The Tinder Trials

Well. I promised it, and here it is.

For those of you who live with Patrick Star and don't know what Tinder is, it's a dating app. It can be really great. I've talked to some cool guys on there and even met one in person.

But Tinder is like a carton of blueberries. Most of them are just regular ripe old blueberries. But every so often you get one that's mushy and disgusting.

Below are the mushy blueberries of Tinder.

Our first blueberry is Tony, who uses Snapchat the way we all expected Snapchat to be used when it first came out. The devil emoji really drives home just how naughty Tony wants to be.

 

Blueberry number 2 is Francisco, who goes to the church of Love and who also devours lady parts. You do you, Francisco. 

You may recognize our next blueberry from my Facebook post previewing this blog post. His name is Coty. Bad spelling runs in his genes. He is a #senior. And he is majoring in psychologist. 

Blueberry Douglas clearly does not understand Tinder.

Matt is a blueberry that wants to show you amazing pleasures in a 3way to remember. These pleasures include mouths, tongues, water, hand holding, worshipping (Jesus first), vegetables, numbers, Autumn, wind, fire, alcohol, biceps, vegetation, and rainbows. What a fucking night. 

Who wears short shorts? Our next blueberry wears short shorts. And also provocative vests.

This is DeerCat. He is an entrepreneur whose height and handling will give you a religious experience.

This blueberry has it all, from the epic facial hair right down to the star wars crop top.

This blueberry is so naked right now.

Blueberry Bryan is peeing on fences at the ripe old age of 27. He also likes things, so you probably have that in common.

Meet Sallybear, the blueberry with a gun, fauxhawk, fancy tie clip, and a smoldering bear stare.

An honest blueberry is the best kind of blueberry. In addition, any blueberry that uses fun slang words for vagina is a winner in anyone's book.

Our next blueberry wants to give you a Pretty Woman experience, but only if you call him daddy.

This blueberry is a little desperate, but he also loves MILFs, so the decision has gotten infinitely harder.

Last but certainly not least, our final blueberry is Panda, and he is not afraid to wear denim on denim on denim while he makes you dinner or serenades you. And also his name is Panda.

Happy swiping, my brothers and sister in Tinder!

The Single Life

Everyone knows by now that I'm a single lady. To quote one of my all time faves, She's the Man: "It was just, like, a big, huge, dumping."

It's been a shitty few months and I don't want to be a stupid sad cry baby anymore because I'm too awesome for that. To quote another all time fave, How I Met Your Mother: "When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead." 

To make up for the fact that I am in a program that is 95 percent women, I have taken the plunge into Tinder.

Met a super hot Spanish photographer. Met a really cool, funny dude named Matt (really? come on). Met a guy who "just wants to cuddle." 

In the approximately 48 hours that I have been on Tinder, I have compiled a list of rules that I feel all you lovely dudes on Tinder should abide by. Here they are.

1. No one gives a shit about your truck/ATV/motorcycle. And if one or more of your pictures isn't actually you but is instead some kind of motorized vehicle, I'm just sad for you. 

2. No one gives a shit about the giant fish you caught or that one time you held a *insert name of snake here*. These are things I would've expected to see back in Alabama. Also, Britney looked better with a snake than you do so don't even try because you can never reach her level of badassery. 

3. Maybe this is just me, but if the first thing in your bio says "God first," or "Jesus saves," I am already beyond over you.

4. Consider having at least one picture of you by yourself. I'm not a gambler. I will not guess which one you are in a group photo and hope for the best.

5. Pictures with half-naked girls? Really? Wow, we're all really impressed by your ability to get chicks. 

6. Do not call me baby. I do not know you. 

7. Sorry to break your heart, but asking me to hang out at midnight will not work because a) it's rapey and b) I get out of bed and put on real pants/a bra for no man. 

8. Why are you married?

9. WHY ARE YOU MARRIED? 

10. Shirtless gym pictures? I'm over it. 

But if we're being honest, none of these really matter because

11. Get over yourself. You're on Tinder. So if you have a list of deal breakers or "reasons to swipe left" (especially if they're stupid reasons, such as "If you're like cats more than dogs") in your profile, you need to get your big ole egotistical head out of your butt. 

Boys, I promise, if you follow these guidelines chicks will totally dig you. Or at least they won't be disgusted/creeped out by you. One step at a time.

Dumb Dentist

If you've been keeping up with me on Facebook, then you may know that I've had some trouble with my teeth recently. I hadn't been to the dentist in two years because of my family's move to Chattanooga and my resulting laziness in finding a new dentist either at home or at school.

I finally made an appointment because one of my lower right molars had been hurting for a month or so, and it looked like it had a little hole in it. There's a dental office at the end of my street that I pass every day I go to school, so I figured I would call them. From the first phone call, there were so many signs that this was not the best dentist, and of course I ignored them. A synopsis:

Phone call: I call dentist about five minutes before they close to make an appointment. After we make the appointment, I apologize for calling so late. She says, "That's okay, I'm just happy I'll have something to do tomorrow."

Do you not usually have things to do? Just how many patients do you guys have?

First appointment: Get X Rays done. Dentist comes in, and before she even introduces herself, she says, "Well, it looks like you might need a root canal." Good. Fabulous start. Dentist also attempts to explain my dental situation using technical terms, and I stop her halfway through and say, "You're going to have to start over, because I did not understand anything you just said."

I'm a patient, dude. I don't know anything about dentistry (well, I do now, because I've researched it...but I didn't then). You gotta use layman's terms here.

She informs me that I have five teeth that need fillings.

I just realized that they never asked for X Rays from my previous dentist. I feel like that usually happens...am I crazy?

Second appointment: The goal is to fill all of the teeth on my right side. Dentist ends up having to give me three shots because I'm apparently very difficult to numb. She keeps making little quips about how I'm making it take forever, blah blah blah. We only get through one filling—the one that was hurting me.

Post-appointment, I'm in a little bit of pain. My jaw hurts and my tooth is really sensitive. So I call back and they tell me that this is normal, because keeping your mouth open for a long time and block injections will both cause soreness, and sensitivity can be expected for up to six weeks because of the amount of tooth that needed filling (it was a three-surface filling).

Why didn't you tell me that in the first place??

The receptionist says that the dentist should have told me to expect this, and to take some pain killers before the numbness goes away.

She did not. She did not tell me. I did not take pain killers. Well, I did, but not until way after the numbness was gone.

Third appointment: Dentist hits me in the lip with the needle while putting the syringe in my mouth, then blames this on me. She says, "Sometimes, if you don't open your mouth far enough, the needle can get caught." My lip begins to go numb.

Why didn't you ask me to open my mouth wider??

Fourth appointment: I wait for half an hour after my appointment time until Dentist finally comes in. She numbs me and leaves again to let it set in. While numbing, she begins talking to her assistant about getting drunk with her friends. Really?

Dentist also hits a capillary accidentally while numbing and tells me that I will be sore because the tissue is bruised now.

Wait another half an hour. Dentist finally comes back in and rushes through doing my last two fillings in half an hour. She doesn't wait for the numbing medication to fully set in on the bottom before beginning drilling. The cavity was shallow, so I didn't really feel anything, but it was still really weird. I didn't get fully numb until I was checking out.

Also, the assistant kept handing Dentist the wrong tools and things when she asked for them. This happened I think three times.

Before I go, I tell her that one of my teeth feels pokey, and she says, "Pokey? That's weird," like I'm making this shit up or something. But she looks and sees that it is indeed pokey and shaves it down a bit. It still feels kind of funny, like there's a weird edge to it, but it doesn't hurt or anything so whatever.

That brings us to today, when I was eating pretzels and then noticed that the formerly pokey filling was no longer there. There is currently a gaping hole on the inside surface of my top left back molar. I called the office and told them, and they couldn't get me in today.

I don't know why I called, because it's not like I'm ever going back to them, ever ever ever ever. I'm going to go to my family's dentist in Chattanooga on Friday, hopefully, if they can fit me in.

Until then, I have to chew on my right side and rinse every time I eat.

No worries. I'll just be chillin' here with my swiss cheese molar.

Just Call Me Lemony Snicket

Unbelievable. Insane. Ridiculous. Absolutely 100 percent STUPID. These are all things I would use to describe the series of unfortunate events that has occurred in my life over the past few weeks.

Let’s review.

3 weeks ago: Bitten by a brown recluse spider. Ankle swells to twice its normal size. Takes a week to return to normal.

2 weekends ago: Robbed at gunpoint Saturday. In addition, kitten pees on bed when I get home because I had moved his litter box too quickly. Wash bedding Sunday. Email professors and receive extensions on papers. Do nothing for several days. Get behind in all classes. Skip class Tuesday because kitten again pees and poops on clothes and cannot deal with life. Soak clothes overnight in enzyme solution and water and then launder on Wednesday.

Thursday, September 25: Birthday. Universe grants me a brief grace period. Eat tacos. Drink margaritas. Play cards against humanity. Generally have an excellent time.

Four days ago: Receive four more spider bites while studying outdoors at coffee shop. One swells to the size of a doughnut. Not a doughnut hole, the actual whole doughnut. Spend night icing thighs and fighting urge to itch.

Today, 8:30: Wake up late. Eat cereal bar in car.

Today, 9:15: Park in city parking garage. Practicum interview at 9:30. Interviewer is amazing and we spend three hours talking about random shit. She offers me a practicum position (yay!). Forget about therapy appointment at noon. Therapist says she will have to charge me. Also, it is 45 degrees and gusting wind and I am in a skirt.

Today, 12:30: Leave interview to get lunch before my 1:30 meeting. Tell parking garage attendant that my meeting went longer than expected and I only brought enough cash for one hour. Attendant will not let me leave garage. Tells me I must either find an ATM or call someone to bring me money. First incidence of public crying. Find pizza restaurant and ask tearfully for ten dollars. Angel man gives me ten dollars. Pay for parking. Forget receipt. Attendant brings me receipt and opens gate, tells me to have a nice day. Do not look her in the eyes. I am free.

Today, 1:15: Barely make it to meeting. No time to eat lunch. Have not eaten in five hours. Cereal bar was digested at appx. 9:30. Meeting lasts one hour. Cancel second practicum interview.

Today, 2:45: Arrive home. Eat chicken and rice. Put on sweatpants. Watch Netflix. Planning on napping. Cat is acting funny. Smell poop. Go to check litterbox, notice the closet door is shut. How long has it been shut? Long enough for cat to pee thrice and poop once on comforter, which soaked through quilt, flat sheet, and fitted sheet. Thank goodness for my waterproof bed pad. Make mental note to self to close bedroom door when I am not home.

Today, 4:15: At Laundromat to once again wash cat waste out of my bedding. Ask attendant if she has change for a 20 because machine does not accept $20 bills. While she looks for change, the front door blows open due to horrific wind and I go to close it. Somehow, wind blows large clock off wall. Clock falls and hits me on top of the head. Second incidence of public crying. Attendant asks if I need medical assistance. I tell her I’ve just had a rough day.

The universe is testing me. And I am failing.

A Split Second

There's a moment before a trauma happens when you know that something terrible is about to occur. I felt it last year when I was hit by a car (Read about that shit here: OOTD Log: The Time I got Struck by a Vehicle), and I felt it last night, when I was robbed at gun point on a typically safe street in St. Louis.

Last night, Saturday, September 20, 2014 at 10:50 p.m., I was outside of my friend Lexie's apartment building in Central West End. We were with our friend Brian and had stopped by Lexie's place so I could change shoes before we went to Oktoberfest at the Urban Chestnut brewery downtown.

We decided to take Brian's car to Oktoberfest, so I went to put my stuff in my car and told them I would meet them back at Brian's car, which was just around the corner from mine. Brian had gone out to the patio of Lexie's building, so she went to get him while I went to my car.

I got back to Brian's car before they did. No big deal. I had seen them walking back inside from the patio and knew they would be there in less than a minute. A man walked up behind me and said, "How are you doing tonight?" He was a tall black man and my initial response was fear, but I told myself, Kelly, you don't know that he's not just a guy walking back from a bar or a restaurant, so try to stay calm. And I said, "I'm fine, how are you?"

That's where my split second occurred. I knew in that moment, right after I responded to him, that something was about to happen. And then suddenly, there was a gun two inches from my forehead and he was saying, "This is a robbery. Give me your purse." I screamed and he said, "Shut up." I looked down at the ground and threw my purse at him. He began walking away but then turned back and said, "Take your shoes off, bitch. Take them off!" I did as he said and then he went on, "Kick them over there." And I did.

Then he walked away calmly. Apparently, Brian and Lexie had heard me scream and began walking faster to get to the stairs that lead down to the sidewalk, where they saw the man walking away with my purse. He pointed the gun at them, cocked it, and said, "I just robbed your friend."

I didn't hear or see any of this, because I had immediately begun hyperventilating and crying. Lexie and Brian somehow remained calm enough to call 911 and help me to slow down my breathing.

The police got there in about 5-10 minutes, which seemed like a lifetime. They were amazingly helpful and so sweet, and made us comfortable and made us laugh. Because I have the "Find my iPhone" feature enabled, they were able to locate my purse, which was about five houses down the street in some bushes. Amazingly, it still had everything in it except for the approximately $8 in cash that I was carrying at the time.

They dusted it for prints, swabbed my cheek, and walked me back to where Brian and Lexie were standing, now accompanied by my other good friends, Taylor and Danielle, whom I had asked Brian to call.

I called my parents and my boyfriend, who were obviously upset by the news, but we stayed in touch all night as I calmed down, so hopefully they calmed down a bit as I did. Lexie and Brian stayed with me last night, which I appreciate more than words can express because I so did not want to be alone.

There have been a few times on this blog of mine that I've said something was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me, or that I had the worst night of my life. This was without a doubt, one hundred percent the most scared I have ever been. I'm shaking even as I type and recount this. I remember it in snapshots—the moment I knew this man was not just another pedestrian, the whoosh of the gun as he held it up to my face, gripping a street pole and collapsing to the ground in terror and disbelief at what had just happened.

I am so unbelievably lucky to have found such a great support system here so quickly. I don't know what I would have done without my friends. To Lexie, Taylor, and Brian, you guys are my heroes and I am so so grateful for your help and concern and support. To Lexie and Brian, I do not discount the trauma that you experienced. Just because the gun was farther away from you doesn't mean it's not still a gun that was pointed at you. And thank you for staying with me last night.

I hope that they find this guy, and I hope I get to talk to him. I want to know his story and why he held a gun to a young woman's face and asked for her purse in an era when people typically carry credit cards instead of cash. I want to know what he did with those $8. I wonder if he is an addict or if he just steals, because he seemed so methodical and calm, like he's done this many times before. I wonder where he was hiding, because I didn't see him until he was right next to me. I want to know why he made me take my shoes off when I could run better barefoot. I want to know how he knew that Brian and Lexie were my friends.

But bottom line is, I'm okay. I swear to god I thought he was going to shoot me, but he didn't. Who knows if the gun was even loaded? I had trouble falling asleep, but my sweet kitten (I think it's so amazing how animals can sense when you're upset) curled up on my chest, put his head next to mine, and stayed there until I fell asleep.

And that, friends, is the very true, very real story of that one time I got mugged in St. Louis.

Organization Log #4: BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

It's my favorite time of year! Back-to-school shopping is my favorite shopping. You get to see all these pretty things, and you don't even have to try them on before you buy them! It's just the best. And I only get to do this for two more years, so I have to make it count! 

I've always been really good at organizing myself for school, and at keeping up with it throughout the school year. So these are probably going to be my best organization tips out of any that I've done so far. I'm a pro at this, guys! Let's start with some supplies.

My go-to's are colorful pens and highlighters, a good planner, and sturdy notebooks. And really, I like all of these things to be colorful.

TIP #1: USE COLORFUL WRITING UTENSILS. This makes note taking so much fun, and you can separate your colored notes by subject or day and find them so easily. Check it out.

I change pen color every time we start a new chapter or subject in each class. I get so weirdly excited about looking at my beautiful notes. Now, when I'm taking notes in class I only use a yellow highlighter, because it shows up well on all of my colored pens. I highlight what seems important.

When I'm studying for an exam, I then look over my notes and rewrite the things I need to remember in black pen, then highlight things in different colors for different categories.

For example, in this class I used three different colors to denote which sections were from the professor's study guide, and which were from my notes or from the textbook. That way I could easily cross reference, and it also helped me rank which sections were most important (obviously the stuff from the study guide, as the professor gave it to us herself).

TIP #2: A GOOD PLANNER IS A MUST. I know a lot of people use their phones or email or whatever, but for me, I've always been about dat agenda. Physically writing a task down is associated with better recall of that task later (this goes for note taking too, for all you laptop note takers out there—you remember the info better if you write it down!).

I love the Lilly Pulitzer planner, which is very, ironically, sorority girl of me. But I have used every agenda out there ever. Seriously. Day runner, day planner, everything, and this is the only one I will be repurchasing. 

A good planner has several qualities. First of all, it needs pockets in the front in case you have something you need to stick in there quickly. Second, it needs both a monthly and a daily planner section. Third, it needs a notes section. This planner has all of those, with plenty of room for writing. 

I use paper clips to mark where I am in my notes, in my monthly planner, and in my daily planner (so three total). I also color code my events based on whether they are for class, for extra curriculars, for appointments, or social. August is looking pretty spare right now. Until we get to orientation week.

I used the multicolor highlighter trick here as well, to denote which orientation events are required vs. the events that were optional that I registered for. And it's so neat and easy to read! As for the notes section, I use that mostly for grocery lists, or any kind of list really. This year I've used it to make a packing list to move and to make a grad school application to-do list. I love having everything in one place!

On to notebooks. Are you a notebook or a binder user? I used binders throughout high school, but switched to notebooks in undergrad because I didn't want all the extra weight if I were going to be walking farther. 

TIP #3: USE REFILLABLE NOTEBOOKS. But notebooks are not reusable, right?

WRONG! Enter these beauties, which are by Five Star, and which I purchased THREE YEARS AGO, and they are still in perfect condition. They are sort of like a binder-notebook hybrid, and come in all sorts of fun colors (or black for you lame-oes out there). They are refillable, but much lighter than a binder. The downside is that they have no pockets, but you can buy insertable pockets for them! 

Weirdly enough, this is the best investment I have made, as my binders usually got so beat up in high school that I had to replace them every year anyway like I would have with a notebook. And the three-ring closures on these are rubber, so no more worrying about pinching your finger in those nasty metal ones. 

TIP #4: HAVE FUN WITH LABELING. With a binder, there was always the option to slide decorative paper in the front with cute hand lettering on there, but no such luck with notebooks. To label mine, I write the subject on printer paper in a metallic sharpie, then tape all four sides down. If I had easy access to cuter paper, I would totally make this more adorable. But it's still sorta cute, right?

TIP #5: USE REINFORCED NOTEBOOK PAPER. Maybe I'm just unnecessarily violent with my notes, but I swear there are always several pages that come completely out of the rings over the semester. And who wants to individually reinforce all three holes on each sheet of paper? No one. Luckily, someone threw a bone to the lazy people by inventing paper that is pre-reinforced. Score!

Let's move on to the desk area.

TIP #6 PART 1: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH FUNCTIONAL THINGS THAT KEEP YOU ON TASK... Here I have yet another calendar so that if my planner is in my backpack or whatever, I can still see at a glance what I have to do in the next few days. 

I also like this little plain whiteboard where I can hang inspirational quotes or jot down something I need to do later.

TIP #6 PART 2: BUT ALSO SOME THINGS THAT ARE JUST FUN. It's nice to be able to look over and see something that will put a smile on your face when you're in the middle of a not-so-fun study sesh. Enter bulletin boards!

I filled my bulletin boards with magazine and newspaper clippings, mementos, doodles, and ticket stubs. Each one of them has a memory attached to it that gives my poor tired brain a nice break from working. My favorite things on my bulletin boards is a comic that shows two adult Kool Aid pitchers having dinner looking proud while their baby Kool Aid runs around wrecking things. This makes me crack up every. Single. Time. 

I'm so excited to begin graduate school. It seems like it'll be really hard, but studying and staying organized is always something that I've been good at, and something that has helped me maintain good grades. Nothing is a substitute for good note taking and study skills, and I hope that some of my tips can help you improve yours if you're struggling, or inspire you to add to them if you're not.

This concludes my organization series! Thanks for sticking with me while I tried out something new :) 

Organization Log #3: Small Kitchen

Hello friends! Today we discuss the small, sad rectangle that is my kitchen. Here it is.

Cue "awww"s.  It almost seems like this isn't a good picture because you can't see everything. But unfortunately, this is everything. This is the entirety of my kitchen. A singular wall, maybe 10–12 feet, with a stove, one column of drawers, very few cabinets, and no dishwasher. The fridge barely fits on the opposite wall next the the pantry.

But it's just so dang adorable. Even if you don't have a kitchen made for ants, these tips will work in any kitchen!

TIP #1: INVEST IN GOOD DISH WASHING ITEMS. I mean everything. Sponges, gloves, soap, and in my case, an in-sink drying rack (because, again, no dishwasher). Having quality items makes doing the dishes less of a chore, which in turn leaves your sink clutter free! I don't know about you, but there are few things I hate more than a sink piled up with dirty dishes.

I got these gloves from Schnuck's (yes, that is a real name of a real grocery store for all my southern friends out there. Where is the Kroger?? Where is the Publix??), and they are so cute, inexpensive, and functional! I always buy Scotch-brite heavy duty sponges because they have a soft side and a scrubby side (using technical terms here), and they won't break the bank like some of the more decorated sponges. I also exclusively buy Dawn foaming dish soap after using it and loving it at my parent's house. It lasts for freaking ever, and who doesn't love a foamy soap?? It's the simple things, guys.

For anyone who doesn't have a dishwasher or who has lots of dishware that requires hand washing, I would highly recommend a memory foam drying mat. They're washable, better looking than laying out a hand towel, and they absorb enough water that you never have to worry about it leaking through. My mom got me one as a gift for my first apartment, and I used it sooo much.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough counter space to lay it out here, at least not every day, so I invested in an in-sink dish drying rack from Bath and Body Works. In my opinion, they had a better selection than Target did. And it was nine bucks, people. NINE. And it has a nice little utensil holder and plenty of room for plates, pots, pans, and glasses. Oh yes.

TIP #2: KEEP YOUR MOST-USED ITEMS WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM. My sweet momma bought me this awesome blender, which I have been using the crap out of in the few days I have had it!! I've been wanting for a while now to make a smoothie every morning for breakfast, and now thanks to mom and boyfriend, who bought me an amazing book called "The Smoothie Bible," I can finally do it! Because it's something I use every day, I thought it was worth taking up some of my precious counter space. Also, the smaller book is called "The Bartender's Guide," in case you were wondering.

TIP #3 PART 1: DON'T OVERCROWD CABINET SPACE... Yes, even in a small kitchen. Otherwise, just opening up a cabinet to find something can be overwhelming. Save the stress for something else! Keep it simple and don't over stack. I mean really, how pretty does this cabinet look? And it's not just because of the AMAZING COW BOWLS THAT HAVE ACTUAL UDDERS ON THEM.

TIP #3 PART 2: ...UNLESS YOU HAVE RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF ANY ONE THING. In my case, that would be tea.

This cabinet is not nearly as pretty as the other one, but I know my tea collection well enough to not get stressed out by this madness. I also wanted it all in one place for ease of use. So as we see, there are exceptions to every rule. Anyone else a tea addict?

TIP #4: USE SHELF PAPER. A lot of times, especially in super old buildings from the 1920s, drawers and cabinets can get pretty worn and nasty looking. Enter shelf paper, which does not necessarily have to have an adhesive back, and which (apparently) comes in scents...I stuck with good ole non-scented, but regardless, this just gives you a nice clean base upon which to lay your utensils and knives and, you know, batteries and matches and takeout menus.

Okay, so let's dive into my pantry, which, thank JEEBUS, is actually quite large.

TIP #5: PUT THE HEALTHY STUFF ON EYE LEVEL. You may have to enlarge the picture to see, but the eye-level shelf has veggies, soup, and healthy snacks. In my case, that means lots of almonds and kind bars, and a large variety of canned vegetables and Cambell's soups. Yum :)

Along the same lines, I put all the carb-y terrible things on the top shelf. Out of sight, out of mind right? Hah, like I ever forget about macaroni and cheese.

TIP #6: PANTRY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE "FOOD ONLY." That will probably mean something different for everyone. For me, it means that everything that didn't fit in my ant-kitchen goes in here, because I have tons of space. My toaster, which I don't use very often, tupperware, alcohol, and measuring and cooking spoons all live in the pantry. They can even *gasp* share a shelf! I know, I'm a mad man. I am also keeping my tools in here (in the shoe box next to the toaster) because it's just an easy-access spot in my apartment.

That's it for today friends! No real "grand total" here, because it's mostly made up of things you'll already have for your kitchen. Look out for a very exciting back-to-school organization post, which I will likely lump in with my office organization. Does anyone else love back-to-school time as much as I do?? Even as a grad student, I am still getting excited. CAN SOMEONE GET ME TO A STAPLES IMMEDIATELY PLEASE.

Till next time...