// “you never know.”//

something my dad and i have been saying quite a lot lately. there’s been many deaths surrounding the people that i love this year. and i hate to say it.. but it’s only may. i don’t know why this year has been so hard on everyone, but it’s definitely a humbling experience. 

husbands, dads, brothers, sisters, cousins of loved ones are leaving us behind and for me, it’s something i’ll never truly understand. death scares me to my core - i’ll admit it. 

while today is a beautiful day in my personal life (celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday), its also a sad one with learning of cancer spreading in one mother and a blood clot causing a heart attack to another mother. both of which are people i’ve known almost my whole life. i guess my point here is - say i love you. never go to sleep angry. never walk away mad. it’s just not worth it. none of us want the feeling of wishing the last conversation we had with someone had been a better one.

people say these things to us all the time, but i never want to be the person who didn’t listen. 

// craft wednesday..//

so i have been way to into pinterest lately. there are so many different diy pins i am dying to try.. maybe when i get my new place that’ll get to happen :)

until then.. i get to try jewelry diy tonight and tomorrow! My best friend Kalah’s birthday is today (happy birthday!!!!!!!!!) and when i asked what she wanted for her big day, she said “will you make me the jewelry you pinned?” haha. 

OF COURSE! So tonight and tomorrow I’m going to be making some cute (hopefully) little numbers. This weekend I’ll be sure to post the tutorial, but not before Friday - I want to leave Kalah in the dark at least a little! 

xoxox

// no excuses.//

i recently read on the WallStreet Journal’s website about 20-somethings having a rough time finding jobs. this is news? no. no it’s not. however the article also informed readers that parents were actually going with their child to interviews. I am all about parental support and motivation when interviewing and job-hunting, because I know all too well - it can be a tough and discouraging process! However - I would be mortified, ashamed, and feel completely embarrassed of myself if I brought along my parents to any interview. Not only does that say to me: “I have no confidence. I have to literally have my support system next to me at all times.” It says this generation is far too dependent on their parents. 

(http://www.smartmoney.com/plan/careers/job-hunting-when-parents-run-the-show-1328630501076/?mod=e2tw)

I interned every semester I was at Belmont (2 years total) and even had a internship before that. There are plenty of students at every university who do this, and even longer! I’ve known students to have a full time school load, a part time job, AND an internship. Talk about working overtime. But what I’m saying is, is that I didn’t move back in with my parents (not only would we want to kill each other for proximity..) but I didn’t want to depend on them. I think far too many of my generation is okay with depending on their parents for income and free rent. And that’s sad to me. 

There are so many of my friends who bust their butt everyday at their jobs and live comfortable and fun lives. And guess what: they live on their own. It’s possible. Maybe you don’t get your dream job right out of school - but there are jobs out there. That’s what I hate hearing most. It may not even be in your field. But if I moved in with my parents because I couldn’t find a full time position in my desired field - best believe my butt would be working part, if not full time somewhere in the mean time. You can have a part time job to pay the bills while searching for a full time job that satisfies you. 

Basically I’m just sick of hearing people saying “I can’t find a job. No one is hiring.” 

And let me please clarify: I find nothing wrong with moving back in with your parents after college while you are job searching and actively helping out around the house. I find nothing wrong in wanting to live with your parents while you are actively job hunting and saving money. More power to you for being able to do that honestly! But those people are proactive and those are the ones who are doing something to make a difference in their professional careers. 

Trust me. I still get suplemental income from my parents - I will tell anyone that. However, I started the internship process semesters in advance, for the very fear that finding a job when I graduate could be a challenge. I busted my butt at those internships, hoping to impress the people around me, make positive working relationships and earn recommendations for future internships and/or full time jobs. And I did just that. And at the end of my college experience I had landed a full-time position with the company I was currently interning with. Things like this do happen people!! I bust my butt every day now to pay for what I can. And yes - I do splurge and buy new clothes or a lot on iTunes every so often. But I’m very clear with my parents about wanting that independence and being able to pay for everything. It’s a part of growing up and becoming an adult… Comprende?

// be mine.. mr. valentine.//

valentines day came up and i was actually prepared this year! i think i was more so prepared because this is the first year i’ve ever been excited to spend it with someone else. this year is different because the person i am with shares a love with me i’ve never known. and that makes me excited to give presents and show how much i love him.

i must say.. this year troy deflated my excitement about valentines day at first. he went on and on about how he thinks valentines day is a created holiday that shouldn’t really exist. his reasonings lengthened with the explanation that everyday should feel like valentines day (minus the gifts of course) but that people should show how much they love each other every ordinary day. maybe not with desserts and a card, with a gift, etc. but on valentines day people (and i hate to use this word because it’s not fake in any sense and maybe this will make me sound like a total bitch) but they exaggerate their love. if your relationship BLOWS and then valentines day rolls around, do you not pretend everything is good and you get excited to spend the day with the one you “love”? and god forbid any of you actually be in an abusive relationship, but if you are, is that the one day you’re going to allow your significant other to shower you with flowers and act like you two are lovebirds floating on clouds and rainbows with butterflies? I mean come on. i guess he humbled my view of what the day means. but it didn’t make me sad or even frustrated that he had this fresh and realistic view of valentines day. 

it sounds silly, but it made me appreciate him even more. if i could. it made me stop and think “you know what. i am fortunate enough to have valentines day everyday with this man. he makes me feel appreciated and loved. he makes me feel beautiful and he lifts me up. that’s what valentines day should be. but that’s what my relationship should be. and that’s how i should treat him every single day.”

despite my cynical views or what ever you may think of them.. holidays are my favorite because it gives me a chance to make a specific kind of dessert :) so of course i busted out my martha stewart skills and went to town (and had a little help from the boy). 

through my love for pinterest.com (follow me at danielle pyle) i found the most adorable valentine treat! i found a recipe from the blog “a small snippet” (http://asmallsnippet.blogspot.com/2011/02/heartbreakers.html). This family is adorable and her recipe was perfect!! 

I did it a little differently, but took the basic idea of her’s and made it my own.

Ingredients you will need:

Cake:
-red velvet cake mix
-3 large eggs
-3/4 cup oil
-1 1/4 cup water
(these ingredients are the same as what is listed on the box of cake mix)
-heart shaped cookie cutter
-pam (spray your pan!) 

Frosting:
-1 stick unsalted butter
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 8oz. cream cheese
-3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

So I started out by mixing all the ingredients on the cake mix box into my KitchenAid mixer (I got one for Christmas and we are in our own relationship. I am obsessed with this thing!) I think the whisk-style beater works best here.

Next, I took a brownie pan or lasagna-style pan and filled it with some batter. Make sure it’s even and not too thick. It made the world of difference. I had to fill it three different times because I didn’t have more than one pan, but it really didn’t feel like it took too long. 

Then stick it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Just do the toothpick test at 10 minutes and go from there.

While these are cooking - you can make the frosting! (My favorite part)

I first mixed the butter (softened, not melted), cream cheese, and vanilla. While mixing on medium speed I sifted the powdered sugar in. If you don’t feel your frosting is to your liking, you can add milk 1 tsp at a time to thin it out a bit. I didn’t add any this time.

After that - while the cake is still in the pan.. Take your heart shaped cookie cutter and make as many hearts as you can. I was able to make 10 each time.  

Reminder: let the cake cool before you use the cookie cutter and before you take them out of the pan. 

Once you have them all out, spread icing on one heart. I used a hearty heap of frosting (come on.. who doesn’t love cream cheese frosting?!) 

After that, I placed one on top and voila! You have a cupcake heart sandwich :) Just do this to each sandwich and you will have a love/hate relationship with your co-workers.. or I did at least haha. They were a hit! 

And enjoy! Hope you had a great valentine’s day. Mine was my most favorite yet! 

xoxo
danielle