kapachino

Category: me

  • Wii Came, Wii Saw, Wii Ate Cupcakes

    Forgive me the title. I couldn’t resist.

    I’ve mentioned before that I’m a brand enthusiast & ambassador for Nintendo through Brand About Town, and this weekend they helped me host a party for some of my friends and family to celebrate the new Netflix streaming for Wii. Did you know that you can instantly stream thousands of Netflix movies through your Wii with only a disc, that they send you for free? Well you can, and seriously, do it. It rocks.

    Do you know what else rocks? Being a Nintendo enthusiast. Since I agreed to host this party (I know, it was a HUGE imposition) a super fun package showed up in the mail. Popcorn, candy (everything except the Junior Mints made it through the heat; RIP Junior Mints), a bunch of Wii points cards to use and give away, a subscription to Netflix, and a Flip video camera to record the event were all included. So thanks to them, my friends now think I’m way cooler than I actually am.

    Once everyone showed up we feasted on Los Cucos, our favorite local Tex-Mex joint.

    Tons more food than we could eat

    And then there was the delicious, delicious candy. I think I ate all the Raisinettes myself. I’m really not kidding.

    What's a movie without candy?

    If that wasn’t enough, my friend Maggie brought over cupcakes from Sprinkles. You can tell we enjoy our food over here.

    Chocolate marshmallow, please

    Eventually I tore everyone away from the grub and started the gaming. First we went with Dr. Mario, which I chose based purely on nostalgia, since I spent so many of my formative years playing it. Then we moved on to TV Show King 2, which is a fun game show trivia game that everyone could play. Some of us might have gotten a bit competitive, and some of us might have named their character “Nugget.”

    If we only had more chairs!
    Characters: Nugget, Mango, Feedbag, Kapachino.
    Even Cleo wanted to play!

    After all the gaming excitement we went to the Netflix website and chose the perfect movie: Raising Arizona. Most people are surprised to learn that our dog Eddie is a girl, but her name is short for Edwina, and this movie contains her namesake. We’re big Coen brothers fans around here.

    All too soon, the night was over. But the fun is only beginning! (Nice cliché, am I right?) First of all, check out the video I made of the party. I am pretty proud that I did it all by myself. Be warned that a lot of attention is paid to the cupcakes.

    And since I have this awesome video camera now, be prepared for lots more future video randomness. You’re welcome.

    Guess what else? I totally have an extra Nintendo points card to give away. Good for the Wii or DSi, it has 2000 points which can get you 2-3 games, depending on how you budget. There are two ways to enter: leave a comment on this post, or tweet about the giveaway making sure to mention me (@kapachino) so I know you entered, or post a link to your tweet in your comment. I’ll draw for a winner on Friday night!

    Oh, and y’all? Video games are totally not just for geeks.

  • Au Naturel

    Although I’m a naturally optimistic and positive person, every once in awhile I have days where life gets the best of me and I feel utterly lost. During those times it seems like nothing helps, no good advice makes me feel better, no plan of action gives me hope, I am falling slowly into an abyss that is void of all happiness & chocolate.

    Today is one of those days.

    What’s gotten me down right now is health issues and financial strains, and for some reason this leads to the conclusion that I will never be the person I want to be. Don’t ask me how I made the jump in my mind from an increase in property taxes to my utter failure as a human being, but it happened. It’s taking me all the effort in the world to get back.

    I wasn’t going to post today because I knew I was probably incapable of being positive. But then I read that today is bloggers without makeup day, and I thought how fitting. I had to force myself to shower, let alone put on makeup or do my hair. So I’m writing to let you know that this is me. I struggle and I hurt and I get completely irrational and depressed.

    But at least I bounce back.

    Searching for that smile,

    K.

  • Friday Things: To Look Forward To

    I find it essential for my state of mind to have some good things to anticipate, no matter how big or small. Here are a few things I’m currently excited about!

    ***

    This girl (the one on the left), one of my absolute best friends, is back in town after 7 months in Scotland! I spent the afternoon with her and my soul feels more at peace. She’ll be moving to Nashville this summer, so I’m going to try and see her as much as possible before then.

    ***

    I’m on a total musical kick lately. In the Heights is in Houston for a few more days and Megan (see above) and I are going to see it on Sunday. I can’t wait; I’ve heard amazing reviews of it.

    ***

    Let's get cozy together!

    I’m excited about participating in Her Cozy Swap! Just a fun way to make someone happy, and a reason to get my creative juices flowing. Click on the picture for details, and to sign up. :)

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    It may sound masochistic to say that I’m looking forward to donating blood, but the truth is that it was a part of my regular routine for a long time before I got pregnant and miscarried. I’m finally going back on Monday, and it makes me happy because not only am I helping save lives, but it means my body is strong again. Now I just hope my iron levels are high enough!

    ***

    What are you looking forward to?

  • Ten On Tuesday: My Questions!

    Since I lovingly and painstakingly came up with each one of these questions for Chelsea, I guess I should answer them myself. :) I tried to think of things I would really be interested in knowing the answers to, and that would also be fun to write about. Here we go:

    1. What television character do you identify with?
    I wrote this question because it’s so easy for me to answer. I am a real-life version of pre-season 5 Rory on Gilmore Girls. I’m a goody-goody, I’m a bookworm, I’m a homebody who is in love with my town, I love interesting movies, and now I’m even a habitual coffee drinker. I even think we look a little bit alike, although my brother has met her in real life (at a party – yeah, he’s that cool) and he says she looks fragile, she’s so thin. I definitely don’t look fragile.

    2. Describe your morning routine.
    I press snooze a few times, then lie in bed lamenting the fact that it is SO DANG EARLY and I actually HAVE to get out my incredibly comfortable bed. I spend a few minutes in prayer telling God that it’s just not fair, but then I realize that if I don’t get up NOW, I won’t be able to eat breakfast and that’s just bad news bears.

    So I get up, go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, take a shower, then wrap a towel around me. I put on face and body lotion and run a brush through my hair. I get dressed and put on deodorant and earrings. I grab my phone and my book and walk to the front of the house. I let the dogs outside and put food and water in their bowls. I put some water on to boil and pack mine and David’s lunch. I let the dogs in when they start to become obnoxious. I prepare coffee. I blow dry my hair in the laundry room because for some reason all the electrical outlets in all the bathrooms are broken. I plug my flat-iron in to heat up. I put on makeup in the front bathroom because the light is best there. I style my hair because if I don’t it does this crazy flip thing. I eat a quick bowl of cereal. I go back to our room and wake David up to say goodbye to him, hoping for some entertaining sleep-talk. I hug the dogs goodbye, then drive to work.

    3. How do you do lunch? Bring from home or dine out? Same thing every day or mix it up?
    I always bring my lunch, and it is almost always this: Lean Cuisine (either chicken carbonara or roasted turkey breast), banana, yogurt or applesauce, and a Fiber One bar. I eat in the lounge on the unit at work. I also pack leftovers for dinner if I’m working a long day.

    4. What is one moment that, although seemingly trivial at the time, changed your life?
    After I graduated college the first time, I took a “summer job” at an oncology clinic doing medical records. My plan was to work through the summer and then move to Dallas to do ministry with my best friend. But because of that job I became interested in nursing, and I realized the best place to do that was Houston. I ended up working there for two years while I went to class at night getting prerequisites for nursing school.

    5. Name your top three beauty products.
    My life was changed when I discovered mousse for my hair, even the cheap kind. It takes away the static, gives my limp hair body, and helps it do what I want it to do. Mascara is the one makeup product that I can’t do without. It completely changes the look of my face. My favorite is Dior DiorShow, but I’m looking for an organic brand. Finally, I am obsessed with the little tubes of Aquaphor. It is perfect for lips: extremely moisturizing, long-lasting, shimmery, and cheap.

    6. What do you do when you’re alone in the car?
    60% of the time I sit in silence and think, talk to myself, or pray.
    30% of the time I listen to audiobooks.
    10% of the time I listen to music and sometimes sing, and only 1% of the time is that to the radio.

    7. What is the ideal city for you to live in? If you can, take this survey (< that’s a link) and tell us the results. Do you agree with them?


    My top result was Norfolk, Virginia. I didn’t know anything about it so I read through the results. It seems like a nice place: on the water, mild climate, a good arts scene. I think I’d like it there. I’ve taken this survey before, and my top result was Charleston, South Carolina. I do love the southeast, it’s quite beautiful. But my heart will always belong to Texas, and I really do think Houston is an ideal situation for me even if you take family out of the picture. It has a few things that are extremely important to me: a best-in-the-country medical center, lots of great food, a warm climate, and awesome theatres.

    8. Are you waiting for something?
    I am waiting for next week when we get to go to NYC. I am waiting for my next cycle to begin so I can start fertility testing. I am waiting for the fall when I might possibly get to transfer to a hospital closer to home.

    9. What was the last shocking news you heard?
    The other day I read an obituary at work about one of our patients who had died. It shouldn’t be shocking considering the field I’m in, but the last time I saw this patient (only a couple weeks ago), she was walking around and as loud and boisterous as ever.

    10. What are three things you wouldn’t do for a million dollars?
    I wouldn’t cheat on David in any way, shape, or form. I wouldn’t renounce my faith. I wouldn’t eat any kind of live insect or other creature.

    It was fun to answer my own questions! Although they weren’t all easy, not even for me. Looking forward to reading your answers. :)

  • Friday Things: On My Mind

    Friday is the day of randomness, right?

    Retirement

    Not mine, unfortunately. My mentor, the woman who showed me what a good nurse looks like, is retiring in a week. I am sad but so excited for her. I am in charge of collecting money and procuring a gift for her from our entire unit, and I feel a lot of pressure re: this.

    Netflix

    I’m so excited that Netflix streaming will soon be available for Wii. That will help SO MUCH with my goal of watching all the movies that have won Best Picture.

    My teeth

    I can sympathize with my nephew because I’m teething and it is terrible. Technically I’ve been teething for years as my wisdom teeth have slowly been pushing their way out, but as they are coming in sideways they aren’t making much progress. I have had pain off and on for quite awhile, but the last couple days have been the worst. My gums are inflamed and I can’t eat hard foods. Recently I begged my dentist to send me to an oral surgeon to get them removed (because in addition I have chronic TMJ problems that this only complicates) and he agreed. I get them out the last week in April and it can’t come soon enough.

    Weekend

    I’m really looking forward to this weekend. My plans are to visit the farmer’s market, hang out with a friend, attend a wedding, go to church, and paint a couple rooms in our house.

    What’s on your mind?