10 things you may not know about me

I've been seeing these lists go around recently so I thought I would make my own!

After my first week of culinary school. Yes, I was drowning in that uniform.

1. I was born with an umbilical hernia and have yet to get it operated on.
2. I went to culinary school right after high school for approximately five weeks before I decided to withdraw. I love baking but at that time in my life, I realized I wanted an academic challenge and I wasn't going to get it there. Now that I'm almost done with my bachelors degree, I'd love to go back. I was also the youngest in all of my classes (I was 17 at the time).
3. When I was little, my mom was worried I had a protruding tongue because I always had my tongue out.
4. I have seen every episode of Friends at least 5 times. 
5. I didn't have my first (and only) kiss and boyfriend until the summer before my senior year of high school.
6. I wanted to be a flight attendant when I was younger. 
7. I have a 17 degree curvature in my spine, which makes one of my hips higher than the other.
8. I've gone to Puerto Rico every summer and winter for the past 14 years without fail.
9. After high school, I applied to Johns Hopkins as sort of a joke (since it's the 14 best university in the country) and was pretty shocked when I got put on the waiting list. On that note, out of the 8+ universities I applied to, I didn't get a rejection from a single one.
10. I really want to adopt once I'm married.

You should join in! And if you do, leave the link to your post in the comments. I would love to see it!

xo

Amanda

One in each color: Take 2

dress: Gap, cardigan: thrifted, watch: Fossil, purse: Fossil, tights: F21, rain boots: Aldo, scarf: F21

Remember this dress? Here's way #2 of wearing it. Today was a rainy, cloudy day so I decided to pull out my trusty rain boots. I know, you're probably thinking "why would someone who lives in Arizona even OWN rain boots?" Well, they were on sale years ago and really cute so I said, "why not?" Actually, my mom said "why not?" and bought them for me. But you get the point. I decided to pair the dress with my rain boots and this thrifted cardigan I got over the summer that I just revamped a bit with some little elbow patches. Stay tuned for way too many more ways to wear this dress!

xo

Amanda

Drool.

The mister and I don't get out much but this weekend we're having a little dinner at a married friend of his home and I've been searching through recipes for the right dessert. Here are a few of the ones I'm drooling over.

Banana Bread Tres Leches Cake

Chocolate Chip S'mores

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Chocolate Dulce De Leche Cake

What do you think? Jacob's vote is on the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake.

I'll take one in each color.

Shirt: Costco, Dress: Gap, Tights: Gift, Boots: Amazon, Belt: F21, Earrings: Old Navy

Recently, I've been seeing a lot of my favorite bloggers do a series of posts about how to wear one piece of clothing in multiple different ways. For whatever reason, I haven't jumped on the bandwagon until now but if you know me, you know that I tend to do this all the time. The above dress and its white twin are my two favorite dresses because they are so versatile. I am so very guilty of wearing them over and over and over again. But the trick is that I wear them with different colored tights, sweaters, belts, scarves, and shirts. So, here is the first of what I'm sure will be many ways that I'll show you that I can wear this dress. (I've worn it/them here, here, and here in the past)

xo

Amanda

Rental Sweet Rental

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

I've been day dreaming and pinning all kinds of ideas about what I hope I can make my little future apartment look like. I'm planning on living in a different part of Phoenix come fall and as always, I'm most excited about decorating a space that's just my own. 

What does your dream home look like? 

Happy Anniversary!

It's my blog-aversary! This here baby blog is a whole year old today! I can hardly believe it. In honor of this wondrous occasion, I have my first ever hair tutorial for you! Exciting stuff, I tell you.

As my hair is still not at my ideal length, I don't do as many different things with it as I do when it is long but these faux milk-maid braids are one of my favorites. They're quick and I love that they don't look quick. People ask me all the time how I did my hair when I wear it like this. I also love that it makes it look like my hair is a lot longer than it is.

Hope you like it!

-Start with dry hair.

-Part hair down the middle all the way to the back. Start with one side.

-Split a small chunk of hair into three pieces at the root. French braid until you run out of hair on that side then continue braiding normally. Tie with a hair tie.

-Repeat on other side. Enjoy looking like a 6 year old.

-Pick up on of the braids and pin in back with as many bobby pins as you need. At this point you can either take out the hair tie or leave it in.

-Repeat with other braid.

-Take out a few strands of hair on each side.

At this point, you can either leave your bangs down (if you have them) or pin them up. I showed both above. You can also braid them in at the beginning.

And that's a wrap! Thank you all for reading my words every week and all your sweet words. It has been a great year of blogging and I hope for many more in the future. 

(I guest posted over at Oh Abby Day with a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball Cookies. Check it out here!)

You can call me grandpa.

dress: Gap, cardigan: Costco, tights: ??, scarf: gift, boots: Amazon

Excuse my frazzled hair. A storm is brewing and it is mighty windy and cold today. For the occasion, I pulled out my grandpa sweater. And yes, it is from Costco. Score!

Moving along, school started this week and let me tell you, being officially a senior makes really puts the pressure on one to get stuff done. I got my first GRE prep books today and I am just plain overwhelmed. So much to do while taking 22 credits. But alas, I will power through! Plus, I found out I made the dean's list so that's a good motivator to keep kicking some academic rear end. 

How has your first week back at school been? Or your week in general? 

xo

Amanda

Monday.

via

Happy Monday. Let's make it a good one.

Around the Internet.

via

This week on the Internet, I'm particularly enjoying...

This cookie recipe. Definitely on my to do list.

This tutorial.

Kind of obsessed with the simplicity of this outfit.

Forever dreaming of this hair.

Already thinking about birthday party themes. 

Also, happy 200th post to this here blog! 

Hello, My name is Amanda...

I've gotten so many wonderful new followers these past two weeks so I just felt like I should to a little "get to know me" post because after all, I'm pretty nosy and like to know about people's lives, especially if I read their blog.

So...

Hello, My name is Amanda and I'm a bakeaholic.

That is no joke, my friends. You can usually find me doing one of three things. Cuddling with that man of mine, baking, or doing homework. It's an exciting life I tell you. In all seriousness though, my life is actually pretty delightful even though it does often resemble that of a 80 year old grandma's. 

I go to Arizona State University and will be graduating with a degree in Family and Human Development in December of this year. Don't ask me what I'm planning on doing with said degree because my answer is somewhere along the lines of "I have no darn clue." I'm interested in at least 30 different careers so I'm currently looking to go to graduate school for something completely unrelated.(More on that later) 

Jacob (or Jake) is my significant other of almost four years. He's pretty cool, I guess.

(just a few of my cousins)

I'm mostly Puerto Rican with a bit of Arab mixed in. My entire extended family continues to live in Puerto Rico so I make the trip back home once or twice a year. Family is incredibly important so I am constantly saying thanks for both my blood family and the family I have acquired through my significant other's family. 

Last but certainly not least, I'm a firm believer in a forgiving, loving, and wonderful God. My days are full of thanking Him for this amazing life He's given me to love and help others. 

Anything else you'd like to know? Leave it in the comments section and I'd be more than glad to answer! 

xo

Amanda

Let's start from the beginning.

dress: ross, scarf: gift, belt: kohls, cardigan: gift, tights and boots: jcpenney

Happy 2013 to you and yours! I can already tell that 2013 is going to be a good one. I have so many changes and new adventures to look forward to this year and I truly can't wait to see what it brings. For this first week of a new year, I always see people so excited to start fresh and appreciating their lives but slowly, I see that disappear. So, my wish for you all and myself is that we would keep that excitement and gratitude in our hearts not only this first week of 2013, but all year long. 

xo

Amanda