Happy 4th Weekend

Ellie's Independence Day cupcakes, 2011 edition: dark chocolate cake with a buttercream frosting.

Just popping in for a quick hello to all and apologies in advance...not much posting to be found around here for the next few days. It's a busy time with family in town and the holiday weekend. To all my fellow Americans, I hope you have a really wonderful weekend celebrating our independence with family, fireworks, and excessive amounts of red, white, and blue. Nothing has made me love our country and all it stands for like spending some time away from it! Truly thankful for all the freedoms we have and don't want to take them for granted. 

Until next time!

Wordless Wednesday

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Thank You

A post inspired by Thx Thx Thx, a blogger who writes thank you notes to everything.

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Dear Volvo,
Thank you for passing the buck in 2003 when you installed climate control in the 'S' series sedan. Because I am aware that it takes at least 15 minutes in the summer to reach a temperature viable for human life, you force me to enjoy the pleasure of driving with the windows open. Without your foresight, I would scarce be likely to know what local bug culture tastes like from the months of May-September.


Fondly,
Ellie


P.S. Bless your cold Swedish hearts for remembering to put in a sunroof.
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Dear Ice Cream Man,
Thank you for being willing to drive in an open air truck selling overpriced ice cream in this heat. Your tinny music reminds me of a very happy childhood and wiping my sticky fingers on the inside of my socks after a particularly melty Screwball. The gum at the bottom was never very good but boy, was it ever like finding gold!


Regards,
Ellie




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Dear LG Technology,

Thank you for making a durable phone with an easily removable battery.  It is the perfect "toy that is not a toy" for handsy babies.  Not only do I not have to worry about the little scamp making accidental calls to Taiwan, the tough plastic coating withstands being chewed and drooled upon. Gnaw away, little buddy. I am one happy babysitter.


All the best,
Ellie


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Dear Guy Who Invented the Modern Bicycle,
I would be more personal if I weren't too tired to search out your real name on Wikipedia. Notwithstanding, I'm a huge fan of your work. What a pleasing and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.


Yours,
Ellie






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Friday Five

This week's questions brought to you by Eva, my darling sister, the apple to my pie, the steak to my hamburger, etc. Yep, inside joke. I love you, dear and wish Texas wasn't so far away.  


1. What is your favorite first line from a book?
I have a couple, but I'll just mention one:
"There was a white horse, on a quiet winter morning when snow covered the streets gently and was not deep, and the sky was swept with vibrant stars, except in the east, where dawn was beginning in a light blue flood."
Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin


2. Imagine you had to live somewhere you could never leave. Would you rather live in a submarine or a tree house?
Ooh this is hard because a submarine is mobile but a tree house is, well, not underwater. 
But I can never leave?
Nope, still going to go with the tree house. Especially if it looked like this:

Or any of the ones found here.

3. If you could have an exotic animal for a pet, what would you choose?
an elephant, hands down. next question?


4. Who would you rather see as president: Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber?
I'm not sure I'd want to see what kind of world we'd live in if those were the choices, however, I'd have to say the Biebz. Even though he's Canadian-born and therefore not allowed by the Constitution to run for president, in this fantasy situation, it probably doesn't matter. He seems...less likely to become embroiled right away in a personal life scandal that would take his attention away from running the country. Not that it wouldn't happen to him too, but I feel like it would take longer. 


5. If the house was burning down, what 5 items would you grab, regardless of size?

• Bible
• Camera
• Recipe binder
• Favorite pair of TOMS
• my pet elephant, of course

Thanks for the questions, sis! And for the rest of you, feel free to submit questions in the comments below or answer these ones yourself!


Happy Friday!

Three things that made me happy today

1)Travel plans:
Graduate school and unemployment notwithstanding, I booked plane tickets for a July trip to the beach! One whole week of Atlantic sea breezes with some of my coolest relatives. This is going to be so marvelous...
And if that's not enough to make me faint dead away with happiness, immediately following is a weekend trip to Gettysburg with some of my Purdue nearest and dearest. I don't know which is more exciting, 10 solid road hours of catching up over Mumford & Sons and a cooler-full of grapes or two whole days immersed in the Civil War with fellow history nerds. You're right, it's impossible to choose.

2) Normally I talk about sports um...never but tonight my favorite Purdue basketball player got traded in the draft to my favorite NBA team. JaJuan Johnson + Boston Celtics = LOVE. I now care more about basketball than I ever thought humanly possible.

I don't know who I am anymore.

Oh wait, yes I do.
I am the person who is too busy playing Angry Birds to write a real post. I am on a serious three-star winning streak so obviously I can't be bothered with real life.

And that's the way it is: Thursday, June 23, 2011.

I know, Walter Cronkite is so rolling over in his grave right now.


3) This:

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