My First Real Cake

I made my first cake from scratch this Thanksgiving. It was delicious. Plus, it was really fun to make. You don't just open the box and put it in the oven, but you get to see everything that goes into the cake, and you really get that great feeling that you made something great. The best part is seeing a smile from each member of your family, and hearing things like, "Wow, that cake really made my day." I decided I love baking from scratch. It's more personal, more fun, and definitely more tasty. I also decided I'm going to start experimenting with making things from scratch, designing/decorating cakes, and putting together a book with pictures and recipes of all the things I make. If I never get my own bakery, at least my kids will have a great baking book!

Here is the cake I made:

Thanksgiving?

This Thanksgiving day, I saw the movie The Blind Side with my mom and my sister. Now, I'm not here to give you a review of the movie or tell you how great it was (which it was), but I realized something about Thanksgiving from seeing this movie. Why is it that Thanksgiving is a day for us to remember how blessed we are and give thanks for all the great things in our lives? Is that really enough? Is it enough to just say, I'm thankful for (insert stereotypical response here). In this movie, the character of Leigh Anne, played by Sandra Bullock, is a very well off woman with a great house and family. She opens up her home to someone who has never had a real family, and not even a bed of his own. So shouldn't thanksgiving be more about moments like this? Shouldn't we be going out and helping others so that they have something to be thankful for? Everyone already knows we're thankful for all the great things we have, and although it is nice to have a reminder, an even better way of remembering would be to go out and see how many people don't have all the great things we have and trying to do something to make their thanksgiving special. Similar to the Tap Project for Unicef, if every person donated a canned food item or went out and did something for others on Thanksgiving instead of sitting in our nice houses, watching football on the flat screen, waiting for the turkey, maybe the less fortunate as well as ourselves would have a better reminder of what we are thankful for.

Here is one of the trailers I really liked for the movie with a couple of parts such as the Thanksgiving scene and the scene where he gets his own bed.

Inspiration

I recently made this for my sister. I would love to have a website where people can request one of these to be made - pick colors and the quote/verse. I think a simple reminder, a quote or a verse that helps you get through the day, can make such a big difference. For me, when I'm stressed out or worried about everything I have to do I remember "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." If I had this in front of me, on a painting like this, I could look up and remember I could accomplish anything I need to accomplish. Sometimes, all we need is a small reminder. I think sharing this would be a lot of fun, and could help a lot of people :)

Rich Women

My biggest pet peeve - rich, snobby women.

Today our church went to a Habitat for Humanity build. Little did we know we would be surrounded by the typical, rich, "Plano West" moms. (Plano West is probably the snobbiest place around, maybe worse than Highland Park? Close call.) Here are just some of the things being said around me as we tried to help build the house.

- "O EM GEE - I CANNOT BELIEVE NONE OF YOU WATCH GLEE!" (said by a 40+ year old mom)
- "So, where are you all going for Thanksgiving? We are going to the Carribean, they have great golf!"
- "Umm, I'm gonna go find something else to do, I don't want to get paint on my clothes."
- "I am NOT lifting any more, I don't want my back to hurt!"
- "My life is SO busy. I don't really know what I'm doing, but I mean my life is FULL."
- (talking about nose jobs) - "Well, I just want him to take off this bump..."
- (Woman in true religion jeans and high heel boots- "Well this is all I have to get dirty, I don't have anything worse"
- while we were painting long wooden boards, after we paint one side.."So let's just flip them over now and paint the other side"
- while painting the sides of the boards - "it's just like when you get your nails done!"

Their afternoon consisted of standing around holding a paintbrush and gossiping. It drove me absolutely crazy. Why do you even bother coming? To make yourself feel better about being a rich lazy snob? Now here is my real discovery, acquiring money makes you a different person and not in a good way. Most rich people don't go around donating their money and doing good things with it. Well, there are of course suggestions. But these women, even if they didn't have money their whole lives, once they get money they become this stereotypical, dumb, full of themselves, snob. Having too much money gives them too much freedom to buy everything they need to make them not have to put forth effort into anything. Their energy goes into telling other people what they want them to do, and therefore, they start to think they are better than everyone who has to do these things themselves. As much as young girls may think they want to marry a rich guy, I've realized I would never want to marry a rich guy, because I don't want to become like that. And I've realized these women are my absolute biggest pet peeve. I'm sorry but you are not the center of the world, and you need to get off your throne and get down and dirty like the rest of us.

If the government required each person to do 5 hours of community service a month, and really and truly experience it, maybe we'd all be a little bit better people and the world might be a little bit better of a place. I realize this may all sound a little hypocritical coming from a girl who has lived in Plano her whole life and goes to SMU, but nobody should act like that. I don't even think that's who they really are. I think money taints people's hearts and personalities, and I really do feel sorry for them.

Video Greeting Cards

My grandparents live in Egypt. They are thrilled when they receive a letter or phone call from my brother, my sister, or me. My siblings and I decided to send my grandparents a recordable/musical christmas card. We used to never imagine recordable greeting cards, but now I ask, why not video greeting cards? I imagine a video christmas card would look something like this...

Young Girls Today

As I was at work today, I noticed something. As the kids get on the computer, the boys start playing shooting and fighting games while the girls immediately go to dress up games. These dress up games are not just picking out clothes for dolls, but it includes makeup - eyeliner, eyeshadow, glitter, blush, and of course sparkles. You also get to choose how big you want your dolls chest to be - small, medium or large, as well as how big her hips are. You go shopping for your doll in the "starplaza" where they give you about twenty different "stores" to shop at. They even include stores like kohls, where advertising comes in and includes video clips urging the girls to make kohl's wish lists. This made me realize how much society is trying to get to children. When I was young, I barely played games on the internet, but if I did it was games like snowboarding or puzzles. These games get into the heads of these girls and tell them that they need makeup, new clothes, and even lets them pick how big the chest should be? The young girls at my work come from low income families, so what is even worse is the fact that they will see all this and think this is what they need. They will think maybe they aren't pretty without makup or without new clothes. What happened to natural beauty? What happened to inner beauty? I never realized to what extent society is corrupting young girls, but it seems the dove campaign was right on the mark about this subject.



Here is one of the sites:



www. stardoll.com

Irresponsible VS. Responsible

I have never liked this axe ad. I think this ad, as well as some of their other ads, can be taken in an offensive way. I'm sorry, but I am not going to go running towards a guy because of how they smell. I'm sure there are actually few educated women who would actually want a guy just because of their smell, and this ad just makes women look stupid. Plus, why do they have to be running in their bikinis? I just think this ad is done in poor taste. I understand that axe uses the sex appeal approach, and that may work sometimes, but this commercial itself could have been done in a better way. I just think products don't need to use the sexual approach. Even if it is funny, I think they could have taken a different approach from the beginning and set a whole different standard for their product. I feel like using a sexual approach is like an easy way out, and this commercial especially makes women look like dumb, men chasing, bikini wearing creatures.

Here is an ad that I think is very socially responsible.



In this commercial, AT&T includes information about TOMS shoes. TOMS shoes is an organization that donates a pair of shoes to a child in need anytime someone buys one. AT&T took this opportunity to share the message of this great organization while still promoting their brand. But they took that extra step when they didn't have to. They connected the two in a great way, and were able to raise awareness about a good cause.

I also like this AT&T commercial, that although isn't promoting an organization or cause, sends a good warm message. They make it less about the brand, less about the prices, less about the competition. It leaves you with a good feeling, a feeling that maybe technology does good in the world.



If advertising could start doing warm, socially responsible ads more often to the point where they were the norm and not the exception, that would be a great turning point in advertising. People would have a better attitude about advertising, and maybe social awareness of organizations and issues affecting the world would rise.

Map of My Dream World

On days when it seems like the work will never end, like I'm stuck in a hole with everything piling on top of me, and when I just want real time to relax with nothing on my mind... this is what I imagine. My dream world - at a perfect temperature of 85 degrees all the time. Complete with a dessert street - cupcakes, ice cream, brownies, etc. A large room to just sleep, an area with big couches to watch my favorite show - friends and play video games all on my 83 inch tv. An area to do any arts and crafts I could ever imagine, an area to bake anything I want, and a middle area to share these things with family and friends. An area dedicated to puppies, and a similar one to babies, just to play with (they seem to take care of themselves), and a large library so when all of that gets old I can learn anything I want. This is my dream world. :) Don't worry, if this ever happens, you're all invited.



(click to enlarge)

Blockbuster

As I was driving home the other day, I noticed a big sign "STORE CLOSING - UP TO 60% OFF." I thought it was another small store, and didn't think much of it. Until I looked and realized, this wasn't just a small store closing, it was blockbuster. I've seen several around the area closing their doors, and I started wondering how many other types of stores are going to start closing in the future? Blockbuster used to be the automatic place you go to rent a movie. But now you have options! Do I want to use netflix, redbox, or blockbuster? Blockbuster isn't even necessary anymore because you can just order movies straight to your TV, your computer, or just pay$1 at the redbox. So, through technology, what else is going to start disappearing from our lives? Will grocery stores start closing because all groceries can be immediately delivered or sent straight to your refrigerator? Will pharmacies close because medicines can be vended with the right identification provided? Will movie theaters start closing because new releases can just be purchased from your home? It has been a big trend in America that stores were popping up everywhere, shopping centers being developed, and almost no land was left uncovered. Maybe one day, stores will come down because technology will make them unnecessary things of the past. Maybe slowly the land will start looking like it did hundreds of years ago, empty. But then again, it might be covered with robots...

Perfectionism

I'm one of those people who likes everything to be right, perfect, done the way I see it in my head, and the way I think it should be done. Sometimes this is good, sometimes it isn't. And sometimes it just causes unnecessary stress.

I work at Dallas Community Lighthouse, a tutoring center for kids. Today I noticed something pretty cool. Kids don't care whatsoever if something is perfect. They will build a crooked jenga tower and knock it down immediately while they are cracking up, while I try to make the tower perfectly straight and make it stand up as long as possible. They will color a turkey just red and green (apparently it was a Christmas turkey), while I color mine the traditional brown, red, orange, etc.

Why do things have to be perfect? Life isn't perfect. Life is full of coloring outside the lines and towers being knocked over, and maybe if I lived a little bit more like these kids I would be ready for it. I wouldn't stress out, freak out, or not know what to do if something isn't done the way I think it should be.

Here are some things the kids have made me...

Doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

Old Navy Commercial

"New Party Cardis on sale this week at Old Navy, Are they too much fun?"



what?



why did they have to ruin the ad completely with the end of that line? Usually I stare at these mannequin ads and just wonder where the hell this idea came from, but this one I actually laughed once! But then they had to ad "are they too much fun?" What? What does that even have to do with anything? Sometimes it's best to not overthink things, just leave it alone.

Birthdays

With my sisters birthday approaching, I've noticed that as we get older, we become less and less excited for our birthdays. People stop caring about presents, and basically the birthday is no longer a big celebration. Is this because we've had so many of them before? Why do we even celebrate birthdays with cake and presents? Where did the idea of birthdays come from? I decided to find out.


Birthday History
History of Birthday observance can be traced back before the rise of Christianity. In pagan culture it was believed evil spirits visited people on their birthdays. To protect the person having birthday from the evil effect, people used to surround him and make merry. A lot of noise used to be created in such parties to scare away the evil spirits. In those times there was no tradition of bringing gifts and guests attending the birthday party would bring good wishes for the birthday person. However, if a guest did bring gifts it was considered to be a good sign for the person of honor. Later, flowers became quite popular as a Birthday gift.

Early Records of Birthday Celebrations
Historians are certain that birthday celebrations are being held for quite sometimes but there are few records for the same. Documented descriptions of Birthday celebrations are available only for kings, high-ranking nobility and those who held high positions in the society. In the beginning common men and especially children were unable to celebrate the birthdays. Scholars believe that this difference existed because only the nobility was wealthy enough to throw birthday parties and was considered important enough to be written about.

Popular Birthday Celebrations in History
Best known birthday in the history is that of Jesus Christ. For nearly 2000 years since the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Christians have been honoring the day as Christmas.
About 4,000 years ago King Pharaoh used to celebrate his birthday by giving a feast to his court followers.
King Herod is said to have celebrated his birthday by treating lords, high captains and special friends with a special supper party in Galiliee.
History of Popular Birthday Traditions and Symbols
Some of the popular Birthday traditions and symbols that we see today originated hundreds of years ago. Some believe the tradition of Birthday cake was started by early Greeks who used to take round or moon shaped cake to temple of Artemis - the Goddess of Moon. Others believe the custom of Birthday cake initiated in Germany where people used to make bread in the shape of baby Jesus’s swaddling cloth.

The popular custom of lighting candles on cake is said to have originated because Greeks used to light candles on the cake taken to Artemis to make it glow like a moon. Some though believe that custom originated because of a religious belief that gods lived in the sky and lighted candles helped to send a signal or prayers to the god. Germans are said to have placed a big candle in the centre of the cake to symbolize ‘the light of life’. Even today people make silent wishes as they blow out candles. It is believed that blowing out all candles in one breath brings good luck.


So, it seems that culture has made birthdays more than they ever were, kind of like everything else. America takes a holiday as an opportunity to commercialize it. Valentines day is less about love and more about chocolate, flowers, and teddy bears. Christmas is less about Jesus, and more about presents and christmas trees. Easter is less about Christ rising from the dead and more about easter egg hunts. Even St. Patricks day has become about parades, drinking, and cheesy "100% Irish" t shirts. We are all so materialistic that holidays are more celebration about stuff - less about what it's about. We can't lose the meaning in these holidays, in the simple things, because one day if we aren't careful our kids may not even know what these things are truly about. We are stuck in materialism, and it's only getting worse.



The funny part is, if manufacturers stopped making "stuff," we would all still survive. We don't need toys, 500 pairs of shoes, or the newest ipod. But nobody would ever stop, because nobody wants to stop the inflow of money. Is it a bad thing that our society runs off of money, or is that just the way the world works? Maybe it's not about the fact that we focus on money, but more about the fact that we forget to focus on things other than money. Maybe we can do both, we just haven't tried.

Beauty

I live in a very suburban city, Plano, TX. People even refer to living in Plano as "living in the bubble." Plano is basically tons of neighborhoods, parks, and schools. Teenagers who live in Plano usually complain that Plano is a boring city to live in . You either go to the mall, the movies, or you eat. The other day, I took a walk around this city I grew up in, and I found something interesting...

Sure, Plano might not have exciting things to do, but there it has it's own quiet beauty. This made me realize, everything has beauty. Even if it seems dull or ugly, if you look close enough you will find something beautiful in it. So if the day seems like it isn't going your way, if you drive by a low income neighborhood, if you hate your job or your boss, just remember that everything and everyone has beauty somewhere, you just have to find it.

Forced Insight?

If you have to think about things to blog about, are they still as insightful?

For some reason, lately, I've found it harder to find something to blog about. It's like the first 20 entries drained me. And I feel bad because this should be getting easier, and it should just come naturally. Plus, this shouldn't be about counting entries. It seems like with so many other things going on, things that require just a certain type of thinking, there isn't enough room left for creativity. It becomes more about making room for creativity, when it should just come to us. So many of our classes, for example, accounting, is just formulaic thinking. I find that when I do things like that all day, it makes my thinking less creative. So by the end of the day, I'm not thinking insightful or creative thoughts, I'm just tired and don't want to think at all anymore.

Sometimes at work, I work at a children's tutoring/after school care organization, I color with the kids or do arts and crafts, and that kind of thing is what takes away from that straight line thinking. I've noticed that if you give kids a sheet of paper, they automatically start filling the page. If you gave an adult a piece of blank paper, they wouldn't know what to do with it. They would ask you what you want them to do, what they should draw, or what the paper was for. Kids seem to have things always in their mind just ready to come out on paper. One day I gave a few kids some construction paper, and they built a miniture house, tree house, and a whole set of buildings. I think the outside world puts a restriction on thinking. The business world, and so many jobs are based on straight line thinking, formulas, and spreadsheets. The walls need to be lifted. I've decided I need more artistic and creative moments in my life to let myself relax and release stress from formulaic thinking. So, here is a start.

Tounge Sticker Outers

So, as I was driving down the highway today, I was in the left lane going about 10 mph over the speed limit as I usually do. So this lady in a Honda Pilot starts getting on my tail. After a while of her tailing me, she finally gets in the lane nexts to me and speeds by me. As I usually do, I glared over only to find this middle aged woman, well maybe 60 year old woman in her little Honda Pilot, looking over at me and sticking her tounge out at me while shaking her head. My first thought was, really? really lady? You don't flick me off, you don't honk, you don't wave your arms at me, but you stick your tounge out at me? Well, I got annoyed that this lady thought she was so bad ass, and I honked at her. I showed her!

So I realized, there are so many situations that make you act unlike yourself. Even the nicest people can be angry and mean! It's human nature. Human nature is a weird thing, does everyone have certain things in common? Is everyone mean sometimes, does everyone get angry, does everyone get sad? Where does this come from? This can all go back to the nature vs. nurture debate. But have people always been this way? Or has human nature changed over time? Are we all "tounge sticker outers" deep down?

Situations change us. Team events make us competitive, arguing makes us mean, family events make us loving. People are not just one face, people have multiple faces, and different situations bring out different faces in all of us. I don't think this has ever changed, just the situations that cause these changes have changed. A long time ago, people might have argued about gathering food, or what land to settle in, and I bet back then someone stuck their tounge out at someone else (or whatever they used to do). Even the famous Shakespeare line, "I bite my thumb at you," shows this same sort of action. And today maybe it's traffic that makes you stick your tounge out, or a bad grade. And there is no way that everyone who does these things is secretly a bad person at heart. The most important thing is, you have to learn to control your faces, and not let your emotions get the best of you. Competition is good in moderation, being mean isn't good even if someone else is mean first. Unfortunately, human nature cannot always control our actions, and sometimes this means a middle aged women will stick her tounge out at me.