Word-Filled Wednesday.

The early part of my day was a bit of a bust. I was supposed to head out east to interview Swear and Shake at the Stephen Talkhouse, but halfway through my shift today, I felt completely nauseous. Before you ask, no, I'm not pregnant. I think it might have been the smoothie I ordered from the cafe at work (it contained fat burners and some other junk I don't usually consume, but the flavor sounded super delicious). Either way, in case it was something more, I decided not to make the 90 minute trek, to be on the safe side. Thankfully, I got in touch with Adam, Swear and Shake's singer, and we will reschedule. I absolutely hate canceling things like that, its so unprofessional. But when it comes illness, I am overly cautious.

Once I got home, I relaxed for a bit and drank lots of water. As soon as the wave of nausea passed, Erich and I ran up to the grocery store to get something for dinner. We decided this week to cut meat out and limit our dairy, so veg-friendly treats were in order. We stocked up on frozen goodies (Amy's frozen burritos are my saving grace) and some fresh fruit. I just received a case of raw nut and coconut butters from Artisana the other day, so I needed some fruit to pair them with. After lounging around and  creating another (yes, another) bracelet, I decided to hop on the 'net and apply for some writing jobs. The only way to develop my craft is to immerse myself in it.

Coasters + bracelets, made by yours truly.

I also updated my ad space tonight, thanks to a killer site I discovered, called Passionfruit. Its so much more streamlined to take care of your sponsorship needs. I had a bunch of questions, but Jason, the owner of Passionfruit, helped me out. He's a cool dude, and I am proud to support his endeavors. I hope he does well with his venture. If anyone wants to swap ads, let me know - I have a promo code I can share with you.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, as its jam-packed with blogging goodness! Since starting the blog, many companies have reached out to me, which I think is pretty cool. The Container Store invited me to their blogger preview event tomorrow, and my mom is coming along to snap some shots for me. This is their first store on Long Island, so I am super excited to see what they carry. I love having specific containers for, well, pretty much everything, so I'm hoping they have something for my crafting goodies. Which, if you haven't noticed, I've gone crazy with lately. After that, I will be swinging by Dots, to check out their back to school goodies. The entire time I've lived on Long Island, I have never stepped foot in any of their stores. There's a first time for everything, right?

Evening Sandwich Adventuring.

For the last week, my friend Jess has been trying to coordinate plans with me. We finally aligned our schedules and had a late lunch today. Seeing as our money trees slowed down on production lately, we wanted to get something that would be filling, but not wallet-draining. I have often heard friends of mine speak of the amazing sandwiches made at The Portly Villager, which is a local pub, located in Sayville. We decided to try it out. After all, you really can't go wrong with a sandwich.

Upon entering The Portly (this is what the locals refer to the pub as), we realized we were the only females in the room. Heck, we were the only people under the age of forty in the room. Not that we minded this, or that they minded us. The men were at the bar, eating and drinking, watching the Olympics and conversing. Nothing rowdy, no one being belligerent, people just spending time together. The gentleman tending bar told us to have a seat wherever we liked. Once we pulled up a chair, he asked us if we had been before. Jess had come for a drink one night, but never ordered food. He presented us with a menu, a card, and a pencil. This was going to be fun.

 The specials menu lists thirty specialty sandwiches The Portly offers. This is all they have, but they do it well. On certain days, they offer soup or chili. They were serving gazpacho, but we decided to skip it and go for the sandwiches. Now, for the card. What you do is check off which number sandwich you'd like. If there is something else you want, have no fear. The card has a create your own sandwich checklist. Best part of this? Every sandwich is $10, no matter what you order. This also includes your tax, which I think is much easier, especially when tipping. I think its a pain for waitstaff to receive a tip that requires them to carry change in their pocket. As if they don't have enough to carry around.

Jess and I decided to split our sandwiches, so we could try a couple different options. We chose the Portly Cheese Steak and the Southwest Panini. After we handed in our cards, we were given a basket of popcorn. Not bad, huh?

 Within fifteen minutes, our sandwiches came out in these nice baskets. The cook knew we were sharing our treats, so he split them up for us. The sandwiches came with chips, homemade coleslaw, and a pickle. Perfect sandwich pairings. Our sandwiches were insanely delicious. I can't say I have a favorite, seeing as they are both so different. Since E was working, I ordered him a Cuban panini to go. I knew later on that night, I'd sneak a bite of his to see how it was. I did, and it was heavenly.

I didn't have a beer, seeing as I don't like drinking and driving (my father instilled fear in me at a very young age regarding this), but I was thrilled to see the pub boasting half a dozen Blue Point Brewing Company selections on tap. This is what I love about my area - local businesses are always working together and carrying each others products. I can't name one local place I frequent that doesn't offer something created by another local business.

I couldn't eat all of my food, so I brought home something to nibble on for a late dinner. I also grabbed a card to go, so I could show Erich what they offer. Sandwiches are served til 10pm Saturday - Thursday, and til 11pm on Friday. This is perfect for nights when we want a late snack, or when I'm too lazy to cook before work - I can call a sandwich in the night before. I'm really looking forward to visiting The Portly Villager again, next time, I'm creating my own masterpiece!

Fall Wardrobe Contest.

August has finally arrived, which means Autumn is soon approaching. To me, this means leaves falling, cool weather, drinking hot tea out of ginormous mugs, and shopping for my two favorite things - school supplies and fall clothes. When I was younger, I loved shopping for school supplies and picking out my clothes for the upcoming school year. Growing up in Florida, the extent of my fall wardrobe was basically the same clothes I wore year-round, with a few new hoodies tossed in. Our classrooms cranked the central air, so my sweatshirts were usually oversized and they doubled as fluffy pillows. Once, I actually got stuck in my hoodie, thanks to my friend, Greg, tying the strings to my hood together, and tying a knot in the arms. I should have expected it - we were goofing off in our eleventh grade English class, and I sat on the floor, putting my head and limbs on the inside of the sweatshirt (I told you they were huge). While this went on, I rocked back and forth on the floor, until I rolled over and cried for help. My teacher, Mr. Krolak, was not amused. He yelled at Greg to let me out, then told me to stop goofing off and to do something constructive, in my seat. Sorry, Krolak!

Now that I'm older (not sure how much more mature, though) and living in a cooler climate, "back to school" shopping is much more dangerous for me, especially since I need to be in a few professional settings throughout the week. How can one say no to new boots, jackets, sweaters and dresses? My boyfriend thinks i'm crazy, and that what I have in my closet is just fine. He says there is no reason to spend money on new jacket. Or another set of black boots. Aren't they all the same, he says? Oh honey, you have no idea.

Well, for those of you who want to spruce up your fall wardrobe, but don't want to feel guilty about spending the cash, I might have a solution to your problem. The Green Acres Mall, located in Valley Stream, New York, is holding a fall wardrobe contest. Ten winners will be chosen to receive a shopping experience with a personal stylist, plus receive a $200 Green Acres Mall gift card. Now, what exactly are you required to do? In a 400-600 word essay, tell Green Acres Mall why you should win a fall wardrobe session with a personal stylist and a $200 Green Acres Mall gift card. Entries will be judged by a committee based on originality, creativity and best expressed need for fashion assistance.

There are three ways to enter:
1) Email your entry, along with your name, mailing address, home and cell phone numbers, birth date and email address to info@greenacresmallonline.com, with the subject line “Fall Wardrobe Stylist Session Essay Contest” and you will automatically be entered to win.
2) Entries may also be mailed to: Green Acres Mall Fall Wardrobe Stylist Session Essay Contest, 2034 Green Acres Mall, Valley Stream, New York 11581.
3) If you are at the mall, simply drop your entry off at the Customer Service Desk.

The contest runs from today, until September 10, 2012. The contest is open to contestants 18+ who are legal residents of New York. Have fun and good luck! If any of you win, let me know.

Currently.

Adventuring for craft supplies!

Anticipating: the arrival of letters from my pen pals. I sent two dozen postcards out a couple weeks back, and I have gotten a couple letters back since then, but every day, I check the mailbox, hoping that another letter has arrived. I seriously love snail mail.

Listening to: Swear and Shake. I'm in love with their album, Maple Ridge. 3/4 of the band hails from Long Island, and they will be performing out east at The Stephen Talkhouse on Wednesday. I haven't been to a show in awhile, and last time I attended one, I was behind the merch table. Now the only responsibility I will have is to enjoy myself!

Loving: wearing dresses. I don't wear them as often as I'd like, but when I do, I feel much more confident. Once I get my finances in order, I'd love to snag a few more dresses to power me through autumn.

Planning: my thirtieth birthday. Its a few months away, but I am the type of person who likes to plan in advance, or at least start the planning. I don't know if I want to have one gigantic bash, or split things up over the course of the weekend. All I know is that I want to spend time with everyone I love and have a great time. Plus, I want an excuse to dress up. If you have any suggestions, please pass them along. I don't have a clue what to do!

Reading: tutorials on how to make bracelets. Exciting, I know. I want to start reading Ira Levin's classic, Rosemary's Baby. Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet had mentioned that it was a great read awhile back, and I loved The Stepford Wives, so I am sure I will enjoy this as well.

Watching: anything but the Olympics. The Olympics are cool and all, but I'd much rather watch old-school Disney movies on TV while I blog, or a choice flick from Redbox or Netflix. Oh, I've also been watching bracelet tutorials as well.

Wishing: I weren't allergic to mosquitos! Summer means fun in the sun, but it also means disgusting welts all over my body, thanks to an influx of mosquitoes.

Working on: blogging. Since I started my job (which requires me to stare at a computer for hours on end), I haven't wanted to come home to stare at a computer screen. I really need to get my butt in gear and write something every day.