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Yes, the most creative domain ever created. Considering I’m trying to start something at heathermariedesign.net, I figured I’d keep a theme going. PLUS, because I’m paying to host that site, might as well get my blog back to being cool, too.

Change your links.

Thanks for putting up with me! ;).

Here’s a nice little concoction for a great pasta “sauce” next time you’re in the mood. I say “sauce” because it’s not really a sauce. More like a coating? Boyfriend and I tried it with cheese ravioli, however I think it would stand out a lot more if you made it with something more simple. Fettucini, perhaps?

1/2 cup olive oil (extra virgin, if you like the flavor) (or whatever you can afford) (that stuffs expensive, I know)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped (avoid the jar type, get it fresh!)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 t fresh or dried parsley OR basil (we did basil because I am illiterate but I like basil more, anyway)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Heat the oil mixture over medium heat, crushing the garlic into it as it cooks. After about 3 minutes, the garlic should turn brown and you’re done! Toss with your choice of pasta (about 3/4 of pound for these measurements) and enjoy!

P.S. Don’t forget some grated Parmigiana Reggiano on top! Romano would be a good choice, too!

I’m supposed to wait a week or two until I start announcing it to the world.. and BELIEVE ME, it was a hard day at work to not tell everybody that I saw. I had an interview this morning and it went a totally different route than I ever expected.

First of all, I was a little skeptical about if this interview was even worth it for me because I know it’s a sought after position for a lot of people and I have less direct experience. A girl I know applied for the position, too, and I said, EFF WORD, when I found out. She pretty much does this position already at a different store, there’s no way I have anything above her to compete. Obviously, I wasn’t going to just dismiss it all together, so I pumped myself up and figured I’d chalk it up to some good interview experience.

FUNNY PART. He basically tells me once we get introduced that she got the position. There’s no reason for him to not give it to her; she sincerely deserves it and I totally understood. (So, why am I even here…?)

He spoke with my store manager to get some better insight on me because he didn’t want to just cancel on me. My store manager is the greatest guy ever and said wonderful things, as he always does. LUCKILY, there was one position they weren’t going to post for interviews because they were unsure if the current holder of the position at a different store would take it. Well, they don’t want her.  He asked my manager if I’d be a good fit and, instead of wasting time on posting it for others, THEY GAVE IT TO ME. Which is why I’m supposed to stay quiet– so she doesn’t find out before they talk to her. Which wouldn’t happen via my blog. WHICH IS WHY I’M TELLING YOU THIS:

I will be the Lead/Manager of the HBC & GM department. Healthy/Beauty/Cosmetics and General Merchandise. As in, I am in charge of everything you buy at the grocery store that is non-foods. Everything from shampoo to batteries to gift cards to condoms to foil baking pans. Dog toys and baby bottles. Kitchen tools and aspirin. As in, a lot of freaking stuff.

AT A NEW STORE. This store will be brand new, huge, super beautiful, and all mine. This doesn’t normally happen for someone like me. Usually they transfer an experienced person from another store. So, in a few weeks, I will do about 4-6 weeks of training at my store with the girl who runs our department and then, August 19th, I’ll start on my own. Obviously not a dream job, but it really works for now and I’m super excited.

Uhh.. what a long, descriptive post. It could’ve been, “HI I GOT A JOB!!!” But, I am a storyteller. AND IT WAS THE BEST DAY SINCE FOREVER.

I’ve been so busy that I don’t even know what to blog about!?!?!

+ Job is .. eh. I like what I do and I like working a lot. The past 2 or 3 weeks have been crazy and I’ve been working almost 40 hours, so WOOH. Next week, my hours are down again and I don’t understand why. I just hate being part-time and my hours not being consistent. I have an interview next Wednesday for another full time position and I should be getting called to schedule another interview soon after that for another position. All of these stupid interviews — somebody needs to say yes!

+ YAY SCHOOL. I’m doing pretty well with saving up the $3000 I need for my first quarter. Surprisingly well. (Another reason why I need some consistent hours at work). I received my program of study today and all of the classes that will transfer from my other degree. So many more transferred than I thought. Thank YOU! I just have one course that I need to submit a portfolio for in order to receive the credit. If I stay part time, 2 classes a quarter, I will be done in the Fall of 2011. Hopefully, I’ll be able to shorten that once I have a better job & can save more money to pay for extra classes. I also need to make sure that 2 classes & a full-time job isn’t overwhelming before I sign up for 3. However, I am okay with all of this. It’s going well!

+ I like toys, so I bought a GPS. Why? I don’t know. Boyfriend and I like going new places or on crazy road trips so I guess it could come in handy with that. We used it yesterday to get to Cracker Barrel and then to Target. Just for fun. It’s a pretty nifty gadget. It shows you local places of interest, anything from banks to parks, shopping to gas stations, which I know will come in handy when I’m out of town. This one is a newer model and “she” actually says street names instead of just telling you to turn.

+ Less than 3 weeks until Chicago vacation. NEED SO BAD.

P.S. I’m currently watching last week’s episode of the Duel (RW/RR challenge). The challenge is sort of like a spelling bee and no one can spell. I feel embarrassed for them. THRONE! EXERCISE! FREIGHT! What the heck.

P.S.S. It’s a Sunday morning and I’ve been up since 6:30am. For no reason. It’s just my new sleep schedule. GROSS.

Boyfriend and I went to the Philadelphia Phillies game yesterday. Gorgeous weather. Hot dogs & ice cream in a tiny plastic helmet. We got there and realized how dumb we looked without shirts. So, we bought some to look the part, haha. Seriously, look at the crowd! It’s all red shirts! We honestly had to buy child size shirts because they make adult ones so huge. Even the smalls. Awkward. Oh, and the Phillies won.. of course :).

If you’re ever in need of a recipe, you will need to start using this site:

It is a place for food bloggers to showcase their exceptional food & photography skills. It is entirely based on submissions by people like me & you :). You can browse randomly, by the most popular, or from new to old. Of course, there’s a ton of categories to choose from if you’re looking for something specific. Become a member and you can save all your favorites. Definitely something I need to do because I’ve tried bookmarking and- listen- it’s just overwhelming. It is just so easy & simple to view everything and navigate.

Any other suggestions for some good food websites? I love looking up recipes, but I’d like to find some new, unique sites!

It’s pretty hard not to care about a family member, right?

For me, it’s pretty hard for me to not wish the worst for them.

I had a really normal childhood. We didn’t have as much as we do now.  I was lucky enough to have my mom at home for most of my younger years. My brother and I didn’t get along 89% of the time. My bedroom was pink. Fell down the stairs, scrapped my knees, bumped my head. I had imaginary friends and played with my Barbies. Loved riding my bike around town. Became a smart-ass teenager and got yelled at for my countless supply of whatevers and yeah rights. Graduated high school with awesome grades & made it through college.

When I was 8, my sister was born. She is now 16. She is not my sister. I have honestly come to this point & conclusion in my life.

It doesn’t even matter– you can say it’s because my mom started working or because, after 2 kids, they were just over parenting. You could say it’s because of the huge age gap– she’s 8 years younger than me & 10 younger than my brother. You could say it’s lots of things. You can’t just say, “Oh, all kids are just different.” Or, “There’s also one weird one in the family.” Whatever the case..

She is the most disrespectful, rude, selfish, and ignorant person I have ever encountered.  Probably since she was 12 or 13, has yet to have a conversation with someone without spitting out some kind of cursing phrase or freaking out with some horrid way to make them feel like dirt. I am being nice. When I say conversation with someone, this also & mostly includes my parents. She doesn’t listen, care, want to be involved or try to be civil. Telling her no is pretty useless anymore. In fact, don’t waste your breathe. She won’t even hear it.

She is spoiled beyond words. I wish I had known swearing at my parents would get me free computers, shoes, clothes, & anything else I wanted. She currently takes up the space that is our basement. It consists of a main bedroom, another smaller room, and a bathroom. It is literally DESTROYED. The walls, the floors, the ceiling. She paints, cuts, scrapes, nails, screws. She smokes in her room, drinks in her room, and probably smokes pot in her room. She misses at least 2 days of school a week. She has been ‘active’ with probably more guys than I have been. No, not probably. She has been. She does not care about anyone else in this entire house. I simply ask her to please not blast her music after 9pm, as I have to work early. I am effing satan and should stfu, stop being such a b-word, stop attacking her.  It does not matter the situation- in public or at a family holiday- she is no different.

What angers me the most? My mother is like her little best friend. It’s starting to come to a point where she can’t take it anymore, either, and I know some serious issues have been causing some serious screaming spats, like the smoking & drinking.  However, she lets her get away with pretty much everything. That’s what kids are gonna do, she says. My father? Dislikes her so much that he refuses to even get involved, speak, look at, or listen to her. EXTREMITIES. It’s a big reason why my parents don’t get along sometimes & has strained their marriage. I understand that kids are under peer pressure and it’s become so easy to get into these habits, but HELLO. This is not healthy behavior. In fact, smoking drinking & pot are all illegal. You can’t control everything your kid is going to do, but I’m pretty sure you can talk to them about it! Yeah, Dad smoked pot when he was a kid, too. Umm.. in 1977.  Also, that doesn’t excuse you from parenting or give any a kid a reason to be that way. There needs to be a limit, a point where enough is enough. It’s not just one or two things, it’s everything. Her attitude, personality, behaviors.

Today, she was standing in the living room, talking on the phone. I was sitting in my bedroom, which is right off the living room. She was making sure everything was good with getting high in the car before prom tonight. So casual. I told my mother. NOTHING. They had a nice little chat that I couldn’t really hear, but they were giggling so I assume everything’s super cool, right?

My brother and I never. That’s it. We just never. In high school, I was an angel. The idea of these things was horrid to me and I thought anyone who drank or smoked was a really bad person. I didn’t speak, let alone tell my mother to eff off every 2 seconds.  College was a different story, but I was an adult and– well, no. Forget it. I cannot even be remotely compared. It’s beyond my realm. I just don’t understand how this child, these behaviors, at 16, isn’t shocking to them. It is so sad that I actually do hope something terrible happens to her because there isn’t any other way for her to learn. I cannot stand living here, having no control and watching this happen.

Part of me wants to care and help her because she is my sister. Most of me has just reached the end point.. and I could not care less what happens. Does this make me a bad person? I don’t think so. It sounds terrible and I know it. It’s been really difficult to deal with this. You really don’t know the horrors until you live it. I can’t handle the stress it causes me sometimes. I have to find a way to let go.

I disappeared for bit. Okay, so, it was only a week. Hit “mark all as read” on my Google Reader, haven’t seen my comments, missed Foodie Friday, and barely tweeted. I kinda liked it.

I’ve been working a lot. Over 40 hours & 6 days last week. It’s a bit tiring, both mentally and physically. Friday, I woke up sick. SICK! Some nice congestion, headaches, & scratchy throat. I spent the weekend recovering and napping. Watching lots of Food Network and lots of trips to Target because I couldn’t handle doing much else without losing the ability to breathe. Also, I’m learning to love Bobby Flay.

Moving on.. In order to attend school, I basically have to save up $3000 by September 1st. Then, another $3000 by December 1st. Another by March 1st. Another by June 1st. THEN.. repeat until I have my degree. Wish me luck because I pretty much know this won’t work but it’s worth a shot? We’ll see. I have some ideas but I don’t make enough money right now to easily save that much every week.

So, yeah, not much excitement going on. Working and waiting for good stuff..

I bought some wrist & ankle weights the other day. I thought it would be a good idea to use them with Wii Fit, since the strength training and aerobics aren’t very hard for me.  I have to work a bit faster with the aerobic step because I weigh more. I missed a few more than usual.. SAD. Wrist weights with boxing is pretty nice. I can never follow the moves, though. When he’s like, “left, right, dodge left, dodge right, block, step back, right, left!!!” What? With boxing, you have to hold the remote & a nunchuk, so wrist weights are great. Using the weights with the strength training exercises will probably be great once I get used to them. My balance was so off and she’s freaking out on me because my “legs are little shaky.” Hi, there’s weights around my ankles. After my first attempt today, I think it’ll definitely help once I get used to the awkwardness of wearing strange objects.

I also reserved a copy of EA SPORTS Active for the Wii and I’m TOTALLY excited for this one. I like the idea of the resistance band, which Wii Fit lacks (hence why I bought the weights) and it has so many more activities. Wii Fit tends to be a bit boring, monotonous, and slow. From what I can tell, Active will be a lot more exciting. There’s a great multi-player part, which I think will be my way of getting Lazy Boyfriend to do things with me, haha. It comes out today so hopefully Boyfriend gets it and brings it to me :D. He also reserved the new boxing game (that’ll be good times, too!), so I don’t know if he’ll get both today or not.

I am #1 Anti=Gym lady, so I love these ideas that allow me to be (somewhat) active without leaving my house. I actually have found some great iPhone/iPod touch apps for fitness that I wanna share, so look for a post on those soon, too. Stop spending insane amounts of money on a gym membership!!! ;)

I was driving the long drive to see Boyfriend the other day and literally felt on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Mostly overreacting to life, however I can’t help but keep stressing out over everything. Things are getting better at work, but it’s still 98% frustrating. Be glad I don’t share all the details and complaining with you. ANYWAY. I thought I was going to freak out and lose my mind right there on the highway. Made the decision. I don’t care; it’s time for a vacation.

I know I can’t afford a cruise or week-long getaway to some remote island. Just going to the Jersey or Maryland shore is not exactly it, though. We thought about Boston or maybe Savannah.. it would be nice to choose somewhere we could drive. Explore a new world. Relax. See some new sights.

So, tonight, I booked a trip to Chicago. Yeah, not within (sane) driving distance so we are flying.  BUT, it’s super cheap. $687. Airfare + hotel.

We’ll be arriving on a Thursday afternoon and staying until Sunday morning. Staying right between Magnificent Mile and the Navy Pier.

Now, I need your help. I have a few attractions in mind. However, I’d love a few more suggestions. We aren’t staying too long so I need the best of the best!