American Girl

Walking down Michigan Ave in Chicago you'll see large gigantic red bags dangling from the arms of middle aged women and their daughters/granddaughters. For those of you unfamiliar with these bags they have come from a little store called American Girl.



My first experience with AG was almost 19 years ago. Wow, I just aged myself. My mom had received this catalogue in the mail that was filled with dolls. And not just any dolls, but dolls with hair you could brush/style with beautiful clothes and accessories. It was love at first sight, until I saw the price tag - $88 for the doll/book. The whole starter collection doll/book/accessories for close to $110. I really wanted this doll called Samantha for Christmas, but also realized that $100 was a ton a money for a doll you played with. Christmas morning came and went, and no doll. After breakfast a mysterious package was found behind my grandpa's chair. It had my name on it. (My parents always found ways to surprise us with unexpected gifts ex. Nintendo with the power pad year before). I tore through the paper and found a box. Inside I was wishing it was the doll I so desperately wanted. I carefully opened the box to reveal the most beautiful doll I had ever seen. I gingerly removed her from the box and refused to put her down. Several of my other friends also received AG dolls as gifts and we scheduled play dates for our dolls.



During the course of the next year I continued to receive the AG magazines. To my surprise they unveiled a new doll the following year - Felicity. You guessed it, she was my Christmas wish that year. My parents once again tried to fool me into thinking that I wasn't getting a doll. I mean one expensive doll is enough right? The mysterious package once again appeared at my grandparents house and Felicity became the object of my affection that year. I continued to play with my dolls, but the play dates became fewer and fewer. I mean I was getting older and playing with dolls became less cool. However, those magazines still continued to come and with my mom's gentle nudging she continued to fuel my love of dolls.



That Christmas I received my third doll - Kristen. At the time there was only 4 dolls offered by AG. The only one I didn't have (and still don't) is Molly. I didn't play with Kristen much. In fact her hair is still in the same braids she had when she arrived Christmas morning. The dolls still remained a permanent fixture in my room, but now were shuffled from shelf to shelf to make room for more important things - stereo, Cd's, etc. I didn't receive any more dolls until I purchased one in 2003.



I randomly came across an AG magazine and flipped through it. They had introduced several new dolls since I started collecting them back in my youth. As I paged through I came across the "Girl of the Year" collection. AG was selling a new doll for only a year as part of a limited collection. I don't know what happened inside me, but I had to have this doll. Yes, it's a bit weird that a 22 girl wanted an AG doll. I received the doll (surprised the prices hadn't gone up) and proudly displayed my newest purchase on my desk. The next time I went home and found my other dolls and bought them back to my college duplex with me. Yes, my friends thought I was crazy and one of them said she felt like the dolls were watching her, but I felt like it brought me back to my care-free childhood days. Seeing as I purchased my doll days before she was set to enter the vault I began receiving the AG magazines again and the newest Girl of the Year" was introduced.



I mention this because I was home for Thanksgiving this year and my mom asked me if I wanted Lanie (2010 Girl of the Year) or a sewing machine. Easy answer right? I actually hesitated and didn't respond. I'm old enough now that I shouldn't want to continue receiving these dolls, but I do. The only one I'm missing is the very first one Lindsay. The only years they didn't have a Girl of the Year doll was in 2002 and 2004. I have the remaining six dolls, plus my original three. My mom has also started collecting her own dolls over the years so we have a total of 13 with my sister's doll.



The AG company has exploded. When I was little the stories didn't exist. You could only buy accessories over the phone or through the magazine. Now they have four stores (that's right, KC has it's own store now). The friends concept wasn't around but I feel that it has been incorporated nicely. They have begun retiring the dolls too. Lucky for me, I have all the ones that have retired except Felicity's friend Elizabeth.



My love of dolls was passed on to me from my mom. I'm so thankful she encouraged me to love dolls and I hope that one day I can pass on the experience to my daughter. If nothing else she'll never have too many dolls to play with.

Handmade Christmas Gifts

I really love Curly Girl Designs. I just found out she is from STL as she was featured on the news today. I checked out her blog and she is doing a giveaway on her blog. The contest is sharing your best or worst handmade gift that you have received or given.

So here is my story.

During high school my friends and I drew names for Christmas. I was always in charge of this process as I loved Christmas! This particular year I wanted to make my bestie a ”scrapbook” , so I rigged the process to ensure that I would pick her name. This was over 15 years ago before scrapbooking was a booming craft phenomenon.

I had been planning this gift for several months. Saving my double photographs (before digital) and searching through countless magazines for the perfect phases that described our relationship. Once I felt that I had the crucial items I began arranging my “book” (a three ring binder with report cover inserts). I carefully taped my photos and phrases to the computer paper (not acid free) with care. After completing the book I reviewed my masterpiece and beamed with pride. I was so proud of my gift and couldn’t wait to share.

My friend opened her present and loved the book, or at least that’s how I remember it. I do remember looking back through the book our senior year and laughing at all the crazy things I had included thinking they were cool years before.

Since then my scrapbooking “talents” have vastly improved. I still enjoying giving handmade gifts, but I often think I get more pleasure out of making the gifts than those receiving them.

My Mom

I decided to dedicate this post to my mom, who btw is amazing. Sadly I didn't always feel this way growing up. I was grounded, didn't always get everything I wanted, etc. etc. However, one of the things that will remain with me forever is how my parents (especially my dad) attended every sporting event I had. Anyway here is the real reason for my post....

I traveled to my old elementary/middle/high school last week to help my mom with her Annual Thanksgiving Feast. I used to help out with these in high school as a way to get out of class. There were some perks of having your mom teach where you went to school. The last one I attend was sometime in college over 8 years ago. I had mixed emotions walking into the school grounds that I had once dominated. About 50% of things were the same like the murals we painted Junior year, our Spanish teacher Mr. Hall who now teaches Spanish for the entire school K-12, and the dress code.

My mom has been teaching at TG for 18 years now. This year she is teaching kindergarten. My mom has only taught kindergarten twice in the past 18 years, so I was curious to see her in action. I've always been amazed at the amount of patience my mom has and how consistent she is with the kids. They don't get away with too much, but they also love her at the same time. Sometime after the Feast when the kids were working on blends (phonics for those public school taught kids) I sat back in amazement at the way she worked with the children. I've seen my mom teach before, but this was different. I had a new found respect for my mom and teachers in general. They have so much responsibility in shaping a child's future. I can now understand how schools have gotten so competitive.

The thing that amazes me the most about my mom, is her endurance and spirit. One time during spring break we were at my soccer game and my mom broke her ankle. She didn't let that stop her from going back to school and climbing the three flights of stairs to her room everyday or the time she had eye surgery and only took two weeks off. These kids are the light of her life. She was definitely born for this role.

Thanks mom for all you do!

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is in three days and it's the first time I've been home for Thanksgiving in 6 years! David and I always stayed in DC for Thanksgiving and opted to travel for Christmas instead.

I've taken the week off (use it or lose it PTO) in order to relax, catch up with family, and see old friends. And I must say it's nice to be home, with no agenda, however, my week is quickly picking up. Tomorrow I will head back to my old stomping grounds (TG) and help my mom with her annual Thanksgiving Feast. I remember when I was in high school and would help out with these programs. I'm hoping to catch up with some old friends too while working a couple hours here and there. Next stop Thanksgiving, then a day with Black Friday shopping! My mom, sis, and I always used to get up early and hit the sales. I'm so excited to to spend time with them doing our favorite thing. I'm also planning to run a turkey trot too. It's my new Thanksgiving tradition.

Halloween

I've always enjoyed Halloween. Every year that I could I've dressed up and gone trick or treating and attended some type of "Harvest Festival". In high school my friends would spend the night at my house and we would dress up and go trick or treating. At that time digital cameras weren't mainstream yet, thus all my photos are plastered in my scrapbooks. In college, I always attended the BSU's trick or treat for canned goods. College kids have really creative ideas for costumes.

Since I married and moved away, I haven't participated in Halloween as much except for dressing up as a "burrito" and going to Chipotle. That will never get old for me. This year instead of giving away free burritos, they will be selling them for $2 if you come dressed up a horrifying processed food. Not as easy as a burrito, but still fun.

Last year my cousin celebrated her wedding reception on Halloween. It was so much fun. I was in Chicago for work and rode to Cinncinati with my sister, Jon, and David. We met up with my parents and brother's family. It was the first time I remember purchasing a costume for halloween, a beer wench. We always made costumes growing up. One year my family dressed up as coach potatoes, with box couches and everything.

This year, we've been invited to a law school friend's party. David is feeling ill, but I'm forcing encouraging him to take me. I really want to wear my costume again.

What was your favorite halloween costume?

Epic Weekend!

If you haven't heard of the Missouri Tigers' win over the Oklahoma Sooners, you're living in the dark ages. While I wasn't able to attend the game, I was at a family baby shower, I did enjoy watching the game with my family who are also alumni of MIZZOU. I knew it was our game after the kick off return for a touchdown on the first play of the game. However, my beloved Tigers have thrown games away when they've had the early lead.

The perfect day started when ESPN's Game Day broadcasted live from the Quad. Forecasts called for rain the entire day, but the sky stayed blue until late evening. 18,000 students showed up on the Quad for the Universities first Game Day appearance. There's a good chance they'll be heading our way in the future with that kind of turnout. Following Game Day, fans, students, families, and the public headed downtown for the Annual Homecoming Day Parade. The Grand Marshall was Russ Mitchell, a 1982 graduate of the school of journalism.

The big game against Oklahoma was broadcast on ABC for the nation. Every Missouri fan was on pins and needles the entire game. Our offense performed, but I think our defense is why we won the game. I tried to contact so many different people who were at the game in hopes that they could secure my a piece of the goal post. Both goalpost were taken down and walked to Harpos where it was disseminated to those who could get their hands on a piece.

This win for us is huge in many different ways. One it solidifies the program as solid, it was Gary Pinkel's first win over Oklahoma and the first win in the last 20 meetings, and it shoots us to the leader of the Big 12 North. Did anyone see who is the leader of the Big 12 S? Baylor!!!

If we continue to play like we did last week and beat Nebraska this Saturday, we will have a good chance of getting a BCS bowl game. We were robbed of our chance in 2007 when Kansas went over us.

Here are a couple of my favorite shots



Want more on the Tigers win? Click here to read the Columbia Tribune's article.

Next year is the 100 anniversary of the start of homecoming. That's right, you can thank MU for the grand tradition. My family is already making plans to attend.

One last thing, vote for Gary Pinkel to win Coach of the Year.

I'm back

It's been several weeks since my last post. I've been to Florida twice and Wisconsin in that time. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. I've enjoyed traveling and having company in town, but I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend to myself, err with David.

The weather is projected to be gorgeous here. I'm taking the opportunity to catch up on my reading. I have two over due books from the library that I must finish this weekend. Why is it that all the books I want to read come in at the same time? Here's my list of reads..Mini Shopaholic (it was ok. I love SK, but I didn't love this book. I haven't enjoyed her books since she started publishing novels under her other name), Safe Haven (pretty good by NS. I didn't get into until page 100), the girl who kicked the hornets nest (still have 100 pages to go, but decent), Flyaway home (just started reading), Last Night at Chateau Marmont: A Novel (in the hopper) and Heart of the Matter (also in the hopper). After I finish these I'll be back to where I was several months ago with nothing to read.

On another note, David was offered internships from several law firms in Houston, Dallas, and San Diego. Oddly enough none in Missouri. We finally made a decision and we chose to go with the San Diego firm. If he receives an offer from them at the end of next summer we'll be moving to California in 2012. Crazy.

Prayer for Babies

I'm constantly amazed by how God answers prayers even if it isn't the answer we want and I'm truly blessed to be in the company of so many amazing believers.

My college friend Chris and his wife Emily were expecting twin this year, but they unexpectedly came into this world at only 24 weeks old. Another college friend Phyllis is posting updates for the babies on her blog. I can't begin to imagine what their family is going through, but I do know that they are relying on God and the power of prayer to get them through this rough time. The babies have already been through so much during their short time here on earth. But God is GREAT and does not give us things we can't endure.

I remember just over a year ago when my niece was born, not breathing with a hole in her heart. I was 1000's of miles away and my heart was in pieces. The doctors gave her a high chance of survival, but they didn't know what would be in store for her. At only 5 days old she had open heart surgery. Shortly after her surgery, she was re-opened because of internal bleeding. During the first month of her life, I received so many encouraging notes from people in the blogging sphere, through FaceBook, and twitter. Knowing that hundreds of people were praying for my family was comforting and helped me through the rough time. It also was around the time my brother and his family starting attending church regularly.

Makenzie at three days old.
Makenzie at 14 months.

God uses these times for his glory and not our own. His will is accomplished even when we question it. Our trials are ultimately used for His glory. I know that no matter what happens in these babies lives He will be glorified.

Social Media is often used to pervert, distort, and highlight negative things, but I think that it can also be used as the modern day prayer chain. I've witnessed countless accounts of posts lifting up prayers for these two babies in addition to other requests. People who have never met this family are praying for them and that is a testiment to the body of believers.

Sisters

My sister and I didn't always get along. She's five years older than me and mature beyond her years. I've always looked up to her. We didn't become "real" friends until I went away to college. By then I was on my own and we had more in common than ever before.

My sister encouraged me to run my first marathon and trained with me for six months. (She in Chicago and I in DC). Almost 5 hours later (a little less) we crossed the finish line hand in hand. It was a moment I will never forget. I don't think I could have done it without her.

She will be leaving Chicago soon. We've hung out more in the last 6 weeks than we did in the past 2 years. No more shopping or running after work. I know I'll survive, but I don't know if she will. :) Here are some pics of us over the years.

My marathon photo refuses to update.

College Football Season Has Begun

Growing up I hated football and that's American Football. Here are the reason's why (in no particular order):
1. My family wasn't into football
2. STL did not have a NFL team
3. My schools did not have football teams. I don't think there was enough boys to fill an entire team. The girls would have made up the team.
4. We had one TV growing up and football came on during my TV time on the weekends.
However, after attending a college with a respectable (most of the time) team I gradually started liking the sport. Over the past few years my interest in COLLEGE FOOTBALL has grown and I can't wait for game day. It's been many years since I've actually been to a college game and I really want to see my Tigers play this year. We are heading to STL tonight (I'm riding the Mega Bus) to watch the Tigers play tomorrow. We don't have tickets to the game :( but we are hoping to meet up with college pals and watch it. I'm planning to hit up the tailgate in the morning.

Now that David is back in school I guess I have two teams to cheer for and we may actually get to see a Northwestern game since it's pretty close. I don't know if this was national or not, but in Chicago, tons of people are sporting their school colors in support of opening day. Being the professional I am, I decided it was best to save my school spirit for tomorrow. Plus I don't think the big guy would like it.

M-I-Z...

My First Day of School

At the beginning of August I moved to a new city and started at a new school. I was anxious and excited for the fresh start. My expectations were high, but not too high. Sleep could not contain my thoughts before the big day. I rose early and picked out my smartest looking outfit. It was a cross between casual and really professional. When my nerves were at their peak it was time to head out. With a kiss from my hubby, I headed towards the bus.

I walked in to the intimidating building and found my way to the principals office. I met with the lady in charge and she showed me to my classroom. Not to shabby, and definitely an upgrade (view) from my last place. My nerves had settled a bit so I jumped right in.

My thoughts however, were a jumbled mess. Would the people here like me? Would I fit in? Would I have a lunch buddy? Keeping to myself I started in my school work. Throughout the day I ran into people I had met before and was put at ease about my new environment.

As the weeks have passed I grown to like the place. The people are friendly and I think I've made some friends. I guess it was worth the transition.

My 30x30 list

Yesterday, I celebrated my 29 birthday! I have officially entered my last year in my 20s. It's bittersweet. I'm not scared or nervous about turning 30, but there are so many things I want to do before August 15, 2011. Many people have done a 30x30 list and I want to start one myself. I don't have all 30 things spelled out yet and I'm open to recommendations. So here it goes in no particular order.

1. Complete a tri-athalon

2. Go on a hot air ballon ride

3. Learn to ride a motorcycle

4. Go hunting

5. Take a gun safety class

6. Go skydiving

7. Finish reading the Bible all the way through

8. Start and maintain an Etsy store

9. Go on a girls vacation

10. Take a cruise

11. Make new friends (I'm in a new city)

12. Join a cause

13. Organize all my online music, movies, videos, and photos

14. Develop and display architecture photos

15. De-clutter our apartment

The rest is yet to come.

Operation Beautiful

I've been hearing about Operation Beautiful for a while now. After reading about the concept on a friend's blog and watching a clip from the Today Show I decide to try it out.

For those of you unfamiliar with Operation Beautiful, it was created by a women named Caitlin, from North Carolina who was frustrated by the endless negative talk women tell themselves. She began leaving positive messages on the mirrors of public restrooms — at work, at the gym, at the grocery store.

I first saw a post it in my bathroom at work. At that time I didn't realize there was a reason behind the note. I honestly thought is was silly. I don't remember what the note said, but I do remember the note existed on our mirror for sometime. I don't step out of my comfort zone too often, but I wanted to leave a note somewhere for someone to find after watching the interview with Caitlin. I drafted a note and decided to leave it on a magazine at Borders. I tend to compare myself with women in magazines all the time. The note remained in my bag for several days before I ventured to the bookstore. Borders is always busy and I didn't want someone to see my leave the note. I circled the magazines for several minutes before deciding to leave the note on Marie Claire. On the front Mary Kate Olsen was pictured. Here's my photo. I hope it made someone's day. I just might leave notes places more often.

Psych

Many of you know how much I adore Psych. It's a comedy based on a "psychic detective" and his side kick. It is hilarious and they often make fun on the Mentalist. (I never seen that show). Since I no longer have cable I have to wait a week before Hulu will post the most recent episode. However, if I subscribe to Hulu+ I bet I could watch it immediately.

I was disappointed by Season 4, but Season 5 has totally redeemed itself. The other thing I enjoy about the show is the game of finding the pineapple. What started as a joke has become a fan favorite. I'm convinced there were several episodes where the pineapple did not make an appearance. USA now has a "spot the pineapple" sweepstakes. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I want to visit Comic Con to see the actors.

If you are needing a summer TV fix, before the fall shows start give Psych a try. You will need to watch several episodes to appreciate the humor. I thought the show was extremely dumb after watching my very first episode.

New Name

I created my blog 5 years ago when I first moved to DC. Blogs were very popular amongst my college friends, so I jumped on the bandwagon in an attempt to stay in touch with people. This is was before facebook opened to the public. (I remember scoffing at FB when a co-worker showed me his profile at work. I remember thinking that is was silly to write on someone's "wall" when you could call them. I kicked myself for a long time for not joining while my university e-mail address was vaild, but I digress). I contemplated the title of my blog for a long while before deciding on What's Next. I figured that I was starting a new phase in life - marriage, first job, and new city and title complimented the journey.

Here I am 5 years later starting a new phase appropriately title Second City. Can anyone guess why I choose that title? If you guessed that Chicago is the home of Second City then you are right! And since it's the second city David and I moved to I thought it fit. We finished moving into our second apartment over the weekend. By we I mean me, David was busy studying for finals. I moved into my second office building, with the same company. I have a sweet view- Chicago River, Lake Michigan, and Navy Pier. I missed the Transformers filming by a week.

So far I LOVE Chicago. There was never any doubt that I would, but I wasn't sure how I would feel about living in the city. I absolutely love it! My commute this morning took me all of 20 minutes door to door. I think it will be quicker tomorrow, since I now know where the bus stop is.

Pictures to come of the city and the new place.

annoyed

I know several other people mentioned that Cutest Blog on the Block was deleting blog templates, but I didn't know that applied to mine too. Seriously annoyed....

PSI

That's right, I'm talking about Per Square Inch and tires. Yesterday I took my car into the repair shop to have my tire plugged.

For a few weeks now (and a trip out to Nissan Pavilion), I've noticed a pesky light on my dashboard whenever I'm in the car. You would think that is shouldn't have taken me that long to wonder what it was, but I'm hardly ever in my car. I take public transportation to work. Finally after church yesterday I decided to ask David about it. I snapped a quick photo and messaged it to him. His response - one of the tires might below. Not thinking too much of it, I went home and waited a few hours before testing the tires. It was my first time using the psi instrument, I played with it as a kid, but didn't understand the importance of it. I tested the first tire and it seemed fine and compared it to the chart inside the care. I moved on to the next tire and nothing happened. Thinking there was something wrong with the tool, I moved on to the next two tires. Their readings were fine too. I went back to the problem tire and tired again. Nothing. Now that I identified the low tire I called David and asked him where I should go for air. We talked about it for a few minutes and off I went. When I arrived at the gas station the air pump was already running. While I was waiting David called back to inform me that our tire was really low and that I needed to take it in to a repair shop. My response - are there any open on Sundays (at 4:00 pm)? Since he was on the computer he looked up a few and called to find out their hours. Several minutes later and a brief stop at a local fav and I was on my way to Walmart. I know when people hear Walmart there's a gammet of responses - repulsion, hatred, and annoyance. I on the other hand like Walmart (most of the time). While it can be overwhelming you can't beat the prices.

On my way I was mentally preparing for my visit. I had my speech prepared so I wouldn't be taken advantage of. I pull in, go inside and explained my story to the clerk. I am escorted back to my vehicle and proceed to slowly back up while the guy inspects my tire. Sure enough there's a nail lodged in the treed. I get out and launch into my speal about getting it plugged and not replacing the tire. While I'm in the middle of my explanation of how I don't want to buy a new tire and technician comes out. He takes a look at the tire and asks me if my husband called earlier? I was so stunned that I blubbered on for a few minutes until I realized what he said. I told him yes and began to rehash my explanation. He stopped me mid sentence (not in a your just a stupid woman way) but in a nice way and explained that he didn't think I needed a new tire and that he was sure that he could plug the hole. After a few more minutes I wanted to sing this man's praises. He was going to fix my tire and he didn't make me feel stupid. I went inside shopped and came back just as he was finishing my car. I really feel that I should submit a comment on the tire and lube department. There were very helpful.

The experience made me feel really grown-up.

Slickdeals

If you haven't visited Slickdeals.net you need to. Stop whatever you're doing and check it out. Seriously click on the link. I've written about my favorite bargain Web sites before, but today they get extra accolades.

I follow them on Twitter. They highlight the best deals so I don't have to search them out. Today as I was checking my feeds I noticed a post about FREE Amazon PRIME account for college students. My first reaction was what? I'm not a college student but my husband is. We already have Amazon prime, but would we qualify for the free account? I texted him immediately. His first response was less then estactic. After several more exchanges, he finally checked out the link and signed us up. Woot-Woot! We even got a credit from Amazon for our paid subscription. Yep that's right, I scooped him. He's usually the one sending me the deals.

F.N.L.

F.N.L aka Friday Night Lights has become my newest tv show obsession. I've become addicted to instant watch on Netflix. I'm convinced you can become addicted to any tv show when you can watch several episodes in a row, which is what happened with F.N.L. I finished the last episode of the first season last night and instead of retiring to my room like a normal person, I watched the first episode of the second season. I'm not convinced Coach Taylor's job with TMU will last, but what do I know. With only two seasons left on instant watch I may need to find another tv show to follow until the fall.

I took a Sociology in Sport class in college. One on my favorite classes actually and our final was on the book Friday Night Lights. I'm tempted to re-read the book after watching the show. My high school did not have a football team. I can understand the pressure put on kids to perform these days and give hope to their towns. However, I can't see living for football. I guess that's what I get for growing up in a city without football.

Cards

I love making cards. They provide me with an additional outlet to express my creativity. Here's a selection of the cards I've made lately. I've used a technique I learned over the Christmas holiday called embossing on most of the cards.

In need of a photographer

I stumbled upon this amazing photographer Kate Moss from an Etsy favorite Snazziedrawers. Previously I didn't realize that she photographed all of them items from my favorite sellers store. If I had lots of money and a child I would fly out to Utah and have family photos taken. They are simply adorable.

Twihard

Yes, I'm a Twihard. I read all four book in the span of two weeks several summers ago. Stephanie Meyers' storytelling ability is astounding. I know many out there who may disagree, but once you begin the books you can't put them down.

I'm going to see Eclipse tonight with a group of girls. Swooning and giggling are required. I'm actually stoked to see this movie as it is my favorite, all right it's tied with New Moon. All a disappointing showing from New Moon, I'm looking for redemption from my favorite characters. And once again I'm Team Jacob. I feel the way the actors portray Bella and Edward is pathethic. I would still be a Team Jacob fan even if the acting was better.

I completed the Short Second Short Life of Bree Tanner this morning. It's really been awhile since I read the books, because I don't remember her character at all. However I'm glad to have finished it before tonight.

I still need to read Midnight Sun. But the thought of sitting in front of the computer to read a book, after I've already been in front of the computer for 8 hours, is not appealing to me. One day I will finish. I'm currently on page 13. The last time I tried to read the book was in December. Please oh please Stephanie, let me download this book. I promise not to share it with anyone!!!

Groupon

For those of you out there who haven't heard of GROUPON yet, come out of your hole and enjoy the fabulous offers they have to enjoy. I follow them on Facebook, Twitter and receive a daily e-mail. It's a little obsessive, but I never miss out on a deal, especially when I'm watching for deals in two different cities.

I've purchased two Groupons - one for a tanning salon and one for a nail salon. Both groupons saved me over 50% of the retail value. Groupons are a great way to test out new restaurants, salons, and even drag racing. You even get rewards for recommending Groupon to others.

Why couldn't I have come up with this idea?

HELP!

My husband (David) and I are celebrating our 5th anniversary next week. I am flying to Chicago to spend the weekend with him. My flight leaves early Friday morning from DC and I arrive around 8:00 a.m. which is just enough time for David to meet me at the airport, give me keys to our apartment, then rush off to class. Our actual anniversary is on Friday and since I'll have the day off I wanted to plan something special. I'll be the one with time. However, I'll be in a city that's new to me. We don't have too many "us" memories there and I'm struggling to come up with something for us to do.

I know that we'll just want to spend time together, but I also want to plan something. Any ideas??? He's going to be sleep deprived from writing papers and studying cramming for a final. Did I mention that his birthday is two days before our anniversary?

I'm usually really creative, but I'm stumped on this one. We are on a budget so we can't really do anything extravagant.

LOST

I never understood the appeal of LOST. I tried to watch the first season right before the second season began but I quickly lost interest. Thus I never joined the bandwagon until now.

Now that the series is over I decided to give the show a try, especially since Netflix has it on instant watch. I've become addicted. If is wasn't on instant watch I don't know if I could suffer through waiting for each disc to arrive. It would be torture. I'm so glad it's summer and my other shows on are on hiatus.

One thing I know for sure. I wouldn't want to be stuck on that island.

Obessed with craft blogs

Recently I've become obsessed with craft blogs. You heard me right, craft blogs. I can't get enough of them. Some many talented artists out there who are willing to share their techniques with us. My favorites have been Tattered Angels for scrapbooking and Distinct Designs for sewing projects. Both sites offer adorable recommendations for different projects. It makes me want to quit my job and focus on my own line of crafts. Someday.....

I will soon post about my recent craft projects. I've been working hard over the last few months on projects to give as gifts. I hope the recipients like them. I'm my worst critic.

All the Single Ladies

For the next eight weeks I'll be living as a single lady until I reunite with David in Chicago. I was both excited and nervous about this. Excited because I get to sleep on the side of the bed I like. Next, I only have to clean up my messes. I get to choose what to watch on tv or hulu. Things I'll miss - having a personal chauffeur, someone to cuddle with, talking to another person, someone to take care of the bills, and just David in general.

The first day was really hard, but I knew I had loads of activities to keep me busy this week. On Monday night I went to sewing at church. Tuesday I relaxed, exercised, and watched tv. Wednesday night I hung out with friends from small group. Thursday night I went to the Nat's game with co-workers, and tonight I'm going to the Nat's game for Stitch -N- Pitch. Tomorrow I'm volunteering at the DC 101/NKF Chili Cook-Off. Sunday I am helping to host a baby shower. I don't know what I'm going to do with all my free time next week, at least the pool opens next weekend. :)

Decisions, Decisions....

David's going to law school in the fall. Over the past month, we have been pouring over the decision of which school and in what city to attend. It's not/was an easy decision to make. We finally narrowed our choices to Wash U/St. Louis and UVA/Charlottesville, VA. Both places had advantages, but we weren't set on either one. We had planned to make a decision by this weekend.

Enter Tuesday and a call from Northwestern's admissions office. David was offered a spot in their accelerated law program with a HUGE scholarship. The only catch is the program starts in mid May. Talk about a tough decision, but an answer to prayer. David and I both wanted to get through the next three years with as little debt as possible and a job for myself. The upside to this is my company is headquartered in Chicago. Right now, they don't have any jobs available, but they might be willing to work with me. All I have to do now is figure out when to tell them.

Our lease isn't up until the end of July as we were planning to move before classes begin in August. Right now, David is moving in 15 days and starts classes in 18 days. I'll be left to clean and pack up the place. Fun times. I'm really glad this is happening during the summer. At least I'll have the pool and running to keep my occupied. And I've started compiling my list of things to do before I leave DC.

1. Go see Lady Antebellum at Jiffy Lube Live (formerly Nissan Pavilion)
2. Train for Chicago half marathon or marathon (I'll have to buy a bib off someone for the full marathon)
3. Visit NYC and travel to the Lady Liberty's crown.
4. Visit Luray Caverns
5. Visit all Smithsonians
6. attend the Memorial Day service at Arlington Cemetery
7. Volunteer at the Kidney Foundation's Chili Cook-Off

That's my big news for the year. I'm really excited for the next adventure that awaits us.

March Recap

During the month of March I've had a goal to blog everyday. I missed nine days, so not too bad for me. Tomorrow marks the first day of April and a new month of everyday challenges. I've been contemplating what to do for several days. I've considered doing 250 abs per day or writing in a prayer journal. Right now the prayer journal is winning. I think it's appropriate since Easter is on Sunday and David and I have some big decisions to make soon.

Eve's Daughters

I've been in a book funk for the past several months. I've gotten some books from the library and recommendations from friends, some better than others. I'm currently reading Eve's Daughters. I picked it up from the library based on a friend's recommendation. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading it and I'm loving it. It's a Christian fiction book, which is a genre I haven't read since high school or before. It's a story about generational sin and how the choices we make affect our children and our children's children. I love that the story is told from different points in the characters lives.

Anyhow, it reminded me that there is uplifting and encourage books out there that have a positive message. I love my fiction books, but I think I've gotten bored with them and this book is refreshing.

A big shout out to Katie for the recommendation.

Quilling

I'm making a scrapbook as a wedding gift for my sister. I have less than one week to start/finish it before I leave for STL. I've been so uninspired. I've never made a wedding book, and it's overwhelming me. I did what any scrapper would do and searched the internet for ideas. I found a site that I had been to before, scrapbooking.com, and typed in weddings. Ton's of layouts emerged. Most of them weren't what I was looking for, but I did come across a technique new to me "quilling". It's basically wrapping paper around itself. I'm sure most of us did this in art class.

I googled how to quill and searched several sites before I found what I was looking for. Quilling really easy and involves scrap paper and a straight pen or toothpick. Here's the results. I'm undecided about whether or not it will become a part of my crafting repertoire, but I gave it a shot. Here's a photo of my page.

Whew!!

Wow! What a busy weekend. Our sale was a HUGE success. The finally number are still coming in, but I think we reached our goal and maybe surpassed it. I'm exhausted. I spent a great deal of time at the site this weekend and experienced the sale in so many different ways, from Preview Night, to the sale opening, and today at bag day.

Bag day was an interesting experience. People bought black trash bags for $40 and stuffed them full of goods, whatever they could carry. The best part of day was the fire alarm that went off in the middle of the day. When we told everyone they had to leave the site, people didn't want to part with their loot and stayed until we forced them out. After several in and out weaves the fire department gave the all clear. Somewhere in the building the painting fumes (propane fumes) set the fire alarms off.

I spent the day in clothing, picking up clothes, removing hangers, and consolidating racks. I can't believe how much merchandise we moved today. The rest of the week different groups will come by to pick through the stuff and with FreeCycle coming in on Thursday. I really thankful to have been a part of this experience. I even found several great buys myself.

New Blog I'm Following

I've recently taken an interest in making fabric flowers. I've downloaded several FREE patterns from various sources and I've even started following several blogs.

Over the weekend I was scouring Etsy for flower headbands. I want to find yellow ones for my nieces to wear to my sister's wedding in a couple weeks. The ones I found sold out in no time. While I was searching Etsy I found several e-patterns for purchase. I toyed with the idea of buying them, but I also wanted them for FREE. Tonight I broke down and bought one of the patterns from Snazziedrawers. I can't wait to use it. If you're a crafter or love girlie headlands check out her Web site, Distinct Designs.

What Everyone's Talking About

Social Media has lit up this weekend with coverage of the passing healthcare bill. I won't claim to know what the bill includes and don't want to discuss particulars, but here's my opinion. Side bar - since moving to DC I don't pay attention to politics, not that I ever really paid attention, but I am apathetic towards it now.

Instead of focusing all efforts on creating a bill that no one really cares for (parts appease both sides enough to be passed) maybe the government should be focusing on the unemployment rate. This bill puts us further into debt and more depentend on other countries. If more people had jobs maybe they could afford healthcare. Don't get me wrong I do realize that there are plenty of industries that do not provide healthcare to workers. BUT in most of those instances, people have choosen that career path, with the exception of part time/minimum wage employees. I feel that I have a right to say this since I grew up without healtcare for the majority of my childhood. I thank God I was never seriously hurt and the few times I did go to the hospital we did have insurance. It wasn't until I accepted my first job after college that I knew I would be covered. Maybe that's insensitve but I don't think healthcare should be a right. I also don't think it should be a luxury. We shoud have a gov't plan of some sort for people who can't afford it or whose jobs don't provide it. But you would have to prove your need for it as well.

David and I will be faced with a healthcare decision soon. (No it's not baby related) He is planning to return to school this fall. We currently are enrolled in his plan through work. When he stops working the coverage also stops. This is problematic because I will most likely be out of work for awhile if we leave the area. We will then be faced with a decision - pay out of pocket for any checkups, enroll in an independent healthcare program, or pray that we don't get sick.
If we decide to enroll in a healthcare program (which we most likely will) we'll have to give up some things in order to afford it.

It's all about the choices we make.

T-Minus One Week till Tossed & Found

I spent 4 hours today pricing candles, notebooks, random kitchen ware, and trinkets all in preparation for this weekend's sale at Tossed & Found. It's the fourth shift I've worked in the last 8 days. You'll find me there this weekend, Thursday - Sunday. I've already found several items I have my eye on.

The event I'm most excited for this weekend is Hoops & High Heels (Preview Night). League members and the public can purchase tickets for Friday nights event. Enjoy food and beverages, silent auction/live auction, "Man Cave" (big screen tvs showing Sweet Sixteen games), and preview to all the goods sold at Tossed & Found. There's also a drawing with prizes - 1 week Time Share stay anywhere in the world, Wizards tickets, designer pair of heels, and much more.

All proceeds from the events go towards Junior League community placements. See you there!

March Madness

I like filling out the March Madness bracket. I don't follow b-ball during the year (except for catching the MIZZOU vs. KANSAS game) so I have absolutely no strategy when it comes to choosing teams. I vote the #1 seeds and several underdogs. That strategy this year has failed me. A lot of my chosen teams are already out. The biggest disappointment/highlight was the KANSAS loss to Northern Iowa. As a Tiger fan I HATE the Jayhawks. The minute you step foot on the Missouri campus is the minute the hatred begins. It's an unwritten rule and the have a stupid mascot. I'm only disappointed that my bracket is now shot. At least I didn't have them in the final game.

Good Luck to my TIGERS tomorrow.

Promotion Ceremony

We have a friend who is receiving an ARMY promotion tomorrow and we have been invited to the ceremony. David is out of town, but I'm going. I'm really excited. It's inside a huge office building. I'm really excited for him. He and his wife are moving in May for his training. The great thing about it is they are moving to Kansas, not too far from Kansas City. When we visit David's family we'll get to see them. We also have another couple friend moving to Kansas this summer too.

Saint Patrick's Day

I love St. Patrick's Day. I love seeing green EVERYWHERE!
We had several traditions growing up that accompanied St. Pat's Day in my house.

Tradition 1
When I was a child a Leprechaun would visit my house each year and leave gifts for my me and my siblings. We would arrive home from school to find his footprints all over the house. We would each take turns picking up a foot. It was like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow except it usually was coloring books, jewelry, or cds in my case. As my siblings grew out of the tradition, my parents continued it for me. By that time I knew what was going on, but I always looked forward to the hidden treasure. I never knew how they accomplished it, but they did. I guess that's the school teacher in my mom. I'd love to share this with my kids when I have them.

Tradition 2
My mom always made cornbeef and cabage. I didn't mind the cornbeef, but the cabage yuck! Cabage is the only downfall of St. Pat's Day. My mom still continues to make this meal ever year. Me, I've created a new food option on St. Pat's Day.

Tradition 3
David and I went on our "first date" on St. Patrick's Day 2003. It was a lunch date between classes and we ended up at Chipotle. I don't remember how we ended up there but we did. Maybe because it was classy fast food and if the "date" wasn't going well we could easily split. I'm glad that's not the way it turned out. Every year now we eat at Chipotle on St. Pat's Day. It's become our tradition. Last year I think we were lazy and didn't go out, but we managed to continue this for the past 7 years. Today David is in Chicago and I'm in DC. While we won't be eating Chipotle together, I've purchase my burrito in our honor our the first day of the rest of our lives.

Running

I signed up for the National Half Marathon last fall. It's one of two long races that I have yet to run in DC. In 2007 I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and the Marine Corp Marathon. The two left are the National 1/2 Marathon and the Army 10 Miler. The Army 10 Miler is held every fall. I've never been able to run in the race because a) it fills up within a week and b) I also seem to be away at work. I've had the same trouble with registering for the National 1/2 Marathon, however it's never been work related. Last fall I decided as soon as registration opened that I would register. I did and forgot about it. Over the past 4-5 months I kept telling myself that I would get into the habit of running but first it was the holidays, then the big snowstorm hit, next I was traveling. Now it's a week before the race and the farthest I've run is 4 miles and that may have been on the elliptical. So naturally I do what anyone training for a race would do, I ran 8 miles yesterday. There were some rough spots during my run, but I think I'm going to make it. It may not be the best/fastest race this weekend, but I will be able to complete it.

Owls

Recently I've become obsessed with owls. I don't know when it started, but I love most things owls. I have found myself buying stamps, paper, etc. that have owls on them. I've even started making owlish cards. I tried to make some for Christmas, but I ran out of time. For Valentine's Day, I made several cards with owls on them that said "You're Tweet". I made another card tonight that said "Owl always love you".
The picture quality is poor horrible thanks to the lighting in my apartment.

Jodi Piccoult

I love Jodi Piccoult. She is my favorite author. The first book of hers I read was My Sisters Keeper back in 2005. I loved it so much that I read through all her books in two years. I definitely have my favorites: 19 Minutes, My Sister's Keep, Vanishing Acts, Handle With Care, Change of Heart, and Plain Truth.

Her newest book House Rules is about an autistic boy. It's the first time I remember her writing a male as the lead character. I'm enjoying it. I love that Jodi writes about real life topics. She is an amazing storyteller.

While I was at home last weekend my sister informed me of the release of Jodi's newest book. We went back and forth on who was going to buy it. I volunteered that my dad should buy it for us, my sister did not agree. We both decided we would check it out from the library. I however, couldn't wait. When I returned home I promptly purchased it on Amazon. I've started reading it and it hasn't disappointed me.

Jodi has been an author at the National Book Festival two out of the past four years. I've been out of town both of those times. I'd really like to meet her and have her sign my books.

If you haven't read any of her books I encourage you to stop what you are doing and read one.

Time Travelers Wife

I read the TTW several years ago and it quickly became one of my favorite books. Last summer when the movie came out, I was there on opening night. At the time I thought the movie was just ok. It had been so long since I had read the book that I didn't remember what happen. I've been re-reading the book lately and I remember why I loved it. I rented the movie tonight, and enjoyed it better than the first time. I love Rachel McAdams!

If you haven't seen it or read it you need too.

New York

Today I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to head up to NYC. I rode the acela amtrak train from DC to NYC. The trip took 3 hours. Upon arrival I promptly boarded the subway and made my way to TIme's Square. I had about an hour to kill before heading into Brooklyn for my meeting. When I was visiting with my sister last weekend she asked me to exchange a coffee mug, she purchased at Starbucks a few weeks back. Since it was before 9:00 a.m. I decide to go ahead and make my exchange. I thought the Starbucks in DC were busy, they were nothing compared to NYC ones. I actually passed several before finding one that wasn't crowded. I made the deal, and headed over to McDonalds to kill more time. Little did I know that it would take almost an hour to travel from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I arrived at the meeting with minutes to spare. The meeting took 2.5 hours and then it was back to Manhattan.

When I was in NY several weeks ago, I really wanted Pinkberry, but we were never around it. I had the cab drop me off a block from where I remembered a location. It was as delicious as advertised. I indulged in chocolate with fruity pebbles, strawberries, banana, and dark chocolate balls.

After eating I headed back to Times Squares for last minute shopping, then it was back to the train station. While I was waiting for my train I saw the inconceivable man from the Princess Bride waiting to board a train. It was the first time I've seen a famous person in NY.

Overall, not a bad day.

Exhausted

This post will be extremely short. I'm amazed that I need a vacation from my vacation. Traveling is still fun, but it takes so much more out of me than it used to. One more trip this week then hopefully some rest. I'm EXHAUSTED.

Busy Month

March will probably be the busiest month for me this year and why I decided
to try blogging every day I'll never know. Maybe it's the challenge it presents
for me or the fact that it should be easy to do anywhere.

Right now I'm sitting in the Chicago airport waiting for my flight back to DC. My sister
dropped me off little over an hour ago on our way back from St. Louis. We celebrated
her wedding shower yesterday. I can't believe she'll be married 33 days from now. It feels like she just
got engaged. All the details are coming together. I can't wait to see how things turn out.

Im also involved in a Junior League event at the end if the month. I didn't plan that well. Thing at work
are picking up in anticipation for our conference next month and I'm running a half marathon in two weeks,
definitely not ready for that.

I'm exhausted and excited just thinking about it all. Please excuse any typos as I'm writing
this on my phone.

Tossed & Found

As some of you may know I am a member of the Junior League of Washington. We have two annual fundraisers we host each year - Tossed & Found and ACC. This year I am on the committee for Tossed & Found and we are gearing up for the sale at the end of the month. Here's some things to note about this year's event.

Sale Weekend:

Sale begins on Saturday, March 27 and ends on Sunday, March 28. The site location is the Crystal City Shops, free parking on weekends.

Special Events:

March 4, 2010, 7:00pm - 9:00pm – Matt Swingly Trash to Treasure Event at Crystal City Shops. $10. Learn fast and easy tricks to update an old piece of furniture, give a tired lamp a new look, or decorate a tough space on a budget.
March 13, 2010, 1:00pm - 3:00pm – Children’s Trunk Show at Crystal City Shops. $10. Everything you could ever want for your baby, toddler, or little girl or boy...clothes, toys, books, and so much more at great prices
March 18, 2010, 7:00pm - 9:00pm – Denim and Diamonds at Junior League of Washington Headquarters. $25. Searching for great designer jeans but don’t want to pay full price? At our special Denim and Diamonds presale, come enjoy a glass of champagne, enter to win an authentic diamond, and purchase discounted designer jeans.

Please click here to purchase tickets to any of these special events.

If you can't attend an event, but would still like to take part in our fundraiser, you can purchase a community card (a $40 value "gift card" giving to local charities or a person in need of your choice) or drawing tickets. If you are interested in either of these two things, send me an e-mail.

Busy Week

So I already missed one day this month in my blogging challenge. But this week has been super busy and here's why.

I met up with a college friend yesterday for coffee. It was great to catch up. She currently resides in Omaha and is in her second year of residency. I haven't see her in over a year. She's quirky as always.

I found out my sister is moving back to the Lou. For all you non-Missourians that's St. Louis. My future brother in law was offered a job at Midway in Columbia. I'm a little shocked that they are leaving Chicago. It's bittersweet. I love visiting her in Chi-town, but I will also love seeing her at home when I am there.

Today I packed for my trip home this weekend. I basically swapped out the clothes from last weekend. I heading there to celebrate my sister's bridal shower. Her wedding it in little over a month. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by.

Lastly I gathered my rummage for the JL's Tossed & Found sale at the end of the month. Any one in the DC area is welcome to stop by a find lost treasures. The sale will be the last weekend in March at the Crystal City shops.

I'm exhausted now. G'night!

March Madness

I haven't talked about my "New Years Resolutions" yet but here it is - Do one thing every day for a month. In Janaury I read the Bible everyday. Ok, I missed like two days. My intent was to get into the habit early in the year so I would continue through the rest of the year. I've continued but, February was a rough month.
In February I took a picture every day. I will post those on another post. March is blogging. So here's my first attempt. Short and sweet. More about my weekend in NYC to come.

2010 Winter Olympics

I LOVE THE WINTER OLYMPICS!!!!

I have never before been entranced by the winter olympics like I have been this year. I'm addicted obsessed with the winter olympics. I don't know what's difference about these Olympics. I used to think the events were boring and would only catch the figure skating, speed skating, and some snowboarding events. This year the only station I've watched over the past week is NBC, that could be due to the fact that we don't have cable and there haven't been too many new shows on this past week. I know there are skeptics out there who were like me and thought the winter olympics didn't have anything to offer them. My challenge to you is to give it a chance over the next week. I'm really glad I did.

P.S. - Did you catch the USA Hockey win over CANADA?!

Scarves for Azerbaijan

My church is collecting scarves for Azerbaijan, knitted or crocheted. I finished one scarf last week on my winter break and I'm working on my second one. I hope to finish three or four by the time their due. I still have a few weeks to finish, but my next three weekends are already booked. Here's a shot of my scarves.



I'm hoping to learn how to crochet this year.

Snowmageddon

Last December when the monumental snow fell in DC, David and I were in Missouri. We were disappointed because we missed a snow day, but were happy to have missed the snow. Little did we know we should get our own snow storm on Christmas day. That was enough snow for me for the season.

Fast forward one month. It's Saturday morning and David and I head out for Einstein's Bro's bagels. It's already snowed approximately one inch. We think no big deal. It took us about an hour to get home with another 2-3 inches on the road.
We ended the weekend with 4-6 inches of snow. It was annoying more than anything. Two days later we get another 1-2 inches of snow. At this time, the weathermen are predicting an enormous storm for the weekend. Part of me doesn't believe it. How can we get hit with two record breaking snowstorms in one season? People around here are freaking out, grocery store lines are 30-40 minutes long. David and I had planned to host a superbowl party. We'd had already bought some stuff the past weekend, and we planned to hit up Sam's Club for the rest of the items over the weekend. David went ahead and bought our meat at the grocery not wanting to take a chance that we wouldn't make it to Sam's.

It's Friday morning and the metro is empty. Forecasters predict the snow to begin between 10 a.m and Noon. Around noon the snow begins to fall, but it doesn't stick. I'm beginning to think that all the hype was for nothing. My coworker volunteers to drive me home around 4 pm. Once we get out of the District we see that the roads are icy and treacherous. On the way home we stop to pick up pizza at the Italian Store. It was my first experience with the Italian Store and it was delicious. By now the snow is starting to come down heavily. I make it home indulge on my pizza and One Tree Hill. The evening is perfect. Around 6 pm I decide to take a stroll over to the mall to finish picking up goodies for my sister's bachelorette party in a few weeks. Little did we know that most stores have already closed for the evening. There was only a handful of stores open and the mall was closing at 7. Some stores didn't open up again until yesterday. David and I finish watching One Tree Hill and do some cleaning. We decide to make our way out into the snow to clean off our car. We already have around 8 inches of snow and it's still coming down. David had parked our car under an evergreen tree earlier that afternoon, but thankfully moved our car, because the branch snapped. That was the first of many trees that fell over the weekend.

We wake up Saturday morning to no power. Not really a big deal. We have plenty of light thank to our bay windows and we live on the 11th floor of a brick building. We rarely turn our heat on in the winter. Because we don't want to open the refrigerator we decide to head to McDonalds for breakfast. Yes, there are some places open during this epic snowstorm. We live near an underground metro station that is running. It takes us over an hour to go one stop. When we finally make it to McDonalds we almost miss breakfast. We decide to walk home. It's only about 1/2 - 1 mile from us and was so much faster than waiting on the metro. The only bad thing was the wind blowing the snow in our faces. When we make it home, we still have no power. We read for a bit, I scrapbook, and we take a nap. Still no power. Finally we decide to trek out again and enjoy the snow. We dig out our car again, another 12 or so inches. We went to the beach this summer and still have the toys in our car. We decided to build a snow fort. Snow works much better than sand. After we clear out the car and finish our fort we decide to find a spot for sledding. Climbing up hills for sledding was much easier as a child. After sledding we head back inside and spot a lady shoveling out her car. She was parked right next to us so DAvid helped her and we were able to dig out our car as There are still people in the area without power.

Saturday night the power comes back on. We come home and clean out our refrigerator. Most of our stuff was ok. We'd bought bags of ice and transfered our perishables to a cooler. We spent the rest of the day cleaning and cooking for our party. We had three couples come over to help us celebrate the New Orleans Saints win! Go Chase Daniel. What made the evening better was the announcement that the gov't was closed on Monday. For me that meant working from home checking voicemails and e-mails.

It's now Tuesday and I'm still at home. I'm not complaining, but I'm sick of the snow and the second snow storm begins today. We'll see what this storm brings and if I make it in to work at all this week.

Yummy Recipes - Superbowl yummy!

Over the last few months, I've dabbled in the world of cooking. A few of the recipes I've tried and recommend are below. Pictures to come.

Hot Broccoli Dip

What You Need

1 round sourdough bread loaf (1-1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
Few drops hot pepper sauce

Make It!
HEAT oven to 350°F.

CUT slice from top of bread loaf; remove center, leaving 1-inch-thick shell. Cut removed bread into bite-size pieces. Cover shell with top of bread; place on baking sheet with bread pieces. Bake 15 min. Cool slightly.

MEANWHILE, cook and stir celery, red peppers and onions in butter in medium saucepan on medium heat until tender. Add VELVEETA; cook on low heat until melted, stirring frequently. Add broccoli, rosemary and hot pepper sauce; cook until heated through, stirring constantly.

SPOON into bread loaf. Serve with toasted bread pieces, RITZ Crackers and/or assorted cut-up fresh vegetables.




Cheesy Hot Crab & Red Pepper Spread

What You Need

1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (6 oz.) crabmeat, drained
WHEAT THINS Original Crackers of baked pitas

Make It!

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Remove 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Mix all remaining ingredients except crackers until well blended.

SPREAD into 9-inch pie plate.

BAKE 20 min. or until crab mixture is heated through and top is lightly browned. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve hot with the crackers.




These are compliments of Kraft Foods. I love this site!

Panang Curry

What You Need
2 tablespoons sugar
4 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced ( if you cannot find them, Lime Zest)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon red curry paste ( Or Panang Curry Paste)
1 cup coconut milk
1 lb beef, sliced or chicken

Make It
Pour 1/2 of the coconut milk in a pan over medium heat. I seem to use my wok for this, Simple as that. Add curry paste and break it up to mix it with coconut milk. Keep stirring to prevent bottom from sticking. Lower the heat to simmer if necessary. Simmer until red oil appears. Add the beef and stir to coat the beef with the curry paste. Add sugar, fish sauce and the rest of coconut milk. Let it simmer until the beef is tender and the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce. It should take about half an hour to an hour depending on your heat. Add water if your beef is still tough and let the liquid reduce.

Sprinkle the sliced kaffir lime leaves on top. Serve hot.

Compliments of David's friend.




Last but not least, and the most delicious of all...

Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding


Egg bread, bittersweet chocolate, and an intense caramel sauce combine to make this the ultimate comfort dessert. Be sure to start this recipe ahead of time. It takes about half an hour for the custard to soak into the bread.


Makes 8 to 10 servings

8 1/2-inch-thick slices egg bread (about 4x5 inches), crusts trimmed, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup purchased dulce de leche ice cream topping or butterscotch-caramel sauce plus more for serving
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons sugar
Powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place bread in large bowl. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons melted butter; toss. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bread begins to color, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Cool.
Brush 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Stir whipping cream and 1 cup dulce de leche in medium saucepan over medium heat until blended and bubbling.

Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and yolks in large bowl. Add rum, vanilla, and salt; gradually whisk in warm dulce de leche mixture. Stir in bread cubes. Let soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix chocolate chips into custard mixture.

Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake pudding until puffed and set in center, about 35 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm, passing more dulce de leche topping alongside.

I didn't get a picture of this, but it's definitely worth trying.

Show Us Your Life....Favorite Shopping Places

I read my friend's blog over the weekend, and loved the post. I was born to be a shopper. I LOVE SHOPPING. Thankfully my husband indugles me and we have lived next to a mall since we moved to DC. I walk through the PC Mall on my way to and from work. I have a hard time paying full price for clothes. I sign up for every discount program and obessively check scour the Web for coupons before I buy anything. Here are a few of my favorite shopping locals right now.

GAP

the Loft

When the following are having sales I enjoy them too.

J-Crew

Anthropologie



I also enjoy Banana Republic, Target, Limited, & Forever 21 (mainly for cheap accessories).

Sunday Church Attire

Growing up I attended a conversative Baptist church. On Sunday mornings I wore skirts or dresses and was only allowed to wear pants/jeans on Sunday nights. I was never allowed to wear shorts on Sundays. Shorts were reserved for Wednesday nights during the summer.

We left that church when I was in 8th grade and began attending church where I went to school. My mom grew more lenient with me and started allowing me to wear dress pants on Sundays. At my pre-teen age I actually liked wearing "short" skirts to church. My school dress code required us to wear long skirts or uniform pants. Not attractive.

In college, now that I was on my own, I continued to dress up for church. My mom's voice ringing in my ear, "You do not wear jeans to church on Sunday mornings." At this point I was ok with dressing up for church. Clothes had come along way since my youth and it was finally fun to dress up for church. My best friend always wore jeans to church. She wasn't one for all the fru-fru skirts and dresses required in most churches. Under her "influence" I would occasionally test the waters and wear jeans to church. I felt like I was sinning. It felt really weird to wear jeans to church on Sunday mornings.

Fast forward 5 years and I can be seen sporting jeans to church on a regular basis. I still feel weird when I wear them, but I get over it pretty quickly. I bring this topic up because I wore jeans to church on Sunday. It's amazing how much "church" has changed over my lifetime. When I was little I would never imagined wearing jeans to a Sunday morning service. You wouldn't be caught dead in them. That's completely changed now. I realized there are still some churches where it's not acceptable for women to wear jeans to church on Sundays, but I'm glad that I attend a church where it's ok. Don't read too much into this, it doesn't mean that the church is lenient on all issues.

When I have kids, they will dress up for church. I think it shows respect and is an appropriate learning experience for children. I may let them wear jeans now and then, but they'll start with dresses and khakis.

What is your Sunday morning church style?