Thursday, September 29, 2011

I am almost done packing. Crazy right? Sure, I have 15/16 days until I leave but I am potentially packing away for a whole year. Deciding what to take is beyond difficult. I have a list. As you all know I live for lists! I might post it up. But then it might be too personal. lol. Anyway, I hope to see you soon before I leave! Love you all.

- Mia

Saturday, September 24, 2011

L'amore

Before you can grow up, you must fall in love 3 times.
Once you must fall in love with your best friend, ruining your friendship forever. This will teach you who your true friends are, and the fine line between friendship and more.

Once you must fall in love with someone you believe to be perfect. You will learn that no one is perfect, and that you should never be treated as any less than you deserve.
And once you must fall in love with someone that is exactly like you. This will teach you about who you are, and who you want to be.

And when you’re through with all that, you learn that the people who care about you the most are the ones that you hurt, and the ones that hurt you are the ones that you needed the most.

But most of all, you learn that love is only a concept and is not something that can be defined, it is different to each person that experiences it. And you will learn to respect each and every person on this earth, knowing that everyone only wants to be loved.



Sometimes I surprise myself by where my mind wanders

NO HEART. you are wandering to the WRONG PERSON. 
From kushandwizdom.tumblr.com

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Friday, September 16, 2011

Mexican Lasagna

Not having to go to school or work gives me plenty of free time for two of my favorite things -cooking and baking. This week I decided to try out Rachel Ray's Mexican Lasagna.  I got the recipe here  It was pretty easy to make and very delicious. I did substitute some ingredients but it was all for the best. I did not have beans so I added rice instead and I used grilled chicken instead of ground chicken. You should try this recipe because its delicious! The only thing I would change is that I went a tad overboard with the cheese on top. Oh well, I will perfect my recipe next time!
 The Ingredients (not shown: rice and chicken)
 Finished product
My serving :)

My name is

English

Spanish

Saturday, September 10, 2011


Michelangelo

5,800: square footage of the Sistine Chapel ceiling (yes, he painted every last inch)

4: years it took Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel, beginning in 1508 

12: years it took to restore Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel, beginning in 1980.

Friday, September 9, 2011

This verse was written by Lewis Carroll.
 It can be read both across and down.

Illegal

It is illegal to be a prostitue in Siena if your name is Mary.



Thursday, September 8, 2011

Shakespeare

Shakespeare used Italian settings in at least 13 of his plays-All's Well That Ends Well, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Cymbeline, Julius Caesar, The Mercgant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Titus Andronicus, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Winter's Tale- yet in his lifetime, he never once visited "The Boot".


Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Places: Italy





Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Eighteen

Talk to lots of people in college and early on in your career. Bosses. Colleagues. Professors. Classmates. Social club members. Other students outside of your major or social circle. Teaching assistants. Career advisors. College deans. Friends of friends. Everyone! Why? Professional networking. I have worked for three employers since I graduated from college (I left my first two employers by choice on good terms), but I only interviewed with the first employer. The other two employers offered me a job before I even had a formal interview, based strictly on the recommendation of a hiring manager (someone I had networked with over the years). When employers look to fill a position, the first thing they do is ask the people they know and trust if they know someone who would do well in the position. If you start building your professional network early, you’ll be set. Over time, you’ll continue talking to new people you meet through your current network and your network’s reach and the associated opportunities will continue to snowball for the duration of your career.

Sit alone in silence for at least ten minutes every day. Use this time to think, plan, reflect, and dream. Creative and productive thinking flourish in solitude and silence. With quiet, you can hear your thoughts, you can reach deep within yourself, and you can focus on mapping out the next logical, productive step in your life.

Ask a lot of questions. The greatest adventure is the ability to inquire, to ask questions. Sometimes in the process of inquiry, the search is more significant than the answers. Answers come from other people, from the universe of knowledge and history, and from the intuition and deep wisdom inside yourself. These answers will never surface if you never ask the right questions. Thus, the simple act of asking the right questions is the answer.

Exploit the resources you do have access to. The average person is usually astonished when they see a physically handicap person show intense signs of emotional happiness. How could someone in such a restricted physical state be so happy? The answer rests in how they use the resources they do have. Stevie Wonder couldn’t see, so he exploited his sense of hearing into a passion for music, and he now has twenty-five Grammy Awards to prove it.

Live below your means. Live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects. Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you. Always live well below your means.

Be respectful of others and make them feel good. In life and business, it’s not so much what you say that counts, it’ how you make people feel. So respect your elders, minors, and everyone in between. There are no boundaries or classes that define a group of people that deserve to be respected. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother. Supporting, guiding, and making contributions to other people is one of life’s greatest rewards. In order to get, you have to give.

Excel at what you do. There’s no point in doing something if you aren’t going to do it right. Excel at your work and excel at your hobbies. Develop a reputation for yourself, a reputation for consistent excellence.

Be who you were born to be. You must follow your heart, and be who you were born to be. Some of us were born to be musicians—to communicate intricate thoughts and rousing feelings with the strings of a guitar. Some of us were born to be poets—to touch people’s hearts with exquisite prose. Some of us were born to be—to create growth and opportunity where others saw rubbish. And still, some of us were born to be or do whatever it is, specifically, that moves you. Regardless of what you decide to do in your lifetime, you better feel it in every fiber of your being. You better be born to do it! Don’t waste your life fulfilling someone else’s dreams and desires.
But above all, laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t change. Life is short, yet amazing. Enjoy the ride.

From marcandangel.com

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Family trip to the lake.


Hello!! This past weekend was Labor Day Weekend.  I did not care too much for the holiday as I didn't have plans but on Sunday my family spontaneously decided to spend a day at the lake we like to go to by St. Helena. We had a picnic that consisted of ceviche, beer, chips and salsa. I rarely spend time in nature because I am a bit of a home body but I jump at the chance at spending time outside with family. This trip was a nice getaway from what has become my routine- sleep, watch tv, eat, workout, sleep- I definitely needed this. Here are some pics and a video. Enjoy! 
Brownie looking towards the lake.
The beautiful view that Brownie and I were so lucky to have.
Victor, Jenny and Dad fishing.
Seeing as I don't fish this is what I took to keep me busy at the lake. To be honest I spent most of the time walking with Brownie and dipping my feet in the water.
There were many ducks hanging out at the lake. Sadly, this was the best picture I got of the ducks.
 
This was my view while on my blanket listening to music. It was very peaceful.
 
So hope you got an idea of how I spent my Labor Day Weekend. I would love to know what you did. Wishing you happiness and health. - Mia

Saturday, September 3, 2011

The Koran

The first printing of the Koran was done in Venice around 1547 by Alessandro Paganino. However, Paganino did not know Arabic, so his text was riddled with mistakes.

Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Places: Italy


Friday, September 2, 2011

Lamborghini

When Ferruccio Lamborghini, a tractor manufacturer, complained about the faculty clutch in his Ferrari 250 GTO, Enzo Ferrari refused to do anything about it. So Lamborghini took it upon himself to dismantel the GTO clutch and discovered that it was made by the same firm that supplied the heavy-duty clutches for his tractors.  A simple swap of the two clutches followed, and the problem was solved.  Sort of.  Determined to teach Ferrari a lesson, Lamborghini started his own car company.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Wine

In Italy, it is considered unfeminine and improper for a woman to pour the wine.

Remember 30 Day Shred?

I did a post a while back saying that I was starting Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. Sadly, that had to stop because I could not do jumping jacks or anything that had me jumping because the manager of my apartment complex lived in the apartment below mine. Her room was directly beneath mine and she would not be too happy with the noise.

Well, now that I am not in school or working I have time so I started doing the work out again. This was my first week and after many days on the couch watching tv or the 3 days I was in bed sick it has definitely kicked my butt! But I am looking forward to it. Working out always makes me feel good. :) I think that happens to everyone right? Endorphins.

I also started taking a kickboxing class. Can you tell I am trying to desperately get into shape for Italy? Oh yes, I will try my best. Anyways ttyl loved ones!

♥ Mia