Happy Halloween!

Nothing like a haunted house.

And watching "Hocus Pocus."

And the Giants beating the Rangers in Game 4. Fear the Beard!

We only got about 50 trick-or-treaters tonight, AKA more candy for me.

In celebration of a World Series Game 1 win!

Great baseball-related memories:

• Playing catch and tee-ball with the dad and grandpa
• Watching minor league baseball games- which included doing the YMCA, cheap beer after the designated hitter, fireworks on the fourth of July, 7th inning stretch horse races, and singing: "roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun!"
• Bonding with strangers/ camaraderie while watching a game
• Caramel corn/ peanuts/ churros/ soft pretzels/ cold beer/ polish dogs/ garlic fries!
• Favorite movies of my youth: "Rookie of the Year" and "Little Big League"
• EDIT: Who can forget "The Sandlot," "Angels in the Outfield," "A League of their Own," and "Field of Dreams" ?!
• Good local teams! Go Giants! Go A's!
• There is something about listening to baseball on the radio that is so much more interesting than some other sports (ex: golf, football)
• There was a kid in my preschool class that ONLY wore homemade baseball uniforms :)
• It's America's past time! Nothing is more all-American than baseball.

Let's hope we take this win and make it count towards Game 2!

Tuesdays are for links.

not martha blog

shark attack sleeping bag! or being hugged by a plushy shark!

Halloween foods (I especially love the tentacle pot pit and the mummy cupcakes!)

top 10 craft blogs (a good starting point)

Pumpkin oatmeal scotchies

mini maple pancake muffins (and the cake pops from bakerella are pretty darn awesome too!)

lots of tasty treats!

The Power of Music

It's amazing how listening to the right song at the right time can completely alter your mood and train of thought. I have come to the realization that I am currently listening to an eclectic mix of music genres. There are a few songs on constant repeat on my iPod, and they are:

- Natasha Bedingfield's "Strip Me"- which had originally caught my eye, or rather my ear on the movie trailer from the new Rachel McAdams/Harrison Ford movie "Morning Glory."

I'm only one voice in a million

But you ain't taking that from me

I don't need a microphone
To say what I been thinking
My heart is like a loudspeaker
Thats always on eleven

- Fefe Dobson's "Stuttering"

- The Scene Aesthetic's "Love Story"- punk cover of the Taylor Swift song

- The Temper Trap's "Fader"

I'm in transit
floating stranded on this boat
And I pledge myself allegiance
To a better night sleep at home

If you were to see me driving around town, it would be very likely that I would be belting (or trying) any of these songs. The right song can turn a day around, comfort you, give your thoughts room to breathe, pump you up, and much much more.

Regardless, it's better than having "Thriller" stuck in my head on repeat. :)

First Official Post

Howdy!

So, it's a week from Halloween and currently I am set in turbo-fall mode.

Truthfully, I blame the pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks which have been selling since mid-September and the current weather shift to raining and temperatures in the mid-60s. I went to a pumpkin patch today with a friend to pick out some lovely pumpkins. At work, I am in charge of a pumpkin carving contest, so one of the pumpkins was bought for that and the other pumpkin is a for-fun pumpkin, on which I plan on carving the symbol for pi. Get it- pumpkin pi!

Pumpkin carving is always a tad more labor-intensive than I am expecting, but it should be a fun little activity none-the-less.

Also on my mind is some sort of Halloween treat to make for this Friday, since it is my turn for treats at work. Last year, I (by complete luck) got the day of the office Halloween celebrations and tinkered with a recipe that I found in the Rachel Ray Everyday! magazine. The original recipe: Buried Alive Muffins caught my eye right off the bat. I changed the muffins to coffee cake cupcakes, because I thought that the crumbles on the top would be a good way to imitate dirt.

Overall, a great success. So now I just have to figure out how to top it for this year. Currently, I've seen tempting recipes for Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars and also pumpkin cranberry blondies. So many tasty-sounding choices. Good thing I have a couple of days!

Hello!

Hey there, internet.

My name is Mandy. I am starting this blog to give the world a daily dose of things that amuse me, whether it be crafts, recipes, television, movies, clouds, music, and the occasional whatnot.

SO- enjoy, comment, follow, suggest, and have fun.

And, just in case you are wondering- I do actually believe in Nessie, or rather the Loch Ness Monster. Mainly because... why not. Wouldn't it be so awesome if there actually was such a creature? And if a creature did exist, wouldn't you want to be on its side, rather than against it? Just some food for thought.