down. It was a short 2ish hour drive. Not too bad at all. I guess what shocked me the most was the size! I know I come from a tiny little campus of 1800 people, but UNH seemed huge to me! Olivia really knew her way around, I was so proudddd!

Tishy in her element!

After a bit of touring, we went to this restaurant for lunch (by we I mean my dad, mom, two sisters ad grandparents).

Sophia is my youngest sister and she looks so old in this photo!

I split the hummus plate and a chicken wrap with Olivia!

yum!

 

So that was UNH!

oh wait, UNH has a very strange ‘take-out’ policy for beverages :

random, right?

So that was UNH! I had so much fun

*************

You know those days you just CAN’T figure out what you want to eat?

don't worry.. it happens to the best of us

So this past weekend I went back to Chebeague Island to work! It was so much fun.. I really love that island. It’s funny, everything I am there I feel completely at home and this weekend was no different. When I got there I found our chef about to enjoy three hotdogs…

Then I just HAD to have one of his famous Cheeseburgers. Folks – if you had never enjoyed a burger at the Inn, you HAVE TO. Pickled mushrooms, grilled red onions, aioli and cheese curd.. no, I am not kidding.

THEN I wrote 5 pages of my thesis! This is SO EXCITING. The first part is ALWAYS the most difficult, so I was so proud of myself. I suppose the view didn’t hurt my inspiration…

Wow!!

So the next day, I worked a wedding… take a look at these cakes!

They had 7 different types of cake and they displayed them on circular pieces of wood, which were sitting on top of glass vases. So beautiful!

Reppin’ the Maine wine :

gotta' love Oyster River Winery

The wedding was a lot of fun. I took some pictures of Diamond Cove, such a beautiful island.

and my friend, Kerry :

AND the BEAUTIFUL docks and ferry boats in portland

I love Maine.

The next day I spent a lot of time in Portland. Just like last time, I enjoyed a smoothie from Fresh Squeeze…

All the way to the right... YUM

 

Then of course some pastries from Standard Baking… (made me miss France a bit)

and of course, an iced coffee with a shot of espresso from Bard

So delish!

It was such a wonderful weekend.

And now I am back at Bates doing work in the library

 

Two Days, Three Restaurants

YUM!

That’s all I can say for this weekend. Also, that I am so LUCKY to have such nice friends with such generous parents. Let me put it simply, I dined so well this weekend.

Let us start with Friday, but before doing so I must preface this post with an apology! I totally failed at taking photos this weekend. I was so distracted by the deliciousness that was my life, I am so sorry! I’ll have to compensate with descriptive and decadent words.
SO FRIDAY

I did so much work in the library! Productive me. I have had so much work recently, but luckily most of my work entails reading and writing so life could be much worse!

This is my life. Hydration, caffeine, books & laptop.

Then I went to the gym!

Isn’t that a nice little image. Reading a play, drinking water and exercising on the elliptical.

SO for the dining aspect of my Friday night…

My friend’s parents took us out to this restaurant in Portland called 555. It was INCREDIBLE.

http://fivefifty-five.com/

To start, I devoured three different types of cheese… a gouda, a french, creamy cheese and a third that I forget. This dish was served with roasted nuts, honey and a cranberry compote. DELICIOUS. This plate was actually quite similar to Chebeague Island Inn’s cheese plate, except CII’s uses actually honeycomb from Georgia and it is by far the most delicious honey you will ever have in your entire life…. http://chebeagueislandinn.com/85.html

The lighting in this photo does not do the plate justice, but it was dark so I was forced to use the flash (must to my dismay..) anyway, let your imaginations roam!

For my second course, I had a delicious fall, apple salad. This consisted of lettuce, goat cheese, currants and a caramel apple (YES A CARAMEL APPLE!) can you say wow???

For my THIRD course (yes third) I had the most delicious gnocchi plate, it was called “A Taste of Maine” and as a Mainer… how could I resist?!

http://fivefifty-five.com/menus/savory

It was incredible. Usually, I don’t go vegetarian but this time it just seemed so appealing!

For my fourth course I devoured two house-made fig newtons. YUM. They were the perfect combination of sweet and light. They were not too dry, either, which is a feat when it comes to fig newtons! They reminded me of my childhood. I used to eat those things by the handful!

So that was Friday night. It was incredible! Thank you so much to my generous friend!

So Saturday night, my other friend’s parents took us to this delicious Mediterranean Restaurant in Freeport. I would never have chosen this restaurant on my own and looking back I have no idea why! It was INCREDIBLE. Hummus for days. We started with a hummus plate, this consisted of hummus, of course, pita bread, grape leaves, rice, cucumbers, a sweet rice concoction and house-made bread. It was delicious and perfect for splitting!  THEN I chose (again) a vegetarian option, I went for the ‘Sauteed Vegetables’ which was incredible. Not too heavy, not too light… the vegetables were cooked in a special sauce and I loved it! I left completely satisfied. Thank you, second generous family!

I had such a great weekend.

1. The Bates Football Team won!!!!

GO BATES!

2. I had a blast with my friends!

3. I went to see my sister at UNH! YAY! That visit needs an entireeee post so you have that to look forward to!

’till next time!

So at Bates we have ducks.

So cute! Just wait until spring when the little ducklings come out to play.

So yesterday was so busy! And today was so busy, too! In fact, the two days are completely blurred together.

In school I have been doing a lot of research on feminism. It’s such an intriguing subject. Last night in my seminar, we had a three-hour long discussion on what it means to be an immigrant, a female immigrant at that. Our entire discussion was based on the memoir Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_Warrior). We discussed the importance of language, story-telling and naming. I was so taken by this conversation that I decided to write my 25-page term paper on it! More on this subject to come…

 

For breakfast today I enjoyed the most delicious cream of wheat with apple sauce, Kashi Healthy Heart Cereal, cinnamon and pineapple. It was the perfect combination of bland, sweet, crunchy and smooth. I love cinnamon it really adds the perfect amount of sweetness. I also love cream of wheat, it’s too simple on its own but when mixed with other elements it’s perfect! I also had the most delicious organic toast, with organic almond butter and honey. AND COFFEE!

OKAY! So I recently joined the team that organizes and produces our school’s literary and arts magazine, SEED.

 

Click on this link to support the magazine!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SEED-Magazine/239301926120102

So for dinner this evening I had another delicious wrap! This time it was more simple, I added turkey, sprouts, spinach, cucumbers, shredded carrots and light, olive oil vinaigrette. OH AND DUH, pickles. YUM.

SO now to the most interested part of dinner…

Every Wednesday Bates has what we call ‘Themed Wednesday.’ Today’s theme was General Mills Cereal! There were a couple people dressed up as different characters from the cereal boxes and they also had different tasty treats made will General Mills Cereal. I was partial to the chocolate, cranberry cheerio bar!