It's summer, and I'm back!

One day, I shall have this whole blog-on-a-normal-schedule thing down.
I just seem to have trouble figuring out to make it part of my daily routine right now.
I say the summer is the perfect time to practice.

I actually have a lot I want to blog about and get out there, but we'll just play a game of catch up for the time being.

If you had asked my just 2 weeks ago, I would have told you that this summer, I would be solely in Muncie. I was supposed to be design editor for our Ball State Daily News student-run newspaper (which I will often refer to as 'the DN'), continue my internship at The Star Press, Muncie's local paper, and take a few classes.

But one phone call shook up my plans.

Now, my time is going to be divided between Muncie and Indy. Half away, half at home.

The Indianapolis Star called me during finals week, asking me to step in to fill a Pulliam Fellowship position that somebody had dropped. The Pulliam Fellowship. Now that was something I couldn't turn down.

So while I had to back out of continuing at The Star Press, I am maintaining my position as design editor for the university paper. And while going back and forth each week will be a lot of gas — a lot of gas — I will be, let's just say, very well paid altogether.

For now, I am living just in Muncie working for the DN and The Star Press, until I start working in Indy in June.

So what can you expect me to share with the blogosphere this summer?

• Lessons I learn while getting my first taste of living on my own, outside of the dorms.
• New experiences of working in a real city and a bigger internship.
• Inspiration I find for design and DIY projects and cooking and...anything.
• My own DIY projects and planning as I prepare to move into an apartment this fall.
• Weekly themed posts floating out there from other lovely bloggers.
• Random tidbits of the rest of my life, from the music I'm listening to, new goals and dreams, or just my latest rants and raves.

So here's to being a better — and hopefully more interesting! — blogger :)

In honor of my parents

So it's my parents'

31st wedding anniversary

today!

So, I am being a good daughter

and cooking them dinner,

as well has doing the dishes

and taking the trash to the street.

On the menu:

Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers

from Rachael Ray

It's a recipe from her

"Guy Food" cookbook

that my mom has.

Sweet Potato Fries

[I heard my dad mention

them the other day.]

and Caesar Salad.

[From a bag, but still good!]

I told my mom I wanted to make dinner,

probably because I've been watching

way too much HGTV, Food Network,

and DIY Network during my days off.

But, more on that later...

Bring on the rabbit food.

One night and day at home and I had enough junk food to last me a month.
I hit up a few of my favorites, taking advantage of non-campus food:

(ok, so we have this on campus.

but it's still a guilty favorite)

coney dogs, mozzarella sticks, peanut butter shakes, and cherry limeades

OH MY.

bdubs has some good fried roasted garlic mushrooms...

dunked in ranch.

chips 'n queso and nachos supremos.

'nuff said.

Oh, and it was my dad's birthday, so we had some peach cobbler.

So my body and wallet both hate me right about now.

It's time to get back to some of these foods...

It's go time.

iFail

One little day forgotten, and my 365 day challenge is ruined within the first week. [[sigh]]

Well, sometimes life just gets in the way.

However, my Sunday was not uneventful. I'm sure the highlight was most definitely making spiced yams. Yes, that's right: spiced yams. I was working on a group project about Nigeria, and we were required to make a native dish. Yams are a dominant part of the Nigerian culture, so we decided it was suiting to the cause. After being unsuccessful at finding yams at Walmart, we found them at Marsh. When it came to preparing the yams however, that was an adventure. They are extremely difficult to peel and cut. But, they softened rather quickly while boiling. The mixture of spices we cooked the yams in those was quite interesting: garlic, salt, and cinnamon. To top it all off, we poured melted butter over the finished product and added a couple dashes of cayenne pepper.

As bizarre as this all sounds together, we all decided that it actually tasted good.

Now it is another Monday, and I'm looking at a full week. Friday (spring break!) can't come soon enough.