Chopsticks and Pearls

Beach Trip 2011

2011-05-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

Be still my heart.

Galveston has such fun memories for me as a kid. We had a beach house in this same neighborhood and came down almost every weekend. It was so fun to bring Avery down for the first time and show James our old stopping grounds. I can't wait for more beach trips in the future!

Homegirl wasn't so sure about the sand in her toes! This was about 2 hours before the "plague" hit her, so I'm going to reserve any comments about being little miss priss.

This will also be known as the famous Royal Wedding Weekend....and unfortunately it will also be known as the weekend of the "plague". I have never in my life seen a stomach bug pass around a household so quickly. It was truly amazing. I NEVER get sick..and if I do, it's some sort of sinus infection or cedar fever. I guess when you throw babies in the mix, it's a whole new ball game.

From that weekend on...I vowed to never roll my eyes or scoff when one of my friends has to bail on me because her baby is sick or she is sick. Never again. I get it now.

Anyways.....I will truly never forget watching the wedding with my best friends and waking up at 3:30 to put on my pearls and tiara. Even Miss Avery (who doesn't sleep well away from home) joined the party with us a 4:00am.

We did hit up the beach once while everyone was still healthy and hydrated. It was a beautiful/windy day. Avery spent most of the time in the wagon playing with her toys to avoid the sand. It was so windy that it was hard to get too many good pics. These two are my favs. Aunt Lynch took some with her fancy camera and posted some from the weekend too! We did shop along the strand on Saturday, but mostly just lounged and watched coverage of the Royal Wedding all weekend...I wouldn't have done it any other way! I only wish I had taken pictures of some of the fun details of the weekend....like the precious tiara cupcakes that Aunt Trog brought...or the image of James and Aunt Trog trying to fit everything into Elin (the Traverse).
The only thing missing was the rest of the DOF crew! Next time!!

Avery's first steps!

2011-05-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

She REALLY wanted those puffs!! I'm so proud of her!

My First Mother's Day

2011-05-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Avery Bear and I on Easter Sunday

I'm going to start this post by pretending that I've been posting rather frequently and everyone is caught up with the Lee Family....which I know is a big fat lie. :) The thought of trying to recap the craziness of the past few months of our life makes me want to curl up in a ball and take a nap.

I had every intention to post yesterday. That was the ONE THING I was going to do for myself on Mothers Day...buuuut of course...we got a little distracted when SOMEONE decided to reach another milestone and take her first steps!! It was the best Mother's Day present I could have ever asked for! :) We got it on video and as soon as I figure out how to post it...I will! I don't want to get tooo ahead of myself on my first post back.

Yesterday, we had a fun family day around the house. James attempted breakfast in bed, but forgot to thaw out half the ingredients the night before...so we headed to Shipley's donuts. I haven't had Shipley's in YEARS and I didn't realize there was one so close to our house. DANGEROUS! It was so good. When we got back, we busted out the water table and sprinklers in the backyard. Mommy and Daddy sat in the lounge chairs while Avery played splashed around. We ate lunch outside and listened to music and it was so relaxing.

After lunch....it became the typical Sunday...Avery takes a nap, Daddy falls asleep watching golf. I decided to take a little time to myself and go shopping. The new calypso line at Target...I die. I got a few cotton dresses and some tshirts for the summer. Because I wore suits every day at work....my casual clothes usually ended up being some sort of a suit piece.....button down..sweater set..something. I've been needing some good "mommy clothes" for a while.

After little miss thing went to sleep, Daddy and I cooked a nice dinner, relaxed and reminisced about how fast Avery is growing up. Without further ado...some pictures from the weekend!

Making fun of Daddy!

Daddy's arms were sore all night after these pictures!

Really Mommy...another picture??

I'm hoping this post is one of many in the near future. There is a lot more to catch up on!!! Please don't judge the lake of creativity, humor, or sentimental poems about being a mother. I realize this is quick and dirty.....it's all I got right now! :)

Free Christmas Cards? Wha??

2010-11-28T20:29:00.000-08:00

Have you guys heard about the shutterfly giveaway to bloggers? I've read a few blogs about it and decided to give it a go! I just LOVE some of their designs this year. I've gotten my cards from shutterfly the past few years and they always have great promotions running. They always turn them around SUPER quick and I'm always running wayyy behind on ordering cards and invitations. This is one of my favorite cards. I love how so many of the designs are so simple and traditional...like you went to an expensive stationary stores and had them designed months ago! haha. I'm also a big fan of their personal desktop calendars. I don't want to go into too many details, but I'm pretty sure everyone in my family will be getting one in their stockings! They aren't too over the top...perfect for your desk at work!

I hope everyone jumps on the bandwagon! How could you pass up this good of a deal?

As soon as I drop my cards in the mail..I'll post a picture of our christmas card! I have to say.....Lady Liberty likes to ham it up for the camera and this photoshoot did not disappoint! I just want to squeeze her little cheeks every time I look at her picture!! haha.

The Nursery

2010-09-20T19:14:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of the nursery. I wanted something really simple and classy. The picture above the crib and changing table are pictures that my Aunt painted. She passed away a two years ago and her art was distributed among the family. When I received these pictures, I knew that I would design a nursery around them if I had a girl. I can’t wait to tell Avery all about her. These pictures make me smile every time I walk in her room.

Because it’s a pretty small room, I had to take the doors off the closet so the crib would fit. I really wanted the crib to be on the far wall. James helped me make the cornice above the closet. I picked out fabric and my grandmother sewed the curtains. I wanted simple white bedding too! I couldn’t find anything in my price range, so I emailed a vendor on etsy and she made exactly what I wanted for a fraction of the price! :)

I will say that the glider is probably the most comfortable chair I’ve ever sat in. It was so hard to find a chair that wasn’t too deep, too narrow, arms too high or back too low. When I sat in this chair, I immediately relaxed. I knew it was perfect! Some people thought I was crazy to get a white chair, but it’s so easy to spot treat with bleach! The crib and the glider were the two things we “splurged” on for the room.

I got the chandelier, rocking chair, sconces and oak dresser at Round Top Antique festival for a STEAL! I knew I wanted a chandelier and an antique dresser as a changing table. If that’s your style and you haven’t been to Round Top…you MUST go!!! I drool over all the French Antiques and love bargaining with vendors! :)

The hardest part for me was probably choosing the paint color. I MAY or MAY NOT have had the painter re-do the color! It’s sooo hard to find an off-white that wasn’t too yellow or brown etc. This shade was called “Tea Light”..and it was the first one I picked out..of course.

I made this bow hanger while I was in my “nesting” phase. I painted a little piece of wood from hobby lobby and modge podged some pretty scrapbook paper on top…and then staple gunned some ribbon to hang the bows! It was a fun project!

I also made the picture board above the night stand with left over fabric from my curtains. I got a frame that matched the “feel” of the room on sale at Hobby Lobby too! I’ve put some fun pictures up since this picture was taken. They are fun to look during those middle of the night feedings!

Happy Birthday, Chops!!!

2010-09-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

So Chops turned the big 3-0 last week...and Lady Liberty made him a little homemade birthday card...

...besides the birthday card...she gave him the best present ever.

SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!!

Avery now sleeps for an 8 hour stretch! I've been putting her down between 10-11PM and she wakes up between 6-7AM. :) She litterally started this on his birthday. Fingers crossed that 8 hours turns into 10 hours soon!!! Or Pearls needs to learn how to go to bed when she goes to bed...instead of trying to get stuff done around the house.

PS. Does anyone have any tips for uploading pictures? I feel like it takes me FOREVER for them to upload...and then FOREVER to format. I swear I would blog more if this wouldn't freaking take so long.

So...we tried the bumpo chair this week.

2010-09-02T20:25:00.001-07:00

It clearly didn't go over that well.

This is the picture that James sends me when I'm off "mommy duty" for a few hours with a little note that says..."Your daughter misses you". Then I started leaking milk. Awesome.

To get him back...I'm sending him a picture of her next blowout diaper.

Now...I need to get back at my list of questions for our two month appointment tomorrow. I've been writing them down in my blackberry "memo" section and the list is pretty long. He's going to think I'm crazy. At the last appointment, he didn't tell me the "percentages" of her height and weight. I'm going to ask him tomorrow..and I have this strong feeling in the back of my mind that she might be in the 100th percentile in weight.

Lady Liberty at One Month

2010-09-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

We've got it! Lady Liberty (just Lady for short) will be Miss Avery's official blog name! Thanks to the Loj for suggesting the "Lady" nickname. I love it!

This was officially my favorite picture of her at this age! She just has the cutest little smirk on her face.

Some notes about the first month:

(minus the hospital stay, which will be a totally separate blogpost!)

- Height 21.5 inches, Weight 9 lbs 6 oz, Head..well, off the charts..Her conehead is still going down today...

- She is like a little ticking alarm clock that likes to eat every three hours on the dot. It's pretty amazing to watch her fast asleep and then when the clock hits three hours on the dot, she wakes up and cries. There were 2-3 times where she slept 5 hour stretches at night...and Pearls felt like a new person. :) She did tend to fall asleep while feeding. I had to get ice cubes and water...and undress her to wake her up. She lost over 10% of her weight in the hospital, so everyone made me panic about feeding her and getting her back to her birth weight. Not to mention that my milk didn't come in for around 2 weeks.

- At 3 weeks to the day, she fussed all day long and just never seemed to get full. I called the doctor (like any other clueless, ocd, first time mom would do) who said that she was probably going through a little growth spur that would like 24-48 hours..and that I could demand feed if I wanted. Sure enough...24 hours later, she was back to her schedule.

- She was always VERY alert and loves to be awake..and center of attention. It's soo hard to get her to sleep. I rock and rock and rock and she still just wants to stay awake and play. When people come over, she is in her element. I can't blame her though. She might look like Chops, but she's definitely got some Pearls in her! She has the biggest eyes and started focusing on things very early. Lights, fans, people..movement in general.

- She was also VERY active (and still is!)...When she gets going ...her arms and legs just go non-stop. They flail contantly. I have to hold her really tight to calm her down.

- One of my favorite things about her is that as she falls asleep...she gets this big smile and has the biggest belly laugh. It makes me laugh every time. It's so cute! I HAVE to get it on video!

- She HAS to have her hands by her face. That's how she was in the womb and that's how she likes to sleep. Swaddling has been challenging. I know it calms her down and makes her feel secure, but when I trap her arms...she tries so hard to get them out...she grunts and her face turns bright red...it makes me so nervous. 9 times out of 10..she would eventually get her arms out...so I eventually let her have her hands.

- We had to sleep with the "billy blanket" for the first week when we came home. So she slept in her crib in the nursery. It's a pretty big machine with a REALLY bright light. She was our little glow worm. After the jaundice was under control, we brought her into our room in a cradle that my grandfather made for me and my brother. It's beautiful! It was such a special pass down. Well....My little chunky monkey was a liiiiittle too big for the cradle. Arms got stuck in the bars....it was not fun to wake up and see Miss Thing all tangled up. That lasted for two nights...and then we put her in a little vibrating lamb chair and that was much better.

- We did have to suplement a little forumla at the hospital, but when my milk finally came in, she was purely breastfed. We DID introduce a bottle within the first two weeks. I was in a ton of pain and was pumping after every feeding to help the milk come in...Chops gave her a few bottles during that time. I wasn't going to waste that precious pumped liquid gold. She did great and never had "nipple confusion". I still haven't given her a bottle myself. My mom (Mimi) and James are the only two that gave it to her. She's always been a great "sucker". They say that bigger babies tend to suck harder...yay for me! jk.....ouch for me. Is that TMI? We had our good "latches" and our not so good "latches" that I paid for later! Which reminds me, I need to buy stock in lanolin.

- She has the longest nails and they are so hard to cut or file! Because she flails her arm so much, she ALWAYS scraches her face. I feel SOO bad! The scratches usually go away within a day, but it makes me feel so bad. The little mittens or socks do not stay on her hands. I love the day gowns that have the hand things on them, but she can't be in those all day long! I feel like every time I try to file them, I make them worse!

- She LOVES bathtime, but her first bath also is a good story in and of itself! :)

- And finally....as she is about to start screaming...so I'll need to sign off. Our first outing was at 2 weeks old...we went to Sonic Happy Hour..OBVIOUSLY...which is approx 3 blocks from my house...don't worry that I SWEAR I heard her choke after driving a block..so what did I do? Pull the car over rather dramatically...and run around to check on her. She was absolutely fine! haha. So...after our trip to sonic was a big success...we decided to drive to New Orleans and stay at a hotel on Bourbon Street at 3.5 weeks. Yup! More to come!

PS. I can't BELIEVE I just typed all that...I put so many details...it's more for my memory too when I look back! :)

Introducing Miss Avery Marion Lee....

2010-08-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

HERE SHE IS....MISS AMERICA!!!!

Avery Marion Lee entered this world on July 4, 2010 at 1:44AM weighing a whopping 8 pounds 7 ounces!

She was also 21 inches long....however, the more I've taken notice to this statistic, I've come to realize that pretty much all babies end up being 21 inches long.

Since it's so hard to find a good blog name that is a combination of "chopsticks" and "pearls"..maybe we should go with Lady Liberty? Thoughts?

Giving her best Lady Liberty pose......she's a natural.

LIfe just gets in the way sometimes!

2010-08-31T16:17:00.001-07:00

Okay, Okay! I have NO EXCUSE other than life just gets in the way sometimes and there has just been no time to blog. The past 9 months have been a whirlwind and there is so much to blog about! The few times I've actually had the time to write a quick post...I haven't known where to start! Do I start with baby showers, belly pics, the "birth story"....what? So...I've decided to just dive in.

Disclaimer: I will go ahead and say that the next posts will most likely be written while I'm either soothing or feeding this sweet baby girl. I will most likely be using one hand...not using spell check.....or checking for grammar errors....racing to finish...and forgoing all attempts to be witty or funny. And let's be honest.....there will probably be a Housewives marathon on in the background that might get me distracted. :)

These first few posts will most likely be catching everyone (all 3 of you!) up on what life has been like since Miss Avery Marion Lee entered into this world two months ago. I will attempt to not make every post from now on about this sweet baby....there is always something to make fun of Chops about!

Also, I am taking suggestions for a good blog name for Avery.....

So there...my first post back! I felt like I needed this transition post so it wouldn't be so random! :)

Highlight of the Holidays!!!

2010-01-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

One BIG highlight over the holidays was that I won the BEST TASTING contest and BEST PRESENTATION award at the office Christmas party. This can get pretty competitive. A lot of people enter the best tasting contest, but not many enter best presentation....so I knew I had a shot.

Everyone in the office loves my cake balls...they are always a crowd pleaser, and I've probably emailed the recipe out at least 20 times. It's just so easy! SO....for best presentation, I decided to try and do Bakerella's Christmas Cake Pops! I was a little nervous about the assembly. A few people thought I was crazy and in over my head. (ie. GlamandFab) But with the help of a crafty neighbor...and with Chops being out of town (so no one to comment on the messy kitchen)...I knew we could take on this challenge!

And....I think we did a PRETTY GOOD JOB!!! It wasn't even that hard!

The display!

Christmas Trees! (notice prenatal vitamins in background! haha)

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer in the front!

Santa Hats!

Unfortunately, I didn't get too many pictures of my competition. BUT...the both prizes were gift certificates to Central Market. YUM!!! Anyone up for a cooking class?

Reasons why I haven't posted for the past 4 months and 19 days....

2010-01-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

1. Work has been crazy. I have seriously had a work trip almost every other week. When I was actually in the office, my little ‘ol blog became the “water cooler talk” for a few days, which made me want to lay low for a while.

2. Weekends have been filled with weddings, birthdays, family vacations, and out-of-town visitors. I couldn’t be more thankful for such a wonderful group of friends and family. I promise to post pictures of these events and celebrations soon!

3. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, Chopsticks and Pearls has a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

BABY CHOPS IS DUE JULY 4, 2010!!!!
Note: This picture was taken at Thanksgiving after we told our parents. We gave them a frame that said "Reserved for Baby - Coming July 4, 2010".

We are so excited and I am ready to start documenting the stories. I don’t think it’s truly hit us yet that we are about to be parents. I never had much of the “first trimester” side effects, which has been awesome. I DO have to eat more regularly or I get dizzy and get headaches. I have also been more tired after work and on the weekends. It just seems to take longer to recover from a big weekend. This could also contribute to the fact that I’m rapidly approaching 30. Yikes!

I just started showing about two weeks ago. It was pretty subtle until this week. I now officially have to wear my pants unbuttoned. T-shirts are also starting to become tighter and shorter. All I have to say is that my coworkers better start getting used to this one pair of black pants that still fit! I have a feeling I will be wearing them frequently…and by that, I mean every day.

The most stressful part about being pregnant thus far has been letting people know. It was SO hard to keep it from our friends and family for so long. We basically fell off the face of the earth for a few weeks. There are so many people you want to tell in person…but you also want your family to be the first to know….and when you tell one person, you have to tell everyone else pretty quickly or the word will get out….and because we were in the middle of the holiday season, it was just one big headache trying coordinate schedules with people! Anyways, the day that I sent out a mass email with the announcement…I had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders…and everything just got easier!

It still doesn’t feel real that I have an actually human being living inside me…or that I will be responsible for keeping someone else alive… feeding them..dressing them…changing them..etc. I can barely put myself together in the morning, let alone someone else. Surely, changing a diaper comes naturally, right?…because I’ve never really done that before! Chops REALLY has no clue. In fact, I’ll give you an example.

Our conversation last night:

Pearls: “Hey Babe, you know that when Baby Chops comes, we are going to have to secure those bookshelves to the wall” – referring to our tall narrow bookshelves in the living room that teeter a little bit if you touch them.

Chops: “Why would the baby be in this room?”

Pearls: “Are you asking me why the baby would be in the main living room of the house? The room we spend the majority of our time in?”

Chops: “Well, why would the baby be in this room unsupervised?”

WHAT?? CLEARLY, he has no clue as to how quickly babies move and how easy something could happen if you turned your head for one second. This conversation also convinced me that I will be hiring a professional to come “baby proof” the house.

We have a lot to learn in the next 5 months.

Disclaimer: I promise this blog will not strictly become a “baby blog”. I will continue to post recipes, product reviews, and make fun of chops! 

Product Review!

2009-08-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

I've done a few product reviews before, so I thought I would go ahead and add some to my list!

In my attempt to save money this summer, I decided to cut back on my make-up expense. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I've only really worn Laura Mercier make-up. I LOVE all their colors and the way it feels on my skin. But it's EXPENSIVE! You have to go to Neimans, Saks or Nordstrom to get it. I stocked up a few years ago (yes, years) when I was in a bunch of weddings and kept getting my make-up done for free at their counter.

Well..the time came where I needed some new foundation. I decided I would try something I could buy at Walgreens for under $10. I also decided that I would give it two tries....if the first one made my skin break out, I would try one more brand before going back to the ol tride and true.

Well....I have a new favorite foundation! Cover Girl - TRU BLEND! It's so soft on my face and I feel that it has good coverage. I still use my LM transparent powder over it.

My next product review is the Curvy Jeans at Gap. I did a quick walk-through this weekend and decided I would try on a pair because they were all $20 off. These jeans are already washed and SUPER soft. If you have some curves like me, these are very flattering, and they don't pucker in the back. Of course, I WILL take them to get altered so they fit just right...and yes, I will go ahead and admit that I will pay $5 extra to get the "jeans hem". Now if the weather would ever drop below 100 degrees!!!

Note: WHY would they pick a model to try on the CURVY jeans...when SHE HAS NO CURVES!!!!??? Seriously!!!! Come on, Gap! I thought you were all about the modern day woman!

Finally, I don't have to explain too much about this next product. The label speaks for itself. I LOVE Clorox Spray with Bleach. We have white counter tops and I seriously don't know what I would do without it. I am such a mess in the kitchen that I probably use it AT LEAST 2-3 times over the course of the evening....spill a bit of red wine? No problem! Splatter some sauce over the white back splash? Let me get that! Minor explosion in the microwave? Bring it on!

Honestly...if I managed the Chopsticks and Pearls money market accounts, I would probably go ahead and buy a bunch of their stock........which is maybe why I'm not in charge. :)

ON A SIDE NOTE:

I'm about to updated my "blog list" in my sidebar. I haven't added anything since I start my blog last year. SO....If you read my blog, I would love to link to you! Leave me a comment or shoot me an email and I'll add you! Also, I just posted the "follow" feature. I'm not 100% sure that that means, but I'm more than happy to follow you too!

Random thoughts from people 25 - 35 years old...

2009-08-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this post on someone else's blog and thought it was funny and SO TRUE! I took out a few because I like to think Chopsticks and Pearls is a "family friendly" blog. I bolded some of my favorites.

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

That's enough, Nickelback.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with MillerLites than Kay.

Show Us Your Life - Baby Showers

2009-08-21T06:54:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite blogs to read is Kelly's Korner. Every Friday, she picks a theme or topic and asks all of her readers to show pictures of their life. I love going through some of the responses. They've done a home tour (which I vowed not to show too many pictures of our home)..and they've done wedding pictures (which I've already posted about)....so I've never participated.

This week's theme is baby showers. I've "co-hosted" several, but have only hosted one at my house, where I got to do all the decorations etc. I AM hosting another shower this fall and I can't wait! It's a co-ed shower and I've already got visions in my head on themes and table settings. I also think I'm going to use my new cake skills to make the cake myself! :)

Two years ago, I hosted a shower for my neighbor, (and good friend) Courtney who was having a boy. This was her second child and the shower was a total surprise!

The Diaper Cake

The Teddy Bear Display

The Cookies

The Tablescape

The Sign-In Table
I framed her invitation, had envelopes for the guests self-address their thank you cards, and then asks guests to write "tips" for the new mom of two!

Mimosa's and Champagne

I can't wait to host another this fall!

Most Annoying Types of Facebookers

2009-08-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Straight from CNN.com

The Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-of-My-Day Bore.
"I'm waking up." "I had Wheaties for breakfast." "I'm bored at work." "I'm stuck in traffic." You're kidding! How fascinating! No moment is too mundane for some people to broadcast unsolicited to the world. Just because you have 432 Facebook friends doesn't mean we all want to know when you're waiting for the bus.
The Self-Promoter.
OK, so we've probably all posted at least once about some achievement. And sure, maybe your friends really do want to read the fascinating article you wrote about beet farming. But when almost EVERY update is a link to your blog, your poetry reading, your 10k results or your art show, you sound like a bragger or a self-centered careerist.
The Town Crier.
"Michael Jackson is dead!!!" You heard it from me first! Me, and the 213,000 other people who all saw it on TMZ. These Matt Drudge wannabes are the reason many of us learn of breaking news not from TV or news sites but from online social networks. In their rush to trumpet the news, these people also spread rumors, half-truths and innuendo. No, Jeff Goldblum did not plunge to his death from a New Zealand cliff.
The TMIer.
"Brad is heading to Walgreens to buy something for these pesky hemorrhoids." Boundaries of privacy and decorum don't seem to exist for these too-much-information updaters, who unabashedly offer up details about their sex lives, marital troubles and bodily functions. Thanks for sharing.
The Bad Grammarian.
"So sad about Fara Fauset but Im so gladd its friday yippe". Yes, I know the punctuation rules are different in the digital world. And, no, no one likes a spelling-Nazi schoolmarm. But you sound like a moron.
The Sympathy-Baiter.
"Barbara is feeling sad today." "Man, am I glad that's over." "Jim could really use some good news about now." Like anglers hunting for fish, these sad sacks cast out their hooks -- baited with vague tales of woe -- in the hopes of landing concerned responses. Genuine bad news is one thing, but these manipulative posts are just pleas for attention.
The Lurker.
The Peeping Toms of Facebook, these voyeurs are too cautious, or maybe too lazy, to update their status or write on your wall. But once in a while, you'll be talking to them and they'll mention something you posted, so you know they're on your page, hiding in the shadows. It's just a little creepy.
The Crank.
These curmudgeons, like the trolls who spew hate in blog comments, never met something they couldn't complain about. "Carl isn't really that impressed with idiots who don't realize how idiotic they are." [Actual status update.] Keep spreading the love.
The Paparazzo.
Ever visit your Facebook page and discover that someone's posted a photo of you from last weekend's party -- a photo you didn't authorize and haven't even seen? You'd really rather not have to explain to your mom why you were leering like a drunken hyena and French-kissing a bottle of Jagermeister.
The Maddening Obscurist.
"If not now then when?" "You'll see..." "Grist for the mill." "John is, small world." "Dave thought he was immune, but no. No, he is not." [Actual status updates, all.] Sorry, but you're not being mysterious -- just nonsensical.
The Chronic Inviter.
"Support my cause. Sign my petition. Play Mafia Wars with me. Which 'Star Trek' character are you? Here are the 'Top 5 cars I have personally owned.' Here are '25 Things About Me.' Here's a drink. What drink are you? We're related! I took the 'What President Are You?' quiz and found out I'm Millard Fillmore! What president are you?"

After reading these, I'm PRETTY sure I'm THE LURKER!! At my 10 year high school reunion, I could not stop myself from telling people that I've seen pictures of their families on facebook. HELLO, I haven't seen these people in 10 YEARS...WHY am I openly admiting that I've stalked them on facebook? I think most people have some of "the lurker" in them....so hopefully, I didn't freak some people out! :)

Who would you be??

Sidenote:

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to put Life with Liz in category #1 - Status update from early today said "Organizing bookshelves, doing dishes, doing laundry, then finishing my book!". haha.

Cake Decoration Class - Round Two

2009-08-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

This week, we learned borders and clowns. I was a little weary about the the whole clown lesson, but they turned out to be really cute. In the class, you spend the whole time practicing yours skills on a board...and you literally have 10 minutes to decorate the actual cake. The majority of those ten minutes, you are trying to mix colors and fill your bag with icing....so you have about 4 minutes to decorate the actual cake. It's a total bummer because you really can't take your time to make a masterpiece and show off your skills.

Tiffany and I have been the last to leave both times. Michael's pretty much has the lights turned off in the store as we are walking out with our cakes. For a play by play recap, visit Life is Glam & Fab.

I dedicated this week's cake to my blog and it's avid followers.

Next week....roses and rainbows!

Pearls' Pantry Challenge!!!

2009-08-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night, Chops made Zataran's Dirty Rice for dinner. I didn't eat any because I decided to drink my dinner at happy hour instead...a choice I clearly regretted at work on Monday morning! Since the Dirty Rice mix makes a fairly large portion, I figured that we would have leftovers for dinner on Monday night. That was my plan!

As I'm pulling out the tupperware last night to start the reheating process....Chopsticks proceeds to tell me that he accidentally left it out on the counter all night long with the words..."Do you think it's still okay?". Well....no...I don't think ground beef and cheesy rice is okay after being at room temperature for over 12 hours.

Since we don't really have much food left after the weekend, I figured I would have to go pick something up...which James HATES to do on a weekday. He chooses to gourd himself at lunch everyday with his coworkers and prefers a home cooked meal at night. He also doesn't like to spend $6.95 on a bowl of pad tai noodles from Fire Bowl because it might just break the bank.

Since I wasn't okay with eating a plain ham sandwich and 4 kiwi's for dinner, I started getting annoyed. Well...apparently Chopsticks knows all the tricks in the book because he immediately switched the TV channel to Food Network (my fav!) and announced Pearls' Pantry Challenge!!!! I had 30 minutes to use whatever ingredients we had in the pantry to make something for dinner!

Everyone knows I love a good challenge. Well.....I got HYPED and ran straight into the kitchen to get to work.....while James immediately switched the channel back to Monday Night NFL Countdown...and patted himself on the back for his little accomplishment. I'm in the kitchen making a home cooked meal..and he will not have to spend a penny.

Over the next 30 minutes, he randomly yelled out my remaining time left....as I scurried around throwing canned goods into various pots...and chopping up what was left of our remaining vegetables. It helped that my neighbor randomly brought over some fresh ceviche and shrimp for us to try....more ingredients for me to use!!!! Is it sad that I actually thought about not using the ceviche because it would be against the "challenge" rules?

Well, when all was said and done...I was over my time limit, but had a fulfilling free meal!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!! I'm ready for the big leagues!!!

Vegetarian Taco Salad
with Black Beans & Spanish Rice

NOTE: Rice was made with rotel instead of diced tomato's....I had to improvise! I was a true competitor and thought outside the box.

I tried to take a picture of my masterpiece, but Chops dove in too fast. I guess his double patty cheeseburger and fries at lunch, and the mid-afternoon beef jerky snack wasn't enough to tie him over til dinner.

Bobby Flav - Email chopsticksandpearls@gmail.com if you are interested in having me on your show. Clearly, I am experienced enough for your competition.

Happy Anniversary, Chops!

2009-08-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, James and I tied the knot! In honor of our celebration, I dedicated the cake I made last night in my "Cake Decorating 101" class to our anniversary.

Complete with our wedding colors and everything!

NOTE: Last night's class was more about the proper way to ice a cake and less about the actual "decorating". Please note how evenly its iced. :) We added the decoration the last 2.5 minutes of class.

For a recap of our experience in Wilton's Cake Decoarting Class 101 at Micheals, go to "Life is Glam & Fab". She explained the evening fairly accurately. :)

Our original wedding cake:

This was us eating the top of our wedding cake 2 years ago~ sorry for the blurry pictures! Once we took all the disgusting flowers off the top, it was actually quite good!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BABE!!!
To many more years of wedding bliss! :) haha.
Did I really just say that?

One person's trash.....

2009-08-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

Is another person's treasure!!!!

A few weeks ago, our neighborhood had "Bulk Trash Pick-Up". You always know when it's about that time because you street starts to look a little 'WT'....if you catch my drift. You've got random refrigerators sitting by the curb....sinks.... ratty old couches etc. Occasionally, you will pass by something and think "I can't BELIEVE they are getting rid of that!".

Well friends. This time, I actually did something about it. On my way home from work, I was driving through our neighborhood and saw this chest of drawers sitting outside someones house. They were old..the back was falling off...cobb webs on the inside, but it was solid wood! Surely with a little TLC, I could make this a nice piece of furniture. SO...with James still at work, I loaded it into my car..by myself. I only WISH I had a picture of me doing this. It was SOO heavy. I don't know where I came up with the strength to do it, but if there is a will...there's a way!

As I was piling it into my car..not one, but TWO people drove by and said that they also saw this on their way home ...and they were coming back to pick this up! That's when I knew I wasn't crazy for doing this...and it was a steal!

I took it straight to Tiffany's house because I knew James wouldn't have the same "vision" as I did. He was heading out of town the following weekend, and I decided he didn't need to know ALL the details about my project. :)

So after one hot Sunday and $20 at Home Depot, it's finally finished!!! I have a brand new piece of furniture!! What do you think??

BEFORE & AFTER

NOTE: The "before" picture was after I gave it a good wipe down. I don't have a picture of what it looked like RIGHT off the street.

The project was super easy!

I gave it a good wipe down, sanded all surfaces, and took the hardware off the drawers.

I did two coats of Mirawax Gel Stain in Dark Walnut and then finished with a Mirawax polyurethane finishing coat.

The hardware gave me some issues. I first tried to "polish" them up with Tarnex to give them a good shine and remove the tarnish. I don't know what happened, but I think I completely stripped the bronze of their original finish. One turned pink and the other was just multi-colored. So...I went with a back-up plan....SPRAY PAINT!!!

TADA!!! The finished product! It didn't quite fit in our guest bedroom, but it was perfect for this little spot in our entry way. We had an old desk there that didn't go at all...not that a chest of drawers goes in a dining room, but it's much better!

So....what did I do with my new STORAGE???

ORGANIZE ALL MY WRAPPING PAPER SUPPLIES!! :)

Yes - I admit it. I'm a tissue paper saver AND gift bag re-user.

I can't tell you how much space this opened up in our study. The 4th drawer has gift bags, but no matter what angle I took the picture...it looked "messy"...even though it was completely organized. So I opted out of including it! :)

Good Summer Recipes!

2009-08-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Chopsticks and I have actually been in town the past few weekends and it's been SO nice. We've watched movies, we got things done around the house, and I've had time to try some new summer recipes. It's always a gamble with new recipes.....you win some, you lose some. And I have to say the following three recipes were WINNERS!!!!

Mustard Glaze BBQ Chicken

I got this recipe from Elizabeth's Edibles, who got it from Cooking Light. This is one of my favorite cooking websites. Everything she posts always looks so good and I love the "step by step" pictures. This recipe was easy and VERY yummy. I used a grill pan and cooked the chicken over the stove. It made a nice glaze..and was juicy and flavorful all the way to the bone.

Jerk Chicken Salad from Z Tejas

This is my very FAVORITE salad in Austin. I ordered it the first time I went to this restaurant and I never looked back. I'm sure their restaurant has other good things on the menu, but I'll never know because I will ALWAYS get this salad. I randomly tried to look it up online and what do you know? I found the recipe! Yes - it's a lot of ingredients, but if you have a spice rack, you probably have most of them. Don't be scared by everything you mix in the salad dressing...it's good...promise! I did skip a few things I didn't have (ie. ginger)...and it was still tasty. I also used a whisk because I don't have a food processor, and it worked just fine.

Shrimp PoBoys

This is another recipe I found on Elizabeth's Edibles. The sauce was AMAZING and tastes just like you were ordering it on Bourbon Street. I did bread and fry the shrimp with some olive oil in a skillet because I wanted the crispy taste. I used the soft homemade french bread rolls from HEB...with some tomatoes, lettuce and pickles.....mmm mmm good. It was a bit time consuming because there were so many steps, but on a Friday night with a glass of wine...I didn't mind!

Note: I will say that some of these recipes make A LOT of servings...so I had to cut it down quite a bit for just Chops and I. I cut one down by 1/3rd...and I needed a TI-83 calculator. Where is Reams when I need her?

DIY: Nailhead Trim Upholstered Headboard

2009-07-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

Williams Sonoma Home: Gramercy Headboard
Price Tag: $1,250 - $2,650

Williams Sonoma Home: Sutton Bed
Price Tag: $2,250 - $8,650

Chopsticks & Pearls DIY Weekend Project
Price Tag: $60

I'm not gonna lie. I'm pretty impressed with how this project came out. We got a new queen size mattress in June for our guest bedroom. I've been looking EVERYWHERE for a headboard that comes lower than the window sill and have had no luck! So...with nothing on the books last weekend, I decided I would try and make my own.

Step 1: Purchase your supplies & measure your ideal headboard size

Supply List:
2 Yards of Fabric (will work for any size headboard). Of course, I loved an expensive fabric. Make sure and look for coupons before you shop. I found a 40% off coupon online!)
Nailhead Trim Kit - Make sure and buy the "kit" and not the individual nailheads. Trust me. I learned the hard way this weekend. It's MUCH easier to nail every 4 nails.
Plywood - If you want to make a square headboard, most hardware stores will cut the exact size you need. If you want to make rounded edges and your husband is anything like mine, you might need to ask a carpenter or handyman to cut it our. :) I also used a 3/8th inch plywood because I didn't want to drill holes in the wall to hang..I wanted something light. You can get a much thicker plywood (1 1/2 inch) if you want a sturdier look.
Mallet - I would use a mallet over a hammer because a hammer can dent the look of the nailheads
Batting - I purchase two yards of standard batting from the fabric store.
Staple Gun - I had this already!
Picture Hanging Kit - I used a 30 pound picture hook to mount the headboard on the wall.
Wire Cutters - To cut the nailhead trip and picture wire
Screwdriver

2. Step Two: Iron your fabric!!!! Don't be lazy and skip this step! Surely, I don't have to show a picture.....surely.

3. Step Three: Use a staple gun to attach the fabric and batting to the plywood. Make sure you pull the fabric pretty tight around the edges.

4. Step Four: Hammer the nailheads around the headboard. I did this on our dining room table and used a quilt to protect the table from any scratches etc. Also, the nailheads can be sharp....especially when you cut the ends. Make sure you don't cut yourself. If so, use a bandaid - you don't want to get blood on the fabric. Trust me on this one......

The picture below is when I tried to nail each nailhead individually....huge mistake! It took forever and it wasn't in a straight line. After all those mission trips in college building houses and hammering nails, I STILL a bad nail hammer-er.

Thank goodness for nailhead trim!!!!

5. Step Five: Attached picture wire to the back of your headboard. I didn't have to use a drill for these screws. I was able to push them through with a screwdriver. Yes - I realize I need a new camera.

6. Hang your headboard and admire your hard work!!!!

My plan is to get a new white coverlet for this bed, two white shams, and one or two green decorative pillows. I'm going to eventually change out these old side tables for a darker wood look to match everything else in our house!

Now..not only do I have a new headboard for our guest room, but I have money left to spend on another surprise project next weekend! Stay tuned!

4th of July Recap!

2009-07-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Every year for the 4th of July, we go to our friend’s Lake House in Crockett, Texas.

The lake holds a special place in our hearts because 4 years ago…..

We got engaged here!

We look forward to this weekend every year when we are all together and catch up.….and there are always new announcements.

THIS YEAR, Ashley and Dub announced they are pregnant!! We are so excited for the two of them!! So...what was the OBVIOUS next thing to do?

…..write on her belly with eye liner and set-up a photo-shoot! Dub was thrilled!

One of the highlights of the weekend was going to the new Crockett steakhouse in the town square. Yummy!

Then we headed over this not-so-classy establishment…fully equipped with a stripper poll on the stage. We were offered free shots upon arrival from the under-aged waitress/future poll dancer. We’re pretty sure they were just trying to suck up to the soon-to-be orthodontist in the group….clearly, most of the patrons in this bar/club/pool hall could benefit from a good retainer for the few teeth they had left.

I shouldn’t be so harsh, everyone was very welcoming. The Owner/DJ/Bartender/Dad even asked Taylor if she wanted to get up on stage and dance! Of course, she was flattered, but respectfully declined the invitation. We were all a little sore from hanging onto our rafts all day in the lake. Maybe next year.

"Jim" (my husband's Crockett nickname) and I were in charge of Saturday dinner.....and the Second Annual LEEBIRDS’S Burrito’s….complete with Freebird’s tortillas, sauces, and those circle metal plates to fix them on. Don’t ask me how I got those.... Just be sure to tip your burrito maker and extra dollar next time you are in a Freebird’s establishment. Slowly, but surely…we will pay them back! Maybe next year, I can get an actual steamer for the tortillas.

LEEBIRD BURRITO NIGHT!!!

Other than that, we watched the fireworks at the Country Club…

Andy and James solved the world’s problems.

Wait, let’s be honest…they were probably complaining about how their wives spend too much money and how they don't understand basic finance.

We made flag themed desserts....

Sang the National Anthem to these desserts.

Made the famous frozen drink - the “Crockettini” only to be used in the personalized “Crockettini” Styrofoam cups.

Then there was a dance party....

….where I quickly realized that I need to watch a few more YouTube instructional videos on the “stanky-leg” dance. It’s more complicated than I thought.

Note: I can’t tell if this picture is from the dance party or when Dub was trying to dry out the aloe vera on his back…….his moves are the same for both.

We took our yearly group pictures.....

Note #1: To all the single ladies out there, the two handsome gentlemen in the yellow shirt and navy shirt are single. Email me if you want their number!!

Note #2: I’m pretty sure JIMBO was perusing the plethora of gossip magazines that the girls brought up to the lake. As you can see in this picture, he has been practicing leg posses and what angles work best for his body type.

I AM pleased to report that there were NO INJURIES throughout the weekend. Some might remember Jimmy Lee’s finger incident two years ago when he was throwing an empty beer can from his float to the dock and cut his pointer finger. While I was worried whether this deep cut would need stitches and when his last tetanus shot was….JIM was more concerned that he just ruined his whole identity because he would have a scar in the middle of his fingerprint. This was not his first beer can of the day. If there is one thing you learn in Crockett, it’s to always fill up the empty beer can with lake water before throwing it back onto the dock.

There was really only one this missing from this year’s trip……

R.I.P “MEMBER’S ONLY, PRIVATE ISLAND”

We had some fun times with you last year. We tried to patch you up, but you were not salvageable. We’ll always remember the girl’s days and the high pours. You were good to us. Know that your memory was present throughout the weekend through the personalize sunglasses.

What you readers do not see…the glasses actually had “Member’s Only” written on one side and “Private Island” on the other.

A special thanks to our hosts for the weekend:

I figured this picture would be appropriate just in case they want to remain anonymous.

The countdown for next year begins!

Problem Solved!

2009-07-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

Look what Chopsticks found online yesterday!!

Ultimate Bark Control

.....Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is going into our August budget.

Thank you for all the suggestions on the letter. I made a few revisions and will leave it in the mailbox this afternoon. Fingers crossed!

Too harsh?

2009-07-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbor –

I just wanted to send you a quick note about your dog. I know I’m not telling you something you don’t already know, but your dog barks constantly when it’s outside. It’s a very loud bark too! Over the past two months, we feel like the noise has gotten worse….especially in the early mornings. It’s become the topic of conversation among the neighbors.

Over the past few weeks, your dog wakes us up 45 minutes before our alarm actually goes off. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is….especially on the weekends, our only days to sleep in a bit later. I just wanted to bring this to your attention. I realize our schedules are quite different. I understand that you need to let your dog out before you head off to work. I am just asking that you bring your dog inside when he starts barking constantly or train him bark less. Our last two house guests also made comments about the noise and encouraged me to write this note.

The next sentence in purely for dramatic affect....it is NOT true. Simma down.

We will actually be expecting our first child in a few months and I can already envision this being a bigger problem. Please take into consideration your surrounding neighbors. I LOVE dogs and I completely understand the trials and tribulations of being a dog owner. Hopefully, this will not be a problem for much longer. I hope you understand.

Thanks!

My plan is to put this note in their mailbox this afternoon. As long as it looks like they are NOT home. I'll be quick. Its going to be anonymous, but I'm not going to put "From, Anonymous"...because I don't want to sound creepy. I hope it gets the point accross because it's ridiculous and makes me and Chopsticks grumpy EVERY morning.

We've thought about calling the cops for a noise violation, but you have to reach a certain decimal for it to qualify...and I don't think they sell noise readers in the dollar bins at Target, so I'm out of luck. And besides....I'm about to call them to report a broken down truck on our street. I don't want to be "that girl" who always calls the police...I would hate for them to look up my parking ticket record...or we might have a bigger problem on our hands.

Hopefully, this letter is the perfect solution!

My only questions:

1. Does the last part of the letter ...."Hopefully, this will not be a problem for much longer".....sound like I might DO something if it does? Because I don't want it to sound threatening in any way. I would NEVER do something like that.

Update: I've been told by a few people that this sentance sound a bit threatening. So...how about: "I hope this situation will be remedied soon."

2. Is it possible to train your dog not to bark or should I take that line out?

Update: Apparently, traning your dog not to bark is possible. Some suggested ideas include: cold water, shock collar, and putting them in a kennel.

Your suggestions are encouraged.

Puerto Vallarta

2009-06-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

James and I have been busy over the past few months. Over the next couple posts, I'm going to try and catch everyone up on our adventures this spring!

First and foremost, we took a fabulous trip to Puerto Vallarta for our friend's wedding in April.

Michael was one of James' best friends growing up and the best man in our wedding...we wouldn't have missed it for the world!

We arrived on a Tuesday and got to relax for 4 days straight! There is nothing like reading a book all day by the ocean.

I spent MOST of the trip reading in this chair. Please note that I was very good about staying in the shade and drinking lots of water (in between the drinks!)

The resort was Playa Fiesta and it was PERFECT!!! Seriously, if you are considering a destination wedding, LOOK HERE! It's run by a cute young couple from San Francisco. There are 30 wonderful rooms with amazing views. This was the view from our room. It was the perfect place to relax and put your feet up!

Congrats to the happy couple - Michael and Jenna! We love you!

The wedding party took over the whole hotel, and by the end of the weekend..you were friends with ALL the wait staff, bartenders etc. And...you get to know the rest of the wedding party and families throughout the week. We even talked about planning a 5 year reunion there! haha.

James' new bestie, the bartender Juan Carlos! James' big grin has NOTHING to do with the tequila shots he took earlier. And just so you know..the bartenders weren't just hanging out by the pool drinking. Juan Carlos actually put down the towel he was cleaning with...and picked up the beer for the photo-op!

One of the MANY pictures we took. How is it that sunsets just get prettier and prettier by the minute? Every time we took a picture, the colors would change...and I would make James take another. It happened on our honeymoon too! This was probably our 4th take. James was thrilled! I just now noticed his shirt was untucked....he's lucky I didn't catch that earlier or we would have had to re-do the whole shoot.

Cigar Night for the boys!! James was going for the "tough" look, while the other guys posed. They must be well trained by their ladies.

We took an "excursion" one day to go zip lining! It was a blast! I LOVE heights, and James.....well, not so much. I was SO proud of him for completing the entire course. He screamed like a little girl, but he did it! Oh, the things he does for me. :)

I tried to bring my camera, but they wouldn't let me. They wanted you to buy the pictures they took at the end of the trip. James thought it was a waste, but I slipped them the money and purchased the pictures anyways. See James reaction below when I showed him my purchases!

Following the course, James had to sit down and regain his composure. I'm actually surprised this picture wasn't blurry because of how fast his hands and legs were still shaking. I must have an incredible camera.

While James was catching his breath and counting his blessings, I hit up a free tequila tasting! When in Rome, right?

Another treat we has was a couples massage. James had his doubts at first (most of you have heard the story of our first one...I MUST post that experience soon!), but as soon as we found out the price ($25/person)..we were SOLD! This was James and I in the middle of our discussion about what to take off before the massage. I think he thought I was pulling his leg about taking off the swim trunks! haha.

This was another picture during the wedding. I guess I was in the middle of a dance move towards the end of the night. There must have been a GREAT song playing....and by great, I mean it was probably gangster rap.

We had a wonderful time and hope to go back again one day!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Laisser les bons temps rouler!

2009-02-24T14:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Mardi Gras Day!

To celebrate Fat Tuesday, I slaved in the kitchen all night to make a HOMEMADE King Cake to bring to work. It was not easy, but it was yummy!!! I used a recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs: Elizabeth's Edible Experience. (please note my first link!)

I didn't put a baby Jesus in it because I didn't want to answer questions all day long about why there is a plastic baby in the cake. You'd be surprised how many times I've explained the tradition of the King Cake and the three wise men's journey to find baby Jesus....AND it would be just my luck that someone would choke on it!

My grandmother used to mail a us King Cake when we lived in Canada from a famous New Orleans bakery. We would get to eat a piece for breakfast before school and it was sooo good! Let me tell you...this recipe did NOT disappoint.

I completely forgot to take a picture of the finished product before I took a piece. ..or before I chopped half of it to take to work! haha.

Time to start thinking about what to give up for Lent....Ash Wednesday is tomorrow!

A Very Productive Lunch Break!

2009-02-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

Last week, I had a very productive lunch break! A quick trip to Old Navy! And folks, I did NOT come out empty handed. I had some credit that I needed to use, as well as a 30% off coupon. I couldn't resist. I just wanted a few fun pieces for the spring season.

My recent Old Navy purchases:

A Classic Trench Coat

I have been looking for a standard trench coat for SO long. They are either way too long, way too broad in the shoulders, too heavy, or they are WAY too expensive. I just want something light to throw on a work when I walk to lunch. I wanted one that could be super casual with jeans or nice with black pants.

And...I realize that I'm getting picky...but I also wanted brown tortoise looking buttons. Tar-Jay had a great trench coat, but it was a little heavy...a little tight in the hips when buttoned...and ...gasp....it had ugly tan buttons. I thought about buying it and changing out the buttons, but still.

I LOVE this one! It hits at the flattering part on the leg, and is an A-line form to it...so it gives that extra space in the hips that some of us need! :)

The ONLY negative part about this jacket is that TWO people at work have asked me if I have a bunch of fake Rolex's for sale in there.... whatever.

A Bright Colored Rain Jacket

I just HAD to try this one when I saw it. It was also reduced to $20 bucks. They had them in hot pink and navy too. I just thought the yellow was more "me". The hot pink made my cheeks look too red....and I don't have ANY clothes that work with navy....don't even get me started with picking out shoes to match.

So anyways....I wore this all day yesterday with a white turtle neck and black pants. It was very cute! Now....I'm not gonna lie....Several people at work also mentioned how bright it was! I don't care! :)

A Patterned Lightweight Scarf

Okay. I love the "scarf look"...where you do the "double wrap" around the neck. I got the black and white one (couldn't find a picture). It's so cute and casual. I've tried the look before with my pashmina's, but it doesn't work too well. They are too wide and thick. I look like I'm getting read for an Arctic blast.

Jessica Alba, Nicole Richie, and Charlize Theron pull this look off pretty well. Specifically the style on the far right. I thought this Old Navy scarf looked like those trendy "skull and cross bone" ones. I thought this jazzed up my work outfit pretty well. It also looked cute under the trench coat too.

Now...I WILL say that I fiddled with the scarf several times throughout the day. I don't mind. I just couldn't get it to stay wrapped all the way. Does anyone know any tricks? Do you need a speciality scarf for this look? The one wrap around look is probably more flattering for big busted people anyway. Man...looking at the pink one...I might need to get this one too! :)

Anyways...I just wanted to share my fun new spring purchases! Have a great weekend!

I'm a little tired this morning, folks!

2009-02-13T08:38:00.000-08:00

Okay - I would like to re-hash a little "experience" from last night.

12:14AM The Lee's are sound asleep in their cozy bed.

12:15AM Carbon Monoxide Detector goes off. The detector is in our room. It. is. LOUD.

12:15:01AM We both jump up out of deep sleep.

James' reaction: gets out of bed, rips the detector right out of the wall, pulls out the battery, puts the disassembled contraption on the book shelf.....and gets right back into bed and goes to sleep.

Allison's reaction: Start smelling for gas, blow my nose so I can smell better, run into the kitchen to check the stove and oven (both are off)....come back to our bedroom to find James sound asleep.

I mean....WHAT? How is he not worried that there could be gas in our house? Mr. OCD himself isn't worried that we could die in our sleep?

Well....I woke him up so we could analyze the situation. He somehow convinced me that it was just because the battery was low, and that I should calm down and go back to bed.

After laying in bed for about 10 minutes, I had convinced myself that I was breathing differently, and that it had to have been from the gas in our house. SO....I woke him up AGAIN and made him research our smoke detector online. He patiently read through the entire users manual online, while I paced back and forth....debating on whether I should call the fire department and have them come check out the situation. (Several of us remember the time we smelled gas in the pi phi house!)

After ~20 minutes of reading the "fine print" in the manual, we decided to plug it back in the wall and see if it went off again or registered any alarming levels. Well....of course...it didn't. No signs of gas - We were fine.

12:45 AM The Lee's are soundly back asleep, and my breathing feels normal again.

Another reason why I have a wonderful husband! :)

On Wednesday night, I saw "He's Just Not That Into You" and I swear that the scenario last night could have been straight from the movie!!! haha.

Someone got flowers at work!

2009-02-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

I have the best husband in the world! Love you, babe!

We have a wedding on Saturday, so James and I will be celebrating Valentine's Day tomorrow night. Instead of going out to dinner, we are going to cook at home and enjoy our new house and new floors. I am going to plan our gourmet meal today and go grocery shopping after work.

Anyone have any good suggestions? I really want a valentine's day themed dessert!

Sundance Film Festival Recap!

2009-02-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

I'm a week or so late, but I wanted to post a picture or two from the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. When my dad moved up there a few years ago (my parents commute from Dallas to Park City every weekend...crazy, I know!)...we started going up there for Christmas to ski. It's always a blast!

This year, we decided to spend Christmas in Dallas and go to Park City during the Sundance Film Festival. We had a GREAT time and saw some really great movies. I saw 5 movies in three days. If you think that's a lot, you should hear some of the die-hard movie-goers.....they see over 20 in two weeks! To think I was almost movie'd out after 5.

They were all INCREDIBLE films, but they were all pretty "deep". They didn't necessarily have the "warm and fuzzy" endings and famous movie stars, but they all made you really think about life etc. After the movie, the cast and director would go up on stage and answer questions from the audience. It was so interesting to hear the real story and the background on how these films were made....very low budget.

You realize how many GREAT movies fall through the cracks...and never made it to the BIG SCREEN...because they can't get investors etc. It's a crazy business. You really appreciate the passion of these actors.

Movies we saw:

The Shrink - We went to the premier! Kevin Spacey was the "shrink" and he was there answering questions. I really think the movie will get picked up. We loved it!

Adventureland - This movie sparked some interest...and I think it will make it to local theatres. It kind of had a "Juno" feel to it.

ADAM - I LOVED this movie. I think it was my favorite.

Helen - I love Ashley Judd. This was a sad movie about depression.

Push - Sundance Award Winner! (it. was. intense.)

We went out one night, but didn't see any celebrities. The only celebrities we saw were the ones in the "cast" in the films we saw. Everyone was at the Inauguration! haha. It was the second week at Sundance...and apparently, the first week is when the movie stars all go. We saw a ton of paparazzi waiting on main street. It was crazy. We did sit next to one of the writers for the Saprano's in one movie. I'm sure there were a ton of famous "industry" people around that we didn't recognize.

The best part about skiing during Sundance is that NO ONE is on the slopes. Unfortunately, it rained/sleeted most of the time we were there....so it was miserable skiing conditions. It was also super foggy. You couldn't see two fee in front of you...which is just scary on the slopes. You can see how miserable I was below....

Not our best ski picture.....this was right before I dropped my camera in the snow. Nice.

T Minus 1 DAY until wood floors!!!!!

Super Bowl Cake!

2009-02-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

2009 SUPER BOWL CAKE!!!!

After slaving in the kitchen for two hours on Sunday, I finally completed the infamous 2009 Super Bowl Cake. I have to say that I'm pretty proud of myself. I wish the writing was a bit better, but you just can't control those aerosol icing pumps like you used to. The field was yellow cake and the football was chocolate (all 50% less sugar)...so people had a choice. My initial plan was to put the football in the middle of the cake. However, the field came out smaller than I had invisioned...and the football was much bigger than I thought. I had to improvise.

I WISH I would have taken a picture of the kitchen. It was a disaster. If you have never been in our house, our kitchen is completely white. When you so much so much as drop a coffee drip on the counter, it stains. Therefore, you can imagine what the counter looked like with all that food coloring and icing. It took 6 different bowls alone to make all the colors, and I also used an ENTIRE roll of paper towls. I didn't want to ruin or stain one of my good dishtowls...so every time I had to wipe my hands....off came another paper towel! haha.

Every time that James would walk past the kitchen and shake his head....I just told him that I am practicing for when we have kids. I'm gonna save us money by making homemade birthday cakes...and not having to buy the fancy ones! :)

Anyone an "Ace of Cakes" fan out there? I think good ol Duff at Charm City Cakes would have been pleased! I tried to "shave" the cake into a football like they do on the show, but let me tell you folks....it's not as easy as it looks.

As for the Super Bowl, I got into the actual game with about 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter. I'm totally bummed that the Cardinals lost. I also thought the half-time show was lame and the commercials were boring. I DID think that Jennifer Hudson did an AMAZING job singing the national anthem though.

SUPER BOWL WEEKEND!!!!

2009-01-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! I just LOVE watching the Super Bowl. I love the excitement...I love the commercials....I love the half-time show.....I love playing the squares game....I love it all. I ALWAYS watch until the very end...through the trophy presentation, coaches speech, and the MVP player. I love watching the players grab their kids and kiss their wives. I'm usually an emotional mess by that time. I think I picture being a mom and watching your child get the highest honor in the sport of football.

I also LOVE when they show all the players back in the locker room pouring champagne all over themselves. How fun does that look? Seriously. I hope there is a time in my life where I am just so happy that I pour champagne all over my body. Surely it ruins the carpet and furniture. I wonder that EVERY time I watch this going on.

The ONLY time I didn't watch all the celebration was when they had that really dramatic episode on Grey's Anatomy following the game. I can't remember if it was the "bomb" episode or what, but they played that preview every single commercial break. It was before we had DVR, so James and I RACED home from a party to watch it. James might have even gone 5 above the speed limit that night. Come to think of it, he probably just told me that to calm me down.

We've have hosted several Super Bowl parties in the past. This year, James said that we had to stop hosting parties if we really wanted these hardwood floors. I think the reason I love the Super Bowl parties so much because there is a legitimate theme. Napkins, serving platters, food, games, attire...everything can become a theme.

Last year, I found this GREAT idea in Every Day Rachel Ray, my all-time favorite magazine. It was the perfect dessert for a super bowl party, and I was so excited.

CoCoa Krispie Treat Footballs

Note: This is the picture from the magazine. How cute are those? Now...mine DID NOT turn out ANYTHING like this picture. It was a complete disaster. They were so sticky that I couldn't form them. I didn't have enough time for them to completely harden. By the time that I got a few shaped like a football, I had completely crumbled all the krispies. Then...after a few minutes....they started drooping...almost melting on the pan. I tried to make the white lines with icing and it was a total flop. I still brought them...to show that I put forth the effort. They still tasted good. Who doesn't love to pick at a rice krispie treat, right?

This year, I found a NEW recipe/idea I'm going to try. I think it will be SUPER cute. Stay tuned for pictures on Monday! Hopefully, it will turn out better than last year! Go Cardinals!

T minus 1 WEEK until Hardwood Floors!

2009-01-29T06:47:00.000-08:00

I realize that its been two months since I've posted last, but I'm back! I could give a million reasons why I have been such a slacker with my blog, but I'll spare you. I've decided that I will blog more if I stop thinking so much about what to post....or how to make it funny.....and then editing it several times before posting. It just takes way too long!

I'll post some pictures from Christmas and the Sudance Film Festival soon. Our big news though is that we are getting hardwood floors in our house NEXT WEEK! I am SO excited. We have spent the past several weekends bringing home samples and getting quotes from companies all around town. It's been exhausting and discouraging. Of course, ALL the wood we loved was the most expensive, and you don't want to settle with something you don't like.

One company quoted us significantly lower than all the others. It was still higher than we wanted to pay, but we were considering it. James HATES negotiating. He's actually terrible at it. He has the patience of a 4 year old and always gives in WAY to early. I, on the other hand, have no shame...as we've all seen with my celebrity pictures.

That's when he made me a deal. Whatever I negotiate the final price to be, he will give me the difference from the original quoted price to spend on furniture/rugs! So what does a girl do?????

Pearls - check!

Preppy pink cardigan around the shoulders - check!

high patent leather pumps - check!

Extra mascara & lipstick - check!

I marched right down to that warehouse full of men ready to make me a deal. I joked around and laughed. I wouldn't say it was flirting per say....but I definitely started out playing the role of the naive wife who knows NOTHING about hardwood floors. Little did they know that I had memorized ALL of our measurements...and price points. I also mentioned about how I have this "friend" that sells the exact brand of wood that I wanted...and he was going to cut me a deal. The assured me that they could beat it.

20 minutes later..

I walked outta there with the best deal in town. I knocked it down a good $1,000!!! hahaha. Installation and everything! They even said they would pull up all our vinyl floor for free because I was so nice! The manager even said that the probably wouldn't make a dime off my project because they are selling the wood at cost! James was so proud!!!!

Now...they DID say that we would save money if we bought and painted all our quarter rounds ourselves. If you dont' know much about flooring, it's the edging around wall. Looks like James and I will be at Home Depot this weekend!!! I'm so excited! All I can think about is how different our house will look ...and how I'm going to decorate! I'm gonna hit up some consignment stores this weekend.

My inspiration rooms:

I love the white chairs with the table in between. I'm finally going to be able to buy the IKEA white chairs! woohoo! I also love the stacked books on the coffee table.

I LOVE these chair covers. I am going to try and 'make' these for our dining room chairs. I also love the sconces...and the blue/grey paint color with the goldish curtains.

I love this chandelier and the color of the room. I also love that they put the curtains higher than the window to make the room look bigger.

We have this small space when you first walk in the house...in the dining room. I thought this pretty way to use the space. A table with two chairs ..and curtains. I will FINALLY be putting curtains up in the front room. I also love the stacked books.

I love the way the two rugs work in this room. I definitely want to use get a jute rug for the front room. I also LOVE mirrored funiture. Love, love, love. It probably wouldn't go with our funiture now..but one day!

I just love the mirror and antique cabinet. I think it looks formal, but casual at the same time.
I have LOVED this coffee table for over a year now. It would be my entire decorating budget...so I need to find a knock off.

I have also LOVED this mirrored cabinet. It would go perfect in this little nook in our house, but it's not practical...we don't need it...and it probably wouldn't match everything else. oh, but I love it!

AS SEEN ON TV

2008-12-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

I’ve wanted to post about this for a while. No one knows this better than James, but I am a SUCKER for infomercials. The moment one of those infomercials comes on, I’m in a trance. Now with that being said, I DO have enough self control not to pick up the phone and order a product just because there is a limited time offer for $19.95. BUT I HAVE purchased SEVERAL items at Bed Bath and Beyond in the “As Seen on TV” section.

Therfore, I wanted to do a review of some products I have tried, as well as share some of the products that I am DYING to try. Hopefully, this will help some of your future impulse purchases.

Reviews:

1. Ped-Egg

I have the WORST feet. I don’t know if I walk too hard in my heals or what, but there is so much dry and callously skin. When I get a pedicure, it is not uncommon for the ladies to laugh and point at my feet to the other ladies. It’s like I’m a circus animal and everyone has to come see for themselves. The first time I saw this product in BBB, I was sold! I just pictured myself like the lady in the commercial…rubbing it on my feet really quick before I went to bed….magically making my feet soft and smooth.

Review: NOT WORTH THE MONEY. You literally have to rub this thing on your foot for an HOUR to feel any difference. I tried it when my foot was both wet and dry. It didn’t make a difference. My foot was just as callously when I woke up the next day. AND..this might be T.M.I. (too much information) BUT…to get the sucker open to empty it out…you need super human strength…and when it finally pops open…the dead skin flies EVERYWHERE!!! It’s AWFUL! I apologize for being gross, but this is the stuff you need to know.

2. Lateral Thigh Trainer

I bought this at BBB for an incredible steal. I thought it would be perfect to use while I was watching TV in my apartment. My thought was that I would get on every time I watched those "Friends" reruns right when I got home from work. When you watch the commercial, it seems like a BEST idea. You get to watch how many calories you are burning while it tones not only your leg, but your whole body. Then you just slide it under your bed when you are finished. Who doesn’t want that?
Review: IT’S STILL EXERCISE, BUT WORSE. First, it probably weighs 40 pounds. So your workout really starts by just carrying it from your car to your apt. By the time I got it up 3 flights of stairs, I had to call it a day. I MAYBE used it three times. It's just NOT a normal body movement. It’s impossible to get the rhythm going because you have nothing to hold on to…so by the time you try to go as fast as the lady in the infomercial, you basically fall off. I swear that lady must have some kind of invisible rope holding her up during the taping. And to top it all off, it wasn’t even close to fitting under the bed. Needless to say, I just left it in my apartment when I moved.

3. Space Saver - Vacuum Seal Bags

We found these at Costco after seeing them in a few commercials. You basically fill these bags with clothes, pillows, blanket etc. and then vacuum seal. It’s supposed to shrink the pile to 1/3 of the actual size. The selling point is that you will literally be able to fit 3 times to amount of stuff in your small closet. Because our home does not have that much storage space, James and I were sold!

Review: WORTH EVERY PENNY – We LOVE these bags!!! They work exactly like the commercial. It is truly amazing when you actually watch the vacuum seal happening. And you really CAN fit 3 times as many blankets and pillows into your closet. AND…the bags slide perfectly under the bed. I don’t even remember how we lived before we had these bags. It’s a must have for sure!

Things I am DYING to try:

1. SHAM WOW towels. Have you people seen the demonstration? The amount of water this towel can hold is mind boggling. Especially when it soaks up the coke from the carpet..even the under-layers are dried up. Who doesn’t need that? I think it would be the perfect gift for a guy. They can dry their entire car with one towel. Every time I see that commercial, I think of that Real World/ Road Rules extreme challenge finale two years ago when they had to fill up a big pale of water by soaking up water from the ocean with towels and then running up the beach and ringing out the water into the pale. If they only had the shamwow towels!

2. Detox Foot Patches – This is a pad that you stick on your foot at night and it soaks up all the toxins in your body. When you wake up, you have more energy and feel better. The more toxins you have, the dirtier the pad is when you take it off. According to the commercials, people feel so much better after using these. And after reading about it online, it's very scientific. Now..before you judge, I realize this sounds ridiculous. But for $9.99, why not give it a try. Who doesn’t want to get rid of toxins? I’d rather try and simple pad on my foot over some kind of random diet that cleans you out. Who’s with me?

3. Debbie Meyer Green Bags – Have you SEEN the before and after pictures? Every time I see this commercial, I think of all the money I would save on groceries. We always have to throw away old fruit and vegetables because we go out of town for a few days or something comes up and we didn’t end up eating at home. How nice would it be if you didn’t have to worry about that anymore? You knew they would be fresh for another whole week! SOLD!

If any of you have reviews on the products above, I would love to hear them!

I mean…Is it sad that I’m looking forward to getting on a plane in a few weeks because I can browse the Sky Mall magazine? Who doesn’t love that magazine? Those products are BRILLIANT! I always take them with me just in case I want to buy something later. Don’t worry, I always ask the attendant and they say its fine! ;)

I got THE BOOT.

2008-12-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Working downtown can be nice…fun restaurants at lunch, a million happy hour places after work, and the pure excitement and energy that comes from tourists visiting the capitol every day. However sometimes it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. There are several disadvantages that come along with working in the Capitol complex. …the PARKING.

Our parking garage is THREE blocks away from our building. UPHILL. No lie. I have worn out several pairs of expensive heals, sweat through my suits in the summer walking to the office….not to mention the trials and tribulations when it rains or hails. You get my point. It’s not ideal. The only benefit is that I get the satisfaction that I’ve burned of a few more calories a day than planned.

Every now and then, I have to load my car with materials for an event I’m planning (gift baskets, signage, binders…you name it). When this happens, I park my car in a “loading zone” in front of the building. I REFUSE to take several trips to load my car THREE BLOCKS away. No ma’am. That was NOT in the job description.

On a few occasions, I’ve left my in front of the building until the end of the day. I received ONE parking ticket from the Capitol DPS last year and protested the fine. They are always so nice. So when I didn’t hear back, I assumed they just took it off my record.

Well friends…several weeks ago I tested my luck again and got the BOOT. Apparently, the ticket from the previous year was not removed. Well, my coworkers thought it was so funny that they took this picture from our office of me in complete panic mode.

The only real unfortunate thing was that the coworker who took the picture knows James….and had already emailed it to him at work with the subject line “she’ll never learn”. Awesome.

I ended up paying the fine. They took off the boot, and I got on with my day. Moral of the story - Did I learn my lesson? Sure…pay your parking tickets. Will I ever test my luck again and park there again? Probably so! :)

I have no shame....

2008-11-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

Well, folks....I had another celebrity sighting today! I'm in Atlanta for work and was at the CNN Center downtown waiting for a meeting...and who walks up to the security desk, you ask?

Mr. RUBEN STUDDARD

American Idol - Season 2 Winner!

He was making an "appearance" on CNN to promote his new Broadway show in Atlanta. Luckily, I saw a commercial for the show earlier at the hotel, so I had something to talk about before I asked for his picture. I wasn't the only one who noticed him either, BUT I was the ONLY one who got a picture with him. His physco PR lady stopped all that none sense quick. She wasn't too happy when I had to ask him to wait ...because the memory on my blackberry was full...and I had to delete some pictures! ha ha.

A Halloween Treat!

2008-11-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

On Friday, I left work early so I could early vote with James and get ready for the tricker treaters! I hadn't purchased my candy yet because I wanted to catch a last minute candy sale. I was in the best mood.

That mood quickly turned sour as we pulled into the Randalls parking lot to find the early voting line wrapped AROUND the block and the parking lot to be one big traffic jam. James drove back to work and I drove across the street to HEB.

I wasn't grumpy because I didn't vote, but because it was James last chance before he left for his trip....and he didn't get to...he had to go back to work. I actually don't like to early vote, I LOVE voting on election day....it just feels more patriotic and I love the excitement that surrounds the first Tuesday after the first Monday of every other November.

Well when I walked into HEB....I saw the HUGE display of apples and smelled all the cinnamon goodness from those broom looking things, which really don't make any sense to me....but it did put me right back into the spirit of Halloween! I decided I needed a craft project for the afternoon. We weren't going to a Halloween party OR dressing up for the tricker treaters..so I needed something.

I decided to make chocolate & caramel covered apples for the neighbors. We usually don't get a ton of tricker treaters, just the kids on our block. I decided that I would have the candy for the kids, but give all the parents a little treat too! It was so easy and came out so cute that I decided I needed to share it with everyone.

Chocolate & Caramel Apples

Set the apples on a greased cookie sheet. Next time I do this, I won't use the foil..it ripped easily.

Mix all your ingredients together. I got the cheap caramel apple mix from Randalls (99 cents and it comes with the popsicle sticks) The only thing missing from this picture is the sugar.

Boil the mixture together until it reaches "soft ball" stage ~242F on a candy thermometer. I randomly had one.

It takes a while to reach that temperature, so I went ahead and stuck the sticks in the apples.

After waiting 10 minutes for the caramel to harden a bit, I got my stations ready.

Time to cover the apples!

It gets a bit messy, but it hardens quickly! The nuts didn't stick too well to the caramel directly.

Then... I did the same thing with chocolate. I used almond bark (the same chocolate you use for cake balls). As soon as I covered the apple in chocolate, I dipped the apple into a bowl of nuts.

After I let them cool in the fridge, I wrapped them in clear plastic bags and tied them with raffia with a little "Happy Halloween" note.

As the tricker treaters came to the door, I let the kids grab the candy and then I brought out my little tray with the apples for the parents...and let them choose (nuts or no nuts)!!! They were SUPER cute and went over so well with the neighbors! I think this will become a tradition!

Our Napa and San Francisco Trip!

2008-10-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about our Napa trip for over a month now! For all you bloggers out there, you know how frustrating it is to format a ton of pictures in one post. There are always a few curse words said. However...it's Halloween and time for a little treat!

James and I had a blast on this trip! It was such a beautiful part of the country. We can understand why people who love Napa go all the time. We are ready to go back! Maybe when we all have kids old enough to go to summer camp, we can ship them off and do a group trip! We can have their "grandparents" send all the care packages and letters.

NAPA

We drove straight to Napa when we landed and headed to Bouchon's Restaurant. It's was the cutest french bistro with the same owner as the famous French Laundry Restaurant. It was a late dinner (1AM our time) and my mystic tan was still fresh...as you can tell!

One of the many gorgeous views of the winery. A possible Christmas card pic! And NO..we did not mean to match outfits that day.

Another Christmas card option! This was one of James' favorite wineries...and not just because we had a coupon for a free tasting.

The countryside. One of the 1239023 countryside pictures we took.

Our favorite winery - Nickel & Nickel. It was so educational and the wine was fabulous.

In the cellar. It was freezing.

After several tastings, James was CRAVING a beer.

The infamous Ahi Tuna burger with garlic fries. It was James favorite meal! Taylor's Refresher is a MUST for anyone who goes to Napa. It's been featured on Rachel Ray AND Diner, Dives, and Drive-In's - My favorite shows.

After several wineries, they all start to taste the same!

Our teeth became purple.

And we were taking crazy pictures in the vineyard. Don't worry, it was our last stop....and our camera was sitting on the fence on a timer. We did NOT make a stranger take this picture.

SAN FRANCISCO

The Powell-Hyde trolley outside our hotel. This is something everyone needs to experience. It was actually kind of scary. Christmas card picture (option 3).

BIKING the BRIDGE. It was not much of a leisurely ride, but quite challenging. I did walk my bike up the hill twice...AND was in pain for SEVERAL days after. When I say "bike the bridge", I mean bike the 5 mile park before the bridge, down fisherman's wharf, and all the way into Saulsalito (another town!). We definitely burned off some of those garlic fries from the day before. It was a fun experience and worth every penny! It also became a funny story.

Golden Gate Bridge! YAY!

Pier 39. With all the sea lions. It's smelly and gross, but tourist attraction none the less!

Lombardi Street. This was after our "bike ride" and after we walked up a HUGE hill. My forehead was quite shiny.

All in all, it was a great trip!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Bling, Bling!

2008-10-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

Note: This is NOT a picture of James.

Oh yes, my friends…James has a new tooth. Several people have heard about James' tooth drama over the past year. The bone was decaying and he had to get a tooth extracted. This is not something that can be fixed with one easy appointment. This is a year long process.

About a year ago, he got the tooth and some of the bone extracted. He was put under anesthesia during this process. Some of you might remember my story about waiting for James to wake-up in the recovery room. While he was still a little woozy, he asked the nurses SEVERAL TIMES if he could keep the tooth they removed, asked me to “steal” more gauze when the nurses weren’t looking…”just in case”…AND did fist pumps out of the doctor’s office IN the wheel chair when they told him that he could keep the tshirt they put him in during the surgery. It was a circus to say the least.

About six months after that, he had the post put in and got fitted for the crown. Well, yesterday was the BIG DAY…the Grand Finale of this crazy tooth journey. I was pretty excited to have this over with, and so was our bank account. The insurance company has barely covered ANYTHING.

On Monday night, this is how our conversation went:

James: I have that dentist appointment tomorrow to finally get my cap put on my tooth.

Allison: That’s awesome! This whole thing will finally be over.

James: Yeah. It will be weird having a tooth there.

Allison: Oh, you won’t even notice. They make them look and feel so real these days. You won’t even be able to see it in your mouth.

James: Yeah I will….it’s gold.

Allison: GOLD?????

James: Yeah, it was the cheapest option. The white ones were super expensive.

Allison: What?? You CHOSE gold??? Even over SILVER?? Are you crazy???

James: Well..the gold tooth is a stronger metal than the silver tooth. I figured it was better to get the stronger one. Besides, it’s a back molar..you can barely see it.

Allison: Whatever. It’s your mouth.

Case and point. The difference between a man and a woman. James chose the gold because it was the stronger of the two metals. I probably would have chosen the more expensive white one and pretended like it was my ONLY option to James! : )

The past 6 weeks!

2008-10-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back on the blogging band-waggon! These past six weeks have been non-stop. I've barely had time to fill up my gas tank much less sit down and post on my blog....

Note: The running out of gas "situation" is a whole other blog topic. I will eventually post about the many times I have run out of gas, but not before my husbands blood pressure goes down from my most recent experience.

I would like to re-cap the past few months:

My Cousin's Wedding in August

The happy couple (Charles and Amada) during the traditional parasol wedding dance!

The girls!
Karen, Me, Angie

Find a Cure!

In August, we found out that mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I didn't want to post about it because we had so many questions and unknowns....and I wanted to keep my blog upbeat. Well...there is good news to report! Mom has since gone through surgery and is cancer free! She is still in the recovery process, but doing better every day. She has been so strong throughout the journey. God had truly blessed us through this process and I'm thankful for everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Canada

James and I on the dock. Please notice that I'm sporting a hat AND cover-up. I didn't get one bad sunburn all summer! After my last dermatologist appt, I had a "Come to Jesus" moment and have been taking MUCH better care of my skin ever since. Here's to looking younger when we are 40!

A few pictures of the crazy Canadian family:

James and Jon's Birthday Celebration in Canada:

Tomorrow's post: Our Napa and San Francisco Trip!

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

2008-09-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentleman, my celebrity sighting of the week, potential Spotlight business client, and now my good friend……Mr. Don King

Every year, my office hosts a group of clients in New York in a suite at the US Open for the Men’s Semi-Finals. I have planned the event for the past two years and it’s always a blast! Last year, I rode in the same elevator with Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglass. You could tell they were trying to go “un-noticed” so I didn’t bother them for a picture or autograph. I didn’t want to be one of those “celebrity stalkers”….and I have regretted that decision for the past 12 months.

This year was a different story…..not only did I run into Don King, but I asked for his picture…AND gave him my Spotlight business card! We struck up a conversation about Texas politics (note: He is a HUGE Republican fundraiser) and I also mentioned that I worked with former Secretary of State Roger Williams…one of his good friends. On that note, he grabbed his cell phone and started to call him personally….to let him know we were hanging out….oh man…heart racing…please don’t pick up! What if he doesn’t remember me? Ha ha. Luckily, he had the wrong number! Phew. I told him that I could track down his new number and email it to him….which resulted in several entourage members handing me business cards. Nice.

He was in the Nike suite at the US Open. We was partnering with them on an event called “Grapple in the Apple” for the chance that Nadal and Federer played against each other in the finals….both are represented by Nike. Unfortunately, Nadal lost in the semi’s so his event was cancelled. By the time we stopped talking..…I was in his suite…..had received a “Grapple in the Apple” XXXL event tshirt….AND physically bumped into Charleze Theron…also in the Nike suite. Sunday was a good day!

So folks….sorry to cut this blog post short, but I have an important email to draft…..and an important phone number to track down…..how do I get myself into these situations?!?!

More pictures and stories to come….

Recipe: My Famous Cake Balls

2008-08-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

Over the past 1 ½ years, I’ve been perfecting my cake ball recipe. This recipe is so easy and makes the perfect dessert for road trips, pot-luck work parties or birthdays. You get a big bite of yummy cake and icing mixture without the mess. At work, they refer to them as “crack balls” because everyone craves for more. I’ve been asked for the recipe so many times that I thought I would officially spread the word.

The picture below is from Emily and Kevin’s birthday a few weeks ago. Kevin is a HUGE fan of cake balls!

Ingredients
1 box of cake mix, your preference
1 tub of frosting, again, your preference
1 pkg. almond bark, chocolate or vanilla

Directions
Make whatever flavor box cake according to directions, in a 9X13 pan. Let cool for a few minutes.

While it’s still a bit warm, crumble cake in a BIG bowl and add a tub of store bought frosting.

Mix until it becomes like a dough. (cake and frosting evenly mixed) My favorite is yellow cake with classic vanilla icing or cream cheese icing. I’ve also tried chocolate on chocolate and that’s good too!

Put the bowl in the fridge for an hour or so until the mixture hardens. It’s easier to make the balls after the mixture has hardened…some people might skip this step if they are in a rush.

Take the mixture and make balls with your hands laying them out on foil or wax paper.

Melt almond bark in bowl in the microwave. I usually do half of the package at a time. Make sure it’s almond bark and not baking chocolate. At HEB, they come in a tray of 12 squares in a red plastic package (~1.99). Also, clean the bowl before you melt the next 6 squares….the left over chocolate will burn in the microwave. This also makes for a smoother coating.

Dip cakeballs into melted bark with a spoon & set on wax paper to dry. I usually spin the ball around a bit in the chocolate with my spoon to completely cover.

It makes about 30-40.…depending on size. YUMMY!

Nicknames

2008-08-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

As I started writing out my next post, I felt like I needed to clarify a few things for those who did not live in the Pi Phi house at A&M from the years 2000-2002. If you did, I’ll go ahead and let you know that you can probably skip over this post.

While living in the sorority house, we got in this permanent habit of calling everyone by a nickname. Some of the nicknames were given out of necessity. Having two Allison’s in the house got confusing, so we became “Bradley” and “Lynch”. Some of the nicknames were given just because they sounded better when you yell down the hall. That’s when Tiffany Rogers (now Mendenhall) became “T-Rog” and Laura Mercy (now Dawson) became “L-merc”. My parents actually thought T-Rog was my good Indian friend for several years…not realizing it was just a nickname.

Liz Lozier (now Farrar, but not legally..long story) became “The Loj”...Well…There’s really not cliché to explain this name. After many late nights of delirious studying and old high school pictures, she became not just “Loj”, but “The Loj”.

On one hand, yelling these names down the hall kind of made you feel like you were in a sports locker room calling out to a fellow teammate. On the other hand, it sometimes made you feel like a gangster rapper…especially if you yelled in a deeper voice, cupped your mouth, and leaned back a bit.

It was not uncommon to come home from class fully dressed in an old date party shirt, LLBeen monogrammed backpack, hair in a high “messy” bun usually with some pearl earrings …and hear a fellow “sister” yell “BRADLEY” in her deepest gangster voice possible. I usually gave a fist pump or a “wha, wha” back. (Note: This was before the word “holla” was popular or I probably would have used that too.)

All in all, not something you would typically invision in a sorority house in the south. That’s maybe why it was always so funny and stuck for so many years. In fact, we STILL use them today, and there have been several occasions when I have forgotten the person’s actual first name…or at least how to spell it. I tried to get our wedding calligrapher to use their nicknames for our invitations, but my mom nixed that idea. Little did she know, I used them in our “thank you” notes and wedding album.

The following people will be making cameo’s on my blog from time to time. Therefore, I would like to introduce them to you and review their nicknames.

The girls from left to right:

Robyn Reams (now Robertson) – Reams, Reamsy, cReams, Cookies and Cream, Cookies
Katie Lemmon (now Norwood) - Barcardi Lemon, Bacardi, or Martha "f''ing" Crocker
Liz Lozier (now Farrar, but not legally) - The Loj
Laura Mercy (now Dawson) – Lmerc
Tiffany Rogers (now Mendenhall) – T-Rog
Allison Bradley (now Lee) – Bradley, the Braids
Allison Lynch (now Assunto) - Lynch

My Little City Slicker

2008-07-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Not only did I have a big weekend, but James did as well! He was asked to go to the “ranch” or “hunting lease” with his boss. When your boss asks you to go on a trip like this, you can’t really say no. Neither James nor I grew up in a family that hunts, farms, or ranches…so we didn’t quite know how to prepare or pack for a trip like this. Like the typical wife, this suddenly becomes my stress of the week!

I figure that my main job was to make sure he at least looks the part. So I had James ask his boss what a city boy like him needed to bring on this trip. His reply was: beer, cash for poker, sleeping bag and work boots. Work boots? We don’t know the first thing about “work boots”.

I suggested that we go to the Red Wing outlet to find some good quality work boots. James felt that Red Wings looked too much like cowboy boots and that Asians don’t wear cowboy boots….even though they apparently have no problem putting in a dip. Hmm. After trying on almost every pair and over analyzing each look, we settled with some high-top hiking books that looked similar to “work boots” when you wear them with jeans.

As for apparel, I was pretty excited to get him a Columbia fishing shirt. I just think they are so cute with all the pockets. He already has the bathing suit shorts that match. I’ve been trying to get him one for a while and this was the perfect opportunity. When I brought it home, he took one look at the $50 price tag and said “no way, take it back”! Little does he know that $50 won’t even buy you a shirt at the Gap these days.

I finally convinced him to at least pack it for the weekend and I would take it back if he didn’t wear it. That’s always my rational when I buy new clothes. Well friends….not only did he wear it, but everyone the exact same shirt. My goal was accomplished…my little city slicker fit right in at the ranch. To top it all off…He said it’s the most comfortable shirt he’s ever worn.

All in all…he survived and had a good time “roughing it”. He only came back with one chigger bite and $80 bucks for winning poker. Just enough to cover the cost of his new “designer shirt” and take his wife to dinner!

The Turkey Wreath

2008-07-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend was our 4th Annual freshman year roommate reunion (201 Room Reunion). Once a summer, we get together and float the river, watch movies, catch up on each other’s lives, and eat a lot. Due to a pregnancy last year, we cancelled the tubing (you know, the turbulence and all) and went shopping instead. It was such a fun time that we decided to repeat the weekend in Houston and ‘shop ‘til we drop’…and that we certainly did.

These girls are the type of girlfriends where you don’t necessarily talk to on the phone once a month and share every detail of every day, but the kind of where when you get together once a year, you go straight back to being best friends who talk about life, laugh a ton, analyze every detail of every relationship….where nothing has changed since that freshman year. The good ‘ol days!

One highlight of this weekend was making the “Turkey Wreath” recipe. We had it for brunch on Saturday and it was VERY yummy! It’s the perfect dish to bring to a shower, game watching party, or make with Thanksgiving leftovers….with just a few simple ingredients.

The Turkey Wreath:

1. The ingredients to combine in a bowl (exact measurements coming soon!)

2. Lay out the one box of Pillsbury crescent rolls in a sun formation. Then attached another layer to each roll facing inward. Add scoops of the turkey mixture around base the circle. Fold the inner and outer layers together to make the “wreath”. It’s easier than it sounds. Promise.

3. The final product. Once you put it on a pretty plate, you can add garnish to jazz it up a bit!

After making this dish, we talked about the many yummy dishes that you can make with a roll of Pillsbury crescent rolls. I have made almost ALL of these recipes and they are DELISH!

1. Tammy’s Treats – Cream cheese and breakfast sausage ..soo good. (Thank you, Trog!)
2. Pigs in a blanket (sometimes with cheese…YUM)
3. Apple Turnovers (a VERY yummy dessert a made at Christmas…Thank you, Rachel Ray!)
4. Sloppy Joe’s (the “Manwhich”)
5. Turkey Wreath (as shown above…Thank you, Robin!)
6. Soppapilla Cheesecake (yummy Mexican dessert)

If you know of any recipes that I’m missing, please let me know. I will add them to the list! Maybe I’ll start making one by one and document the recipes!!!!!

Project #1 (of 3)

2008-07-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found the most fabulous fabric store in Austin. It’s not huge, but they have unique fabrics at unbelievable prices….Fanny’s Fabrics on South Lamar. I went on my lunch break to look for a bright red pattern to re-cover my dining room chairs…and I left with something completely different! A whole new look! I fell in love with so many patterns that I even bought a yard or two of a random fabric to use for pillows or a table runner…who knows!

Before I show you the pictures….keep in mind that I’m trying to brighten up the room and give it a fresh look. Our front room is really long and narrow and doesn’t get much natural light.

The room before with the ugly chair fabric:

My new subtle, but fresh make-over:

Room views: I'm still playing around with the table decoration!

Look #1: Clean and Simple (I think I like this the best!)

Look #2: A simple runner (that I would definately iron)

Look #3: Playing with the colors...might be too springy!

Okay..I know what you are thinking. It’s completely different from my typical taste and doesn’t match my china (that I will eventually bring down from my parents house), but I just loved the pattern and the “shabby chic” look! James wasn’t the biggest fan of all the pink, but I know it will grow on him. I kept re-assuring him that it’s easy to un-do…and that you can barely see the pink when the chairs are pushed in.

Originally, I was going to make little seat covers that would just lie over the seat cushion until I figured out how easy it was to actually recover them. I just unscrewed four screws holding the seat cushion to the chair, used a staple gun to attach the fabric, and re-screwed the seat back on the chair. Super easy! ~10 minutes/chair and I only used two yards of fabric.

Now that I know it’s so easy…I might just change them out all the time! Once we get a china cabinet, I’ll probably go to a more formal look and change them out again! But for now..I thought this would be fun!

Where did this weekend go?

2008-07-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those weekends where you can’t really remember what you did? We just had one of those lazy weekends where the time just flew by. Sure….we saw some friends, went out to dinner, grilled out on Sunday..…but it still felt like we lounged around all weekend. I couldn’t do that every weekend, but they are nice to have every now and then!

On Saturday, I was definitely productive. I did a big house clean (organized drawers, went through old purses, straightened the closet etc)…one of those big cleans. I had HGTV on all the TV’s in the house to inspire me during the cleaning process. It just feels so good to have the house completely organized.

By Sunday, I felt like I had caught up on everything from work, to errands, to house chores. With everything so clean, it got me thinking of ways to spruce up the house….a new project to brighten up a room or change out old colors. Even new throw pillows would do the trick! I went to pottery barn, but I just wasn’t impressed with their selection. I was just going to get an idea…not to shop! Since we are saving for hardwood floors, I need to get creative on a budget.

Today at lunch, my plan is to go to JoAnn’s Fabric and look at material to either make throw pillows for our little kitchen nook, recover the cushion on the nook (it’s a washed denim color…ugh), or make seat covers for the dining room chairs (it was a hand-me-down table and I’ve always hated the material). Wish me luck! Hopefully, I will be inspired. I’ll be sure to document the project!!

Like the good wife that I am....

2008-07-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

James has been counting down the days for the new iPhone to come out. For a tech guru like him, he has never had a nice phone. His current phone has the worst service, doesn’t receive text messages, and has a battery that barely lasts a day. So…I’ve been encouraging the purchase of this phone for weeks. On Friday, the infamous day they went on sale…..he went to the AT&T store, & the Apple Store in the Domain….no luck. In fact, almost all of the AT&T stores sold on within the first day!

On Saturday night, he looked online and saw that the Apple store in Barton Creek still had some! When he told me this….I don’t know if my next thought came from one too many glasses of wine….or out of the kindness of my heart, but my response was, “Hey honey, why don’t I go to the mall early in the morning and wait in line to get your phone…I have to return a few things down there anyways.”. WHAT? What was I thinking? He even said that I didn’t have to go because he probably wouldn’t do the same for me. Ha ha.

When my alarm went off at 9am on Sunday morning, I popped out of bed, threw on some comfy clothes and was determined to get this phone! I got a big sonic diet coke and stopped at Walgreens for several/ALL the latest gossip magazines to keep me busy for a few hours.

I got to the mall around 9:40am and the doors were open to my surprise. I had already mapped out the closest door to the apple store. I “brisk walked” to the store and there were only ~15 people sitting in line. Score! Within the next few minutes, the line had doubled.

I made my little station in line….coke…check….magazines…check....blackberry...check! A few minutes later.…the Apple store lights turned on…a few “apple genius's’” walked out and address the group, and then they announced that they were going to go ahead and open at 10AM! I waited ~30 minutes and walked right on in to purchase the phone! I was hyped…James was hyped!

I walked out of there at 11:15 AM (it takes a while to set everything up and activate the phone)…and then I had to wait another 45 minutes for Nortstrom’s to open to return my shirt…the initial reason for offering in the first place. Go figure.

It was worth it though – James did all the laundry, yard and house chores for the rest of the day!

The first blog!

2008-07-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

I’ve finally given in….again. First myspace, then facebook, and now a blog. Here’s to keeping up with the times! I’m hoping this will be a place for daily ramblings, funny stories, life updates, new favorite products/clothes (probably from Target), fun recipes, and recent craft projects! Don’t be confused by the URL...while we all love James, he’s not the “journaling” type and will probably not be posting any time soon. Since he will be the subject of many of my stories, I wanted to include him!

An explanation of my header:

1. I thought the couch picture above gives an overall casual/coffee-talk look and feel.

2. I LOVE white couches with bright pillows. It’s such a clean and polished look. It definitely wouldn’t look right in our house now, but I’m hoping that after a few home updates and renovations this fall….I can finally purchase two white EXTORP armchairs from IKEA and put some fun red pillows to match!

3. Most importantly, the picture has house shoes. I couldn’t think of a better image that described our life!

House Shoes

If there is one thing I know about my husband, he loves his house shoes. If you have ever been to our house when James isn’t home, you know the scene well. House shoes next to the couch. Sometimes I put them in the corner neatly or hide them behind a chair, but they are always there. When we are officially hosting something, I’ve finally convinced him to let me put them in the closet. Phew!

James is a FIRM believer in house-shoes. Some of it stems from his culture, but most of it comes from the mere practicality of it all. He likes to be clean. He comes home from work, sits on the couch and transfers his work shoes to his house-shoes for the rest of the night. This is mind-boggling to me. When he’s sleeping, his house-shoes lay neatly by the bed until he wakes up. He’s a man of routine.

As the good wife that I am, I get him new house-shoes every year for Christmas. Not just for him, but for the simple fact that I’m tired of looking at the same old pair. By November, the shoes are a sight for sore eyes. Shopping for these is not an easy task either….they have to be durable, not too lose on his feet, not too hot, backs that are comfortable to step on, and semi-attractive. I’ve found that academy typically has the best selection. I digress.

The moral of my story is that as James tries to transform me into the land of house-shoes, I will continue to walk around barefoot and fancy free! I might like clean look of a white IKEA EXTORP armchair, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna need house-shoes and clean feet to enjoy it! Hence, the theme of my blog!