PAULA DEEN WOULD BE PROUD: CHELSEA'S TACO CASSEROLE

Cheesy. Spicy. Gooey. Yum.

My girl Chelsea is the queen of creation. She's crafty as hell, is a banging writer, and, most importantly, she can cook like nobody's business. While her forté is sweet treats, she recently cooked this taco casserole that blew my mind.

Looks like pig slop, tastes like heaven

Good doesn't begin to describe this dish, you guys. 

Reasons you need to make this meal for yourself tonight:

1. It's super easy to make. Simple layering of delectable ingredients, a little toast and roast in the oven, and you've got the casserole to end all casseroles.
2. Can you say leftovers? If you use the recipe I give you below, you're going to have enough taco bliss to be lunch & dinner for the rest of the week (or the rest of the day, depending on your appetite and physical capacity).
3. While this mess of yum isn't exactly healthy (there's a lot of cheese involved), you can definitely sneak in vegetables without really noticing them. While Chelsea's recipe below has some specific veggies in it, feel free to add in your own favorites! I added some chopped up baby carrots and spinach to mine and it was just wonderful.
4. It's delicious - duh.

Ready to get cooking?!

ENGAGEMENT ALERT

I wish it were still socially relevant to say that he liked it, so he put a ring on it.

So, despite my best attempt at starting a blog and writing for it consistently, I've failed. I should have known it would happen - my New Years Resolutions usually give way before the first week of January. But it's time to give it another go, y'all! Here's to round 2!

If I'm going to get back on the personal blogging horse, I may as well start with an update on my personal life - I'm engaged!

The happy, non-photogenic couple.

FRIDAYS ARE PINTERESTING!

The best of my boards this week.

Like I said in my previous Pinterest post, sometimes a girl just wants to show the world her imaginary Internet life, aka, what she pinned that week! Today, I am that girl. Here's what I got for ya:

UPDATED REVIEW: AUGUST 2013 BIRCHBOX

In which I tell you exactly how well this stuff actually works...

So it's been about a week since I received my first ever Birchbox. In my previous post about the magical, montly makeup box of goodies I hadn't yet gotten the chance to use any of my new stuff (my bad for jumping the gun there), but now I've tested it all and I'm ready to tell you all about it!

Remember ^this^ bad boy?

Let's go in order shall we?

HELLO, BIRCHBOX!: AUGUST 2013

New makeup every month in the mail - am I an adult or what?

So I jumped onto the bandwagon; I joined Birchbox.

For those of you out there who aren't familiar with Birchbox, you can Google it... just kidding, I know you won't do that - it's a monthly subscription service. $10 a month gets you a box in the mail filled with high-end makeup samples. It's fun, because you get to try new stuff that you normally wouldn't buy in full size. It's exciting, because you never know what you're going to get until you open your box. It's awesome, because it tailors your samples to your Birchbox profile, so each box is fairly unique and specific to you. 

I know this sounds silly coming from someone who just wrote a rant about Shoemint and their sneaky, deceptive, subscription ways, but Birchbox makes it extremely clear that they are a subscription service, and - to be honest - 10 bucks is a whole hell of a lot easier to let go of every month than 80.

But I digress...

I signed up for Birchbox a few weeks ago, and finally got my box in the mail! I haven't tried any of the products just yet, but I wanted to share with the Interwebz what came in my pretty little box this month.

SAY NO TO SHOEMINT

Seriously, it's not worth it.

Forgive me, Internet, for I have sinned. Several months ago I began a Shoemint saga. I think that during my journey, I may have lead others to be deceived, and I want to right my wrongs, right now, right here. Let me tell you my story...

In May, while looking for a nice pair of heels for a friend's wedding, I came across this pair of shoes on Pinterest:

After searching around a little for this pretty pair of scarlet, suede sandals with big chunky, dark, wooden heels (swoon), I discovered they were from Shoemint.

Shoemint? Where had I heard that before? Oh yes! It was the shoe subscription site endorsed by Rachel Bilson that premiered in 2011. I had visited the site in the past. Subscribing for monthly charges to my bank account is really not my thing, but when I visited Shoemint back in April to check out these shoes (the Hellins in suede), I no longer saw anything about a subscription (or even Rachel Bilson, for that matter). 

"They've changed their ways!", I ignorantly thought. No longer were shoe prices listed in "credits", no longer was the word "subscription" printed anywhere on the site, and no longer did I have to fill out a style "profile" to determine which shoes I would like best every month.

Seemingly dealing with a normal shoe company, I went forward with my purchase of the Hellins. The checkout process was just the same as with any other website. I credit myself with being fairly familiar with the ways of the Interwebz, and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary - I assumed that I would make my purchase, acquire my shoes, and be done with Shoemint.

Turns out, this was not to be the case.

After receiving my shoes, I was in love, I was in love, and I didn't care who knew it. They were well worth the $90 I paid for them. The suede was nice, the wooden heels were sturdy, and I got so many compliments. I Insaglammed my Hellins, I talked about them, I recommended Shoemint - I even argued against someone's comment that Shoemint was a bad company. I was so blissfully ignorant.

Fast forward 3 months to today.

I log onto Shoemint to see what new stuff they have and notice a little box in the upper righthand corner...

Credits: 3?

After doing some digging, I learned that apparently Shoemint had been charging my credit card account (or rather, my mother's) for $80 each month for the past three months unbeknownst to anyone. When I scoured Shoemint's website, I discovered that they are still in fact a subscription service, and that the user must manually log in each month between the 1st and the 6th and choose to skip their monthly billing, otherwise they will automatically be billed $80. Also, there's basically no way to cancel your account.

What a shitty business practice.

Shoemint seemed to have it all. Great product. Moderate pricing. Even great customer service! I called about a sizing issue once and the girl I spoke with was fantastic - probably because, for once, she wasn't dealing with someone's complaints that they were duped into a subscription service.

I don't understand why such a quality company would engage in such a misleading way of gaining business, especially a company with great customer service and products. Sure, I would expect this type of deceptive non-theft from a shoddy, sketchy Internet business, but Shoemint has received great reviews and seemed so legit. With their solid product and (unworthy) renown, I would expect that they would receive great business if they nixed the whole subscription service and simply sold shoes by the pair.

But I guess they're just in the business to swindle customers and cheat money out of them via fine print.

Should Shoemint continue to conceal the most important billing information in the finest of fine print, I sincerely hope they go out of business sooner rather than later. In the free market, customer satisfaction is what keeps businesses alive, and Shoemint has set themselves up to fail from the get go.

MUZIC MONDAYZ: LIGHTNING 100 EDITION

In case you really don't know me at all, I love Lightning 100.

Lightning 100, for those of you poor, unfortunate souls out there who don't know, is the greatest radio station of all time. They love great music, they put on awesome concerts, they have the best DJs (this tweet from Wells Adams made my whole year), and mostly, they love the city I love: Nashville.

I could go on for days about my undying love for Nashville's Independent Radio ("independently owned, independently operated!"), but I digress...

These three songs have been bustin' up my Spotify* at work, and owe every ounce of their discovery to Lightning 100.

Supersoaker by Kings of Leon

Head On by Man Man

And the song that always makes me feel good, I'm Getting Ready by Michael Kiwanuka

*Sorry I use Spotify at work Wells, Lt. Dan, Hammel, Heather LeRoy, etc. Please forgive me for my sin.

BrBa: THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Season 5, Part 2 is Coming

Everyone and their mom should know that Breaking Bad is back tomorrow. The last several episodes are upon us, everyone. If you're as much of a BrBa fan as me, you've spent a few too many hours trying to figure out how it's all fixing to go down. I've got my predictions (and personally, I think they're pretty sound) below the jump. But,

BE WARNED

If you haven't ever watched Breaking Bad or aren't *entirely* caught up, step away from the computer now - there are a lot of spoilers ahead.

Fellow Breaking Bad connoisseurs, read on...

BRB, READING 'TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE'

I feel like such a middle schooler for even admitting this on the Internet, but I'm totally reading 'Tuesdays with Morrie' by Mitch Albom right now.

This is not to rag on Mitch at all (you do you, buddy!). I'm actually really enjoying this book better the second time around. I remember reading it as a kid and thinking that it had such depth and meaning to it; of course, it's only just now that I'm older that I'm really understanding it. As a 13-year old, it's hard to find depth in a book about a dying man when you yourself feel like you'll never die.

One of my favorite parts in the book has definitely been the chapter on aging and why not to fear it. I'm only 22, so I'm not quite there yet, but I often hear women who are older than me lamenting their age and the fact that they're "sooooo olllld" now. This bothers me for a few reasons:

BURGER ALCHEMY

image via

My boyfriend and I talk about burgers a lot. Sounds like a conversation that would get old quick, but he loves meat and I love food, so it's a source of nearly endless entertainment for us.

It's always fun and games until we get to the "best burger I've ever had" debate. We eat burgers together pretty frequently, and since we're both food lovers, you'd think we could come up with a matching consensus on where to buy the best burger, but no - it seems impossible. His favorite burgers* (from M.L. Rose and The Pharmacy) just aren't all that exciting to me, while my favorites (from Urban Stack and Tremont Tavern) aren't as much his style. I couldn't wrap my mind around this disagreement until I found an article today that offered me a golden ray of insight.

Two words: Burger Elements.

LEG SHAVING OPTIONS FOR EVERY KIND OF LADY

A three-pronged guide...

Option A: Shave Your Legs Like A Teenage Girl

Step 1: Buy the most colorful and cheap 3-pack of disposable razors at Walgreens (bonus points if the razor handles are scented)

Step 2: Smell all the shaving creams - settle on the can with the "Pink Winter Bubble Blossom" scent.

Step 3: In shower, apply 1 inch of shaving cream to entire leg.

Step 4: Shave legs.

Step 5: Make sure to avoid cutting your knees, shin bone, or back of the ankle, but end up cutting them anyway.

Step 6: After shower, sift through every Bath & Bodyworks lotion under your sink until you find "Cucumber Melon" - apply liberally...too liberally.

Option B: Shave Your Legs Like A Grown-Up Woman (In An Aveeno Commercial)

Step 1: Replace your 6-blade razor head - a fresh razor is imperative to a good, close shave.

Step 2: Stand in shower for 5 to 10 minutes while your leg pores open and hair follicles soften - smiling while you aimlessly slick your hair back with your hands and relish in the shower steam is preferred, but not required.

Step 3: Exfoliate legs with Organic Brown Sugar, Lemon Seed & Lavender Husk scrub.

Step 4: Relish in the steam some more.

Step 5: Apply All-Natural Shea, Aloe, Mint, Coconut, Paraben-Free Shaving Butter to legs.

Step 6: Prop foot on side of tub and begin closely and carefully shaving.

Step 7: After shower, pat legs dry with cashmere hand-knitted towel.

Step 8: Apply diamond cream to legs for moisture.

Step 9: Congratulation, your legs are now made of silk.

Option C: Shave Your Legs Like Hellkat

Step 1: Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are you wearing pants? If yes, do not shave your legs.

2. Is the leg hair visible from further than 3 feet in distance? If no, do not shave your legs.

3. Are you going on a date or to a special function? If no, do not shave your legs.

4. Are you actively seeking a boyfriend? If no, do not shave your legs.

5. Are you physically or mentally uncomfortable with the amount of hair on your legs? If no, do not shave your legs.

6. Will you be going out in the cover of night? If yes, do not shave your legs.

7. Has your leg hair gone from stubbly to soft? If no, do not shave your legs.

Step 2: If an unlisted reason for shaving your legs remains, find a razor (any razor will do), cover all the bases and A.S.K. (ankles, shins, and knees), attempt to disregard razor burn, and be on your merry way!

"ALL I CAN" BY SHARON VAN ETTEN

This song makes me want to cry, and laugh, and dance all at once. If I were a runner (which, if you know me at all, you know that I am the furthest thing from that), I would run to this song. Start off slow, and then around minute 3 when the instruments swell and you can feel the passion behind the vocals, I'd sprint, and I'd get my second wind, and I would smile.

ALL OF THE JUICE

Juice is my crack.

I started buying fresh juice every day during lunch when I got my job, and I haven't stopped once. Not kidding - 29 business days in a row, I have been at the Whole Foods juice counter filling out my juice order. I can't stop, and I won't stop (you can't make me).

I AM HELLKAT, HEAR ME ROAR!

My nickname is Hellkat.

I didn't earn it for being particularly feisty, or spunky, or cool. I actually got it from an old coworker. We had recently met for the first time and after he hit on me and then promptly asserted that I was a lesbian, he gave me the title of "Hellkat" without apparent reason. It only stuck as a nickname because my friends thought the story was ridiculous and hilarious (which it was shall forever continue to be, Amen).

Hellkat didn't used to mean anything really, but it has become a defining factor of who I am.

THE BEST SONG OF ALL TIME

...is a three-way tie. I just couldn't pick one!

Undeniably great song #1:

Immeasurably fantastic song #2:

And finally, Best-Song-Ever #3, which inexplicably has no studio-version YouTube video:

I'm not joking.....


But someday I'll share some of my more contemporary music taste with you guys too.

D.I.Y. MOMS, SORORITY GIRLS, & ME: A PINTEREST LOVE STORY

Pinterest, you guys - Pinterest*.

I used to reject the idea of Pinterest (I was a real Tumblr girl). Too many impossibly complicated DIYs, too many wedding boards made by people who are definitely not currently planning a wedding, and way too many fitness tips (I'm still very much against that last bit). But I let myself begin to explore Pinterest a little over a year ago, and what began as a scornful investigation quickly became a full-blown addiction. For a broke, bored college student, there is no better way to achieve the lifestyle you want than by vicariously living through Pinterest.

My new(ish) job is really cutting into the glorious Pinterest time that I had whilst unemployed and enrolled in only one college class, but I still have time to sneak in pinning, oh you know, maybe 100 pins a week to my boards/visual inspiration station/sad imaginary online life. Every once in a while though, I find something on Pinterest that I really want to share with people outside of the world of DIY moms and sorority girls (crazy thought - I know), so Imma do that here.

Cool? Cool:

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (IS THE NEW REASON I GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING)

YOU GUYS,

this is the show to end all shows.

Don't get me wrong - it can never replace my undying love for 30 Rock, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Arrested Development, or (embarrassingly enough) Spongebob Squarepants - but it's certainly added to my list of faves and I've only even watched the first 4 episodes.

I keep trying to explain it to people, but the phrase, "heartwarming, heartbreaking, and hilarious!" keeps popping out of my mouth at some point during the description and apparently that is making people doubt my credibility. So just watch the preview, get the goosebumps, and then get on Netflix and start binge-watching this series:

-PS, that Rilo Kiley song in the trailer is one of my absolute favorites.

WENSLEY ST. CLAIR GRIFFITH-REDMOND

I want to introduce you guys to my roommate, Wensley the cat:

He's also technically my foster cat-child (I refer to myself as "mom's friend" so as not to deceive him from the truth), but I like telling him he's my roommate to make him feel more like an adult. I'm basically the reason he lives and breathes (because I control when and how much he eats) and he's semi-loyal, soft, and smells inexplicably of baby wipes all the time, so I love him back equally. We love hanging out and bonding. Some of our favorite hobbies include:

UPDATED: WORKING GIRL

I want to clarify that, while I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing with my life, I do have a job...kind of. Technically I'm just an intern (though my LinkedIn profile begs to differ), but I do social media for a small marketing company in Franklin, Tennessee.

My job is a 22-year old's dream come true. Want to know what I do all day? I surf the Internet. That's right - it's true - I surf the Internet all day.

As a social media manager, I scour the web for stuff to post on our clients' Facebook and Twitter profiles that their followers will find interesting and engaging. That is the simplest explanation of my jobternship and it takes a lot more effort than it seems like it should at first glance, but the fact remains - I get paid to surf the Internet* - so go ahead a feel a little jealous.

 * Bill or Pat (my bosses), if you are reading this, I swear I'm not writing this at work.

UPDATE:

I became the mayor of my office on Foursquare today (with which I am obsessed), stealing the title from my boss. He has informed me that this is a fireable offense, so the whole, "I've got a job" thing is in some serious jeopardy at this point.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING HERE

I feel like maybe the title of this post could double as the title to my whole life.

I'm 22, I just graduated from college, and now I don't really know what to do - so, like any 22-year old would naturally do, I'm starting a blog.

This isn't a food blog, although with how much I'll write about food, it may well be one.

It isn't a mommy blog, because one really shouldn't have children while they are still themself a child.

It's not a fashion blog - been there done that.

It's not an advice or lifestyle blog either. I highly doubt that there are Interneters interested in advice about a lifestyle that involves a considerable amount of walking around dirty laundry and eating food that has fallen on the floor.

It's not a diary, but then again, I guess it is.

What do you do when you graduate college and you don't know what to do afterward? That's what I'm hoping to figure out. I want to know how to go from being a college kid to being a real person, I want to know what being a grown-up really even means, and, perhaps most importantly, I want to know this:

Can I have your leftovers? Because I'm really hungry.