Correction!

So unfortunately I'm still getting used to this whole being in London thing... and I also seem to forget my computer remembers it better than I do. That being said, the address to my new blog is actually invadinglondon.blogspot.co.uk

Awesome, right? 

Thanks ya'll!

- Brianna Paulette 

Invading London

Today marks two weeks of London living!  I wanted to take some time on my lazy Sunday to write a little blog post about what I've been up to so far while here in London!  The past two weeks have been pretty hectic!  The first day I arrived was plagued with problems because Mother Nature did not want to cooperate with me getting to London on time. Multiple delays, two movies, and a not-so-great airline meal later, I finally arrived in London and was met at the airport by my program provider and was carted off to what would be my new home for 6 months!  The first week consisted of my new flatmates and I browsing the city, navigating the tube system, and getting used to our adorable living area (Notting Hill, right by Portebello Market - I'm in heaven!).  We also went out with ISA and saw some of the amazing sights that London has to offer!  This past week has consisted of learning to navigate even more tube systems, making sure I don't get lost in our uni building, making friends with the locals, and trying not to sound overly American while in classes (the latter of which is utterly impossible). 

This is just a brief weekly overview of my time so far in London, as I have decided I needed to create an entirely new blog that will be specifically devoted to everything new and unusual to my life in London for the next 6 months!  Go check it out at invadinglondon.blogspot.com!  I promise you will get your foodie fix and be utterly annoyed and overcome with jealousy by all of my British references and landmarks that I will be showing you.

If you have any places that you think I should go see while here - PLEASE go to my new blog and let me know!

- Brianna Paulette

The Bucket List

Hello Blogging Persons!

So I have obviously forgotten what a blog is, considering it’s been about a million years since I have last posted anything.  The past few weeks have been absolutely crazy and hectic in my life!  I am currently working, trying to get ready for fall semester at UNL, attempting to plan a study abroad tour for Spring semester, all while trying to have a life at the same time! 

Since I am also currently trying to plan my whole entire life out (it’s not working) I decided that I would take some time to make my own “Bucket List,” because who doesn’t have something that they want to do before they die.  I obviously have A LOT I want to do before I die, as you can see by my MASSIVE list!  It has taken me forever to make this, but I think I have pretty much everything on here.  I did intentionally leave a few things off though, because I am already planning on doing them, such as my study abroad.  That would’ve knocked off two items in one shot: studying abroad and visiting London.  

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to my list, except the fact that I either want to do all of these things, or visit these places before I die.  My goal will be to make sure I accomplish every. single. one. of these that is on my list. That is 65 ITEMS!  YIKES!  I don’t know what I am getting myself into, but I am going to force myself to make sure I finish this list.

This is also another reason why I am blogging about my bucket list, besides the fact of just having something to blog about, I want anyone who reads my blog to keep me accountable for doing these.  I am going to periodically be posting about things that I have crossed off my Bucket List, and if I haven’t posted for a while… I want someone to yell at me through their computer and make me go out and do something to cross off one of the items.  YOU HAVE TO YELL! DO YOU HEAR ME?! That’ll make me get off my butt and get things done!

So, without further ado, here is my Bucket List:

Things To Do:

• Swim with dolphins
• Sky dive over the Swiss Alps
• Bungee jump
• Road Trip across America
• Learn to fly a plane or helicopter
• Start a Vlog Channel
• Watch the opening ceremony at a Summer and Winter Olympics
• Do something I couldn’t see myself doing
• Graduate from College
• Get my Masters degree
• Learn how to surf
• Have a face to face conversation with someone famous
• Make a difference in someone’s life
• Volunteer and give to charity as much as possible
• Save someone’s life
• Buy a same day plane ticket to anywhere
• Ride in a Submarine
• Learn how to dance (Waltz, Jitterbug/Swing, Salsa, Ballroom)
• Marry my perfect guy
• Have a career that I love going to every day
• Take Italian and French cooking classes
• Learn how to decorate cakes
• Have a conversation via Twitter with someone famous
• Run a 5k
• Learn how to ice skate
• Be able to speak 3 languages other than English
• Ride in a hot air balloon
• Race a sports car
• Ride the 5 largest roller coasters in the world
• Go parasailing
• Restore a classic car
• Start my own business
• Go to Times Square on New Years Eve
• Ride on the London Eye
• Own a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps
• Ride around Rome on a vespa
• Crowd surf
• Fly first class
• Watch all of the Harry Potter movies in one day
• Learn how to do a back handspring
• Plan a friend’s wedding proposal
• Order dessert first at a restaurant
• Make a drastic hair change
• 21^st Birthday – Vegas Style
• Be on a game show
• Go zip lining
• Go on one completely spontaneous and unplanned date
• Stay at an ice/igloo hotel
• Go hang gliding
• Be hypnotized
• Learn to play guitar

Places To See:

• See the Leaning Tower of Pisa
• See the Eiffel Tower
• Auschwitz and Dachau
• Athens, Greece
• Pearl Harbor
• See the Northern Lights
• See the Great Barrier Reef
• See Stonehenge
• Sydney Opera House, Australia
• The Coliseum, Rome
• The Taj Mahal, India
• Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris
• Visit all 50 states
• Set foot on all 7 continents

That’s all folks!  If any of you have a Bucket List of your own, share some of your tasks with me!  I’d love to hear about your adventures!  Also, if you have any ideas of what else I could add to my list, let me know!

- Brianna Paulette

Bacon & Puppies

Hello Blog People!

So this past weekend was a busy one! I spent the weekend back at home with my lovely family; soaking up the fabulous weather Nebraska graced us with this weekend, and cooking! Along with writing, I LOVE to cook! A couple of weeks ago I was creeping Pinterest, and found an amazing recipe. Two words. Bacon. Jam. To me, anything with bacon is a winner, and this recipe just happened to have brown sugar and maple syrup in it, so obviously it would have to be a home run. So this weekend I finally had time to whip up this new recipe. I did a few tweaks, and trust me… this one is definitely a home run! No… more than a home run... a GRAND SLAM! This stuff can go on anything! Toast, fried egg sandwiches, grilled chicken… the possibilities are endless! So without further ado… I give you the recipe for BACON JAM!

Ingredients 
1 1/2 pounds sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, diced small
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup brewed coffee

Directions 
Step 1 In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.

Step 2 Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.

BACON!!

Simmering those onions and garlic

All mixed together...

Kinda looks like vomit... or poop.. not sure which one... but it tastes SOO good!

Final product! Mmm Mmmm GOOD!

My special tweak to this recipe was instead of using regular bacon… I used Chipotle bacon. Fortunately, my parents own a meat processing plant, so it was very good quality bacon and flavored perfectly! It also gave the jam a little zing, which balanced out the sweetness. I do plan on trying this with regular bacon though, and I’m pretty sure that’s all I will be eating for the next year…. Oops.

On a side note, my family just got a new puppy! I’m sure you figured that out from the name of the post (no I did not use puppies while making my jam… yikes!) Her name is Penny, and she is the most adorable puppy on the face of this planet!! (Even though she can be a pain… and literally chews up everything she gets her cute little paws on!) So... I leave you with her adorableness…

Cutie pa-tootie!

Cutest cooking helper anyone could ask for!

Sleeping beauty!  This is the only time she is behaving!

 

Pretending to be nice...

-Brianna Paulette

Just Be Happy!

So lately I have been trying to be more of a “go-getter” in my life.  I’m currently trying to make plans for a study abroad tour through the University and I’m also working on starting a new student organization for my major program.  I’m so excited about both of these new experiences that I’m working towards!  Unfortunately, I’ve soon realized there are people in your life that are not as excited for things as you are, and they can definitely rain on your parade!  I have always been that person who is a complete people pleaser and always wanted to make others happy.  Thankfully, with the help of some good friends, I’ve started to learn that my own happiness is more important than what other people think.  That has been quite the eye opening revelation for me.  I’ve started to do more things for me and I’m not worrying about what people think of my ideas or me.  If everyone who has ever had an idea listened to all of the negative criticisms in the world, nothing would ever get done.  There are going to people who hate your ideas and think they’re terrible, but there are also going to be people who think its an amazing idea.  Those are the people you should focus on!  My goal in life is to get rid of as much negativity as I can in my life!  Who cares what other people think!  If you are living your passion and doing what you love in life, that’s all that matters!  Life is too short to not be happy.  This whole post has been one cheesy cliché, but it’s the complete truth!  It’s one of the reasons I finally decided to start this blog.  I was too nervous that people would read my blog and judge me and think my posts were stupid, but I knew there would be someone, even just one person, that could possibly enjoy reading what I have to say.  Plus, I love to write!  I enjoy every aspect of writing and expressing your feelings and opinions on everything! 

That’s the end of my rant!  Basically all I’m trying to say is life is way too short to let the downers keep you down.  Do what you love and love what you do, because that’s the only way you’ll be happy. 

- Brianna Paulette

Miss Indecisive

So I’ve been neglecting my blog now for a little over a week, oops.  Since my last post I’ve been trying to come up with a new design for my blog.  As a “learning” graphic designer, having a basic template just killed me on the inside.  So, I had been working on an awesome nautical design that had anchors and an awesome page title design for the blog called “Learning to Surf,” and when I was almost finished I decided I didn’t want to call my blog that anymore.  I decided it was too cheesy and was just not what I was all about.  Yes, I am learning new things and getting myself to have new and different experiences, but I also want to write about some of the old, down-home, Nebraska living that I experience every day.  Since the third time is the charm, I changed my blog name one more time (hopefully for the last time!)  I ended up deciding to just call it Brianna Paulette, that’s me!  I thought it was quite fitting.

Now that I had my blog name down, I wanted to come up with a design that was “me.”  That was a huge hurdle in itself; I am completely indecisive on everything I design for myself.  (It took me 8 different designs before I could finally settle on a business card design!! YIKES!)  So if you can imagine, designing my blog is a big deal to me because a lot more people can access a blog than my business card!  I decided to go with something clean, simple, and RED!  After all, I am a Nebraska Cornhusker!  GO BIG RED!  As you can see from my blog, this is what I came up with!  When I start learning more about this whole blog thing and HTML code, I’m sure it will change more!  I’m still freakishly frustrated with not being able to use the fonts that I want… nothing was working right :(.  I’m sure I will learn though…. Hopefully.

If you have any advice on blog design and font use I am completely open to comments!!

-Brianna Paulette

Yes I Cannes! | Cannes Film Festival 2013

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As I mentioned in my first post, I just got back from a fantastic international internship!  The internship I attended was one that most people would kill for!  I got the opportunity to work at the American Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France!  As a Hospitality student, I worked as a server for the VIP section of the American Pavilion.  So it might not be that glamorous of a job, but the experience was UH-MAZING!  Being a student intern for the American Pavilion, I got the same accreditation for the festival as the famous and rich actors, actresses, producers and directors.  Let me tell you, I felt like a total bad-ass being able to walk into all of the “special areas” of the festival with just a flash of my badge.  Not only did we (the 200 student interns at AmPav) have the same accreditation, we were also able to go to many of the movies that were showing at the festival.  Ironically, there was a movie that was in competition called “Nebraska.”  So of course, myself and the other Nebraska students had to go see it, and it was fantastic! It made me laugh, it made me cry, and I would highly recommend going to see it if it becomes a feature picture in the states!  The other movie that I went to during the festival was the complete Red Carpet experience.  I  was able to get all dolled up and I walked up the same steps, the same red carpet that all of the big stars walked up!  The film’s title was “Only Lovers Left Alive” and the main characters were Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton.  Yes, I was in the same room as Tom Hiddleston, you can be jealous now.  If you don’t know who Tom Hiddleston is, he played Loki in the Avengers; if you haven’t seen the Avengers, PLEASE get out more often… rent it on Netflix or RedBox or anything!  Anyway, back from my rant now…

Besides the work and the movies at the internship, I had the pleasure of meeting some truly amazing and fantastic people!  I made friendships that will last a lifetime while I was in Cannes, while also making connections with industry professionals that I am sincerely grateful for! I made these connections by working my butt off and volunteering for pretty much every party or event that the American Pavilion had during the festival, and I’m so glad that I put in the extra work!  I now have very well respected professionals in my field that will write recommendations for me for any job that I would want to apply for in my future.

The whole experience was just absolutely spectacular!  The two weeks I spent in Cannes were a whirlwind, and some of the things I did there are a blur, but every bit was completely worth it.  If you are a film, hospitality, or business student, I highly recommend applying for next year’s internship program!  Go to the American Pavilion website to find more information about their programs!

Here are some pictures from my trip! Enjoy!

 Outdoor Theatre!

 Red Carpet Moment!

 Love the view! Got to see this everyday!

 Amazing group of people I got to work with everyday!

 Turned 20 in France! Best birthday ever thanks to some fantastic people!

 The Palais! Where the majority of the Festival De Cannes is held!

(P.S. I'm currently working on a new design layout for my blog!  Just need to learn how to do all of the fun HTML coding! Woo! Keep an eye out for the new... way cooler.. design!)

- Brianna