cupcake decorating and knitting

Last weekend was a busy one in the kitchen. I canned roasted red peppers and applesauce. And I made two batches of buttercream for my cake decorating class. In this class, we learned to make leaves and flowers and we decorated cupcakes.

This Saturday is my last cake decorating class, and it's a big one. We're going to learn to make roses and learn to write. We'll be decorating a layer cake, drawing on all of the techniques we've learned so far. It kind of feels like a final exam, except better, because there is no grade!

In other news, Drew and I moved in together nearly two months ago, and things are getting serious. That's right, this means that I am knitting him something. If you are a knitter, you know that it is a big deal to knit something for your partner. It's not your average knitting project. Why? Because you can't jump the gun and undertake it too early, lest you break up before the project is finished. That's why knitting something for your partner isn't something that should be taken lightly. So, about 3 months ago, I finally decided that if we're going to live together, then I suppose I can finally knit a scarf for Drew. And here it is:
Obviously, it's far from being finished. Knitting is a slow process, especially when you're following a pattern. But here it is, and at the rate I'm going, the scarf will be finished when we finally leave California and move somewhere with a real winter.

so long october!

It just came to my attention today that we are halfway through the fall quarter. I knew that time was flying by, but I had no idea how fast! The past couple of weeks have been exciting ones. Drew and I have quickly settled in to our new place, unpacking and decorating. And we have survived, even though the Yankees swept the Twins in the first round of the playoffs.

Drew's brother Chris and his girlfriend, Hettie, came to visit us for a week. It was a low key and relaxed visit filled with Mexican food and tequila, but we did make it out to the Santa Monica pier:

As you may remember, I love fall! And I love pumpkins! Check it out:

Get it? It's a tree! I found this idea in a magazine, and Drew and I decided to load up on pumpkins and try it out. Drew did the bulk of the painting (specifically the tree branches) which is ironic, since I am the one with an art degree.

And finally, I finished another baby blanket. Seems like I can't crochet 'em fast enough!

baby blankets!

It's been a quiet and low key March so far. We finished the quarter last week, and spring "break" starts tomorrow. Break is in quotes because it's not really a break since I'll be working. So, not a whole lot of news to report. I came across some photos of a couple crochet projects and realized that I forgot to post them.

A couple friends had babies in the past year, so I crocheted each a blanket. Below, a fun monkey blanket. I also made a matching hat.

And here is a colorful ripple blanket:
That's all! Drew and I are going to Disneyland this week, so stay tuned!

things i am making

I don't have a whole lot to say right now. (I know, uncharacteristic, right?) I've been busy with grading, reading, writing, yoga, friends, you know, the usual. (Not necessarily in that order) I passed the belay test at the ARC, which means that now I can get a membership to the climbing wall and go rock climbing. I have not done this yet, but it's on the to-do list.

So, I guess this will be a visual post of stuff I've made and stuff I'm making. Last week, I made Sausage, Spinach, Ricotta Stuffed Shells for my friends. They were fantastic.

I am working on a baby blanket. Here it is in the beginning stages:

I'm also working on a sweater. I'm not very far into it yet, but here is the back panel:

Well, I'm going to go back to doing whatever it was that I was doing. You can do the same now. Have a fun rest of the day!

how i spent my winter vacation

Happy 2009! Winter break went by so incredibly fast, and we start classes this Monday. The past three weeks have been relaxing and busy. Here are the highlights:

On my post-Christmas shopping trip, I got a new cookbook. It's called Cakelove: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch by Warren Brown. Brown is a former lawyer turned baker, and he has opened up some bakeries and cafes in the D.C. area. (I am always fascinated by these stories of people who change careers. It's like they have had more than one life.) As a New Year's resolution one year, Brown resolved to bake more often. He writes that he had always been intimidated by baking, and his underlying mission is to keep it simple and help people overcome their baking fears. His instructions are clear, and he does a great job of breaking down the baking basics. (Plus, the pictures are big and vibrant.) However, Brown does not dumb down the art of baking, which is what I like. He doesn't promise to teach you how to bake a cake using only like 5 ingredients (is this even possible?), and every recipe is completely homemade and starts from scratch. (On a side note, I've noticed what could be the start of a pattern. It seems that I am drawn to stories about people who have walked away from law careers to go into the food industry. Remember my obsession with P.B. Loco?)

I did some baking for New Year's Eve. This time, it was all vegan. I made lemon gingerbread cupcakes and S'mores cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Here are the S'mores cupcakes:

I've started running again, and I'm considering a 5K, if I can find a race to run. I've been faithfully going to my yoga and pilates classes, too. In some crafty news, I finished crocheting a baby blanket. Here it is:

After making lots of scarves and blankets, I've finally started knitting a sweater. It's pink, and the clover lace pattern only looks complicated. So far, so good. And, I'm getting ready to start another baby blanket.

The break was fun, but I'm ready to get back to school. Winter quarter should be fun this time around. I have a sweet TA assignment, and I'm taking some cool classes. I've decided to take a class in the Women's Studies department, and I'm taking a research methods class. Oh, and I suppose that my break isn't completely over: I'm headed to South Carolina next week for Hawkeye's wedding.

yarn, yoga, and dachshunds

Last weekend was a lot of fun, and I hope you had a fun weekend too! I went to the beach, took a yoga class, saw Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but cheesy movies are my guilty pleasure), loaded up on loot from Bath & Body Works (they have a new scent- Black Amethyst!), and I saw 3 dachshunds (1 at Fashion Island and 2 while I was out running).

So, I have been keeping busy, waiting for classes to start in about 2 weeks. I have been taking it easy, reading all the books that I don't really have time to read while I'm taking classes. I am still running, and I have started yoga again. This time, I am taking classes at Yoga Shakti, this yoga place across the street from UCI. And, I started a new crochet project, a baby blanket for a colleague due in about a month. Here is what I've done so far:

Sorry for the poor picture quality. Again, you would think that as a former art major (with a focus in photography), I could do better.

Operation Chocolate Chip Cookies: Trial 2

Okay, so here's my second chocolate chip cookie trial. These cookies are good; they're chewy, moist, and soft. Now, most chocolate chip cookie recipes call for equal amounts of brown and sugar. For this recipe, I increased the brown sugar to white sugar ratio. I also added coconut for texture. To ensure soft cookies, I added the baking soda (alone) after I creamed the sugars with the butter and egg and before I added the flour, salt, and baking powder. (I read about this technique on a blog, so I gave it a try) Also, it seems that chocolate chip cookie recipes call for baking soda and not baking powder, but I have been adding a little of both just so the cookies rise and don't get too thin. I have about 5 more cookie recipes to try, so that will keep me busy...along with school, of course.

I have finally finished the pillow for Heidi and Katie!

Out of the Slump

Okay, so I've temporarily come out of the slump. Today I had a meeting with BG, one of my professors. I told him that I had to take an incomplete in his class to finish the final paper. Now, FYI, it is not a good idea to ask for an incomplete the day after the final paper is due. Nevertheless, he granted me one. It was a good meeting, but slightly overwhelming. I'm behind on stats, and I'm going to need more stats training to be competitive to publish and when I go on the job market. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I had no desire to do either.

I am meeting with the department chair, MP, on Friday. I had a heart to heart with one of my grad-student-mentors, Amy, yesterday (who advised that I talk to MP right away). This is what I told her: I'm a one-trick pony. I care only about women's rights, particularly reproductive rights. I have other things that I care about, like violence against women and same sex marriage, but I'm passionate about reproductive rights. I don't exactly care to learn about anything else. I only care about political science stuff such as voting behavior, social movements, and political participation only as it relates to reproductive rights. I want to make an impact in this area, but I'm not sure that this is how I want to do it. I'm not sure that teaching and doing research is how I want to work to protect reproductive rights. Although research is important, it's a slow process and there is no instant gratification. If there is anything that I am not, it is patient (just ask my mom). Making an impact through research is glacial and behind the scenes-- instead, I think that I want to be on the front lines. Anyway, I'm going to talk to MP to see if what my options are and how to break into public policy work. Don't worry, I'm not throwing in the towel ; I'm just looking to see what else I can do with a PhD that will further my goals.

Today our students took their final exam. I always get attached to my students and feel sad at the end of the quarter. I've gotten to know them, and I've seen them grow. I've spent this quarter pushing them to think outside of the box and challenging them to defend their viewpoints. Even thought I get sad when the quarter ends, I look on the bright side: Next quarter, I will have 65 or so new students to teach about politics. I never doubt that I have an impact on these students. Some may come and go, but I know that some genuinely appreciate my efforts. I know I'm not making revolutionaries, but if I can make politics fun and pain-free, then I've done my job. As my students turned in their exams, I think that they were a bit sad to see me go too. One of my students even gave me a hug (no, it wasn't a guy trying to hit on me). It was one of the nicest things that any student has ever done.

In other news, I'm making squares for Warm Up America! It is this charity that sews together knit squares into afghans for homeless people. Here is a checkerboard square:

Winter Quarter Halftime

We are halfway through the winter quarter now. Here's the latest update:

Classes are going well, and I think I'm finally starting to understand statistics. My students have an exam on Friday, so I'll be busy grading essays next week. In some exciting news, I finally bought a laptop. You can't really see this in the picture, but it is indeed pink. I have been busy writing, and my new computer makes it all the more enjoyable. Now I have no reason not to get my work done.

I also finished crocheting a tote bag. It turned out quite nicely, if I say so myself.

Of course, I've been baking- lots. Tonight I made Red Velvet Cupcakes. I ran out of red food coloring, so they're not super red. I did a taste test, and they're not too bad.

Knitting for Peace

Last week we started our winter quarter, even though it felt more like spring. Since I've been back from Minnesota, the temperatures have been in the 70s, even reaching 80 last weekend. I'm taking three classes this quarter: Women in Legislatures, US in Comparative Perspective, and Stats. My TA class is Intro to US Government, and I'm TAing for one of my favorite professors, MW. So far students have learned the constitutional foundations of our government and an overview of parliamentary systems. This is so that students can better understand the advantages and disadvantages of our form of government.

I've found some creative outlets to relieve the stresses and pressures of graduate school. Of course, I've been baking a lot (today I made Apple Spice Cupcakes for my class) and I've been knitting and crocheting. I have recently completed a purse, and I have started to crochet squares that will be assembled into another purse. I guess I'm on a handbag kick at the moment.

A few weeks ago, I purchased a book called Knitting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time. It is this fabulous book about knitting for charities and different causes both in the United States and abroad. Some of the causes include knitting for soldiers, cancer patients, children, and animal shelters. This book could not have come to me at a better time. I was looking for some sort of way to contribute to a cause and make a difference, no matter how seemingly small. Grad school is time consuming, and I needed some sort of outlet to remind myself that I am more than an academic-in-training. This book has sparked an interest in 'craftivism,' a form of political and social activism that centers around crafts.

Anyway, I crocheted a comfort shawl for Sheila's Shawls, a program of the Silent Witness National Initiative. Silent Witness is based in Minneapolis and this organization works to raise awareness of and reduce domestic violence. Comfort shawls are distributed to women who have survived domestic violence as well as women who are the family and friends of those who have survived domestic violence.

The 7th Week Stretch

We are headed into Week 7, and the quarter is flying by! I think that I am finally done with my data set. I've been saying this for the past month, so I'm not holding my breath. I just finished coding my variables, so I think I have all the information that I need to start analyzing.

I finished the baby blanket:

I'm also working on a scarf.

All Play and No Work?

Well, it is the 5th week and we are halfway through the quarter. My students turned in the first draft of their second essay, a critique of textualism according to Justice Antonin Scalia. In case you are dying to know, textualism (in a nutshell) is the idea that...wait, you aren't dying to know, are you?

I had my discussion section this morning. I spent nearly the entire time talking about sentence structure and grammar. Students seem to think that longer sentences are better sentences, but this is not so. Many of them commit what I like to call "sentence sprawl" and "comma abuse." As they write, students like to just keep going with their thoughts and go on and on and on, because they get on a roll, and then they don't want to lose their train of thought, and they assume that they are being perfectly clear even though they are not, and then they just sprinkle commas throughout their super long sentence. As you can see, I have given you an example. From their essays, I pulled out some examples of sentence sprawl, comma abuse, and good comma use to make a handout for the students. Together we practiced "fixing" bad sentences.

I decided that today was the day to tell my students about my pet fish, Justice O'Connor. Below is a photo:

I got Justice O'Connor last December. My roommates and I decided to have a White Elephant Gift Exchange, and my gift was a betta fish. Well, I decided that I wanted to have my own fish, so I purchased a red betta fish. To pay homage to the first female Supreme Court Justice, I named my fish Justice O'Connor. At the gift exchange, my friend took home my gift and he named his fish John Roberts (after the current Chief Justice).

Sometimes TAs dread going to their discussion section too early because they don't want to have to make small talk with the students. Some may think that they will lose authority if they seem too much like a friend. Most are simply so incredibly socially awkward that small talk probably freaks them out. I, however, love getting set up for class and making small talk before my discussion sections. (And no, I don't have any authority problems.) Anyway, before section today, I told the students about trick-or-treating in the cold and (sometimes) snow in Minnesota. It was an unfathomable concept to them. Then I proceeded to tell them about Justice O'Connor and how he (it's a male betta fish) almost died last week. Hilarity ensued. I explained how I found Justice O'Connor fluttering about near the surface of the water. I was afraid that he was going to die because the bowl was only 2/3 full of water. I dumped more water into the bowl, along with some food. He was still fluttering about, sideways. I started to yell at Justice O'Connor, telling him not to die. It must have worked because Justice O'Connor is still alive. Anyway, I met some friends for dinner after JOC's near death experience and told them that I feared that a fish funeral was imminent. My students laughed at my story- a lot. They also suggested that I need to have more fish to name after Supreme Court Justices. I think one is enough.

Since it was Halloween today, I baked sugar cookies for my students. I also baked some cookies for Danielle (my roommate) to take to her chemistry lab. Tonight I realized that I had forgotten to bake for my Political Participation class that meets tomorrow afternoon. Since last winter quarter, I have gotten into the fairly consistent habit of picking one of my classes (in which I am a student) and baking for seminar each week. I enjoy baking, but I can't eat all the treats by myself! Tonight I made orange pumpkins and leaves with pink frosting. It looks strange, but pink is all I had left.

I have started a new knitting project. You see, Heidi and Katie have a super comfortable blue couch in their office. When I need a break, I like to go lay down and relax for a few minutes. It is heavenly, but the only thing that is missing is a pillow. So, I decided to knit them a pillow cushion. Also, notice the brand new bamboo knitting needles. I got them in this gigantic set of 17 pairs. They are quiet and super smooth. Best of all, they're not super slippery like the aluminum needles, so I don't have to worry about dropping stitches.

I have finished the scarf!

Last Week of Summer

All right, it's been a bit since I've posted a new entry. A lot has happened this past week, so here goes:

I have moved...again. This is the 4th move in a little over a year (Minneapolis to Rochester; Rochester to 8719; 8719 to 8619; and 8619 to my current apartment). I moved from New Palo Verde to Old Palo Verde, which means that my rent went down nearly $100 a month. I'm not going to air my dirty laundry on this blog, so I will spare you the details of why I moved. The O-side fam came up to help me with the first move, so I had my friends help me with the 2nd. I am already looking for new friends in case I need to move a 3rd time. ..joking. Friends say that I have a 7th month itch since I haven't been able to stay in one apartment for longer than 7 months.

I am finishing up my RA responsibilities with KB. It looks like I should be wrapping things up by next week, which is good since classes begin on Thursday. Under KB's guidance, I will be starting work on a qualifying paper. This paper will explore the current abortion debate as it develops along the lines of privacy, family, and the welfare state. I also met with CU, the first reader of another qualifying paper this week. This paper will look at opinion formation and the processes that impact abortion attitudes. Theoretically, I could write these papers simultaneously. However, this probably will not be feasible since I will also be taking classes, TAing, and working on a coauthored paper. Instead, the development of these qualifiers will most likely be staggered.

Our summer is wrapping up, and we begin classes next Thursday. I am taking Statistics and Political Participation. TA assignments were announced today, and I got my first choice: US Supreme Court with the department chair, MP. I love teaching about the US government, and the Supreme Court is my favorite branch. This will also be a great opportunity to cultivate a relationship with MP.

After spending a year in California, I find that I am finally getting used to the weather. During this time last year, it was still really warm to me; I wore flip flops and skirts year round. I have noticed that it is getting cooler during the day and chillier at night. Of course, it may be due to the thunderstorm that we are expecting tomorrow. You know the song about how it never rains in Southern California? Well, that's the truth. When I was in Minnesota last July, I saw more rain in a day than I had seen in almost a year.

After a year long hiatus, I am knitting and crocheting again. Since I don't want to be a one dimensional grad student, I am trying to cultivate non academic hobbies. Here are my current projects:

I am knitting a colorful scarf and crocheting an off white baby afghan. Tonight, my friend Lorien and I went to the Stitch n' Bitch in Long Beach. This is a group of women of all ages and backgrounds that meet on a weekly basis to knit (or crochet) and socialize. It felt great to get away from Irvine, meet new people, and take a much needed vacation from academia. Being in grad school is like being in a bubble because we are surrounded by other grad students and professors. This can get really monotonous and overwhelming. It is easy to forget that there is this big world full of "normal" people, and sometimes I start to feel like I am defined by what I study. It was really nice to be in the company of non academics because it means that conversations can never be about school, classes, professors, research, etc.