Graphics and Alfredo

So today was a day of creativity.
Sometimes you need a break from the apartment cleaning and the job hunting and the more serious responsibilities of life. That was what today was for.
And what exactly is involved in a day of creativity for Misa? Buddy and Bootsie would sure like to know...

 

 
It started out with a revamp of the blog layout and the making of a new banner. Like it? I'm rather pleased. I'm still working on adding a few more buttons and fancy things, so it's not quite done yet.

But after finishing the banner I was still in a graphic design mood, so I killed a bit of time by putting together this little image:

The quote was just something that I had stumbled upon online, and the image was one that I took myself while in Paris. Recognize it? 
Some of the textures used however were not my own. The credit for them is here, on my DeviantArt account.

Then I had a dinner night with the ever wonderful Alex. I supplied the materials for a blueberry apple pie, and she brought fixings for chicken alfredo.
First up, pie:

 

Then while that deliciousness was cooking (and making the apartment smell amazing), we started prepping the actual dinner. And in the meantime, as Alex was busy cutting chopping up chicken, I was busy convincing Buddy not to make a bed of my purse and clothing.

She didn't seem terribly phased by me.
Finally, once the cats were herded back to their proper locales, the food was finished cooking. What perfect timing.

 

 Of course, the pasta and salad supper was quite appropriately followed by some pie and a large bottle of wine (which Alex had gotten me as a graduation gift, but we had not had a chance to enjoy it together until now).

Pro note: when proper wine glasses can not be found, be even more classy and serve wine in pint glasses.

 

 Finally, round off the evening with stories, youtube videos, and a semi silly attempt at trying to take fancy photos with the aid of a vase of flowers in the kitchen:

Day complete!

Catsitting

Well, I suppose that after graduating, traversing the world, cruising in the Pacific, and hopping across the country, there really is no better way to relax and finish off the summer by watching over a couple of cool cats (and getting paid to do so always sweetens the deal).

Say hello to Buddy and Bootsie!

 

Despite the fact that she often tries to copy the look of Grumpy Cat, Bootsie is quite cuddly and loves attention. All the time.

 

She doesn't seem to be a fan of Game of Thrones though...

Buddy is equally as sweet, but is considerably more lazy about showing it.

And although I don't want to give out too many details of someone else's house to the interwebs, there are a few awesome decorations throughout this place that I can not help but show off.

I think I've got some decor inspiration for my next apartment!

A Step Back In Time...

It's been quite awhile since I've been to a nice, simple beach.
Just sand and sun and water.
Though most importantly the sun. I got enough water during my cruise and apparently I'm missing out on a spectacular sunny summer in Seattle during my escapades in Florida.

As you can probably guess by now, we spent the second part of our St. Augustine adventure mostly at the beach.
It didn't take long before Caitlin and I were passing a soccer ball back and forth across the sand and showing off our moves (or in my case, poses).

Slowly, we began to migrate into the water.

Until finally we just gave in entirely.

 We take our boogie boarding seriously.

 Very seriously.

 
(Beach photo credits go to the lovely Katie)

Then, as has now become tradition, we made a quick stop at Old Tyme Photo. They don't have much of a website, but you can get an idea of what they do:

And cheers to tha good ol' times!

St. Augustine

Ghosts, forts, and pirates, oh my!

St. Augustine is actually the oldest city in the United States, founded by the Spanish in 1565, and is thus quite rich with history and excitement.
These days the city might have been conquered by tourists, and the settlement still holds onto its reputation as the most haunted city in the nation (much to the pleasure of the ghost tour guides). However, much of its beauty and history can still be seen through a number of reenactments frequently performed as well as within a number of the buildings themselves.

Caitlin, Katie and I stayed the weekend in the hostel Casa Yallaha. Although it was not my first time in a hostel, it was the first that I had been to in the U.S., and I was pleasantly surprised.

Plus I can appreciate places with a sense of humor:

This was where we would come back in the evening to play pool and make plates of nachos (the hostel, not the void of nothingness), but that was after we had a number of other adventures during the day first.

Once we were checked in, there was nothing for it but to stop for a quick lunch at the Santa Maria Restaurant. 

 (The view from our table)

 

The place may be a bit on the pricy side for the average college student (though splitting a wrap with someone is both more affordable and tasty), though they do have one interesting perk.
Before your meal comes out, they provide you with a basket of their discarded bread (don't worry, they're just stale, not moldy) to feed the birds and fish with through a latch beside your table.

 Afterwards we went our for a brief walk along the water.

Which was made even more brief when the sky began to look like this:

We hurriedly made it to St. George St. where we found not only shelter, but an image of my doppelganger:

Of course, we managed to get in a bit of playtime as well:

We were just practicing for Carnivale in Venice, which I've mentioned before here.

As the sun was setting, we went to see a friend of ours perform in a show. 

I only managed to get the one image because I thought the lights were pretty, it was fairly dark once the show began, and I was busy getting pulled up onto stage (it was an audience interaction performance, and I guess I just have one of those interactive faces).
Also, there may have been free, unlimited sangria.