HIMYM and Les Mis? Yes Please!

Sunday Social: A Few Of My Favorite Things

Linking up with Neely at A Complete Waste of Makeup




What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Hands down mint chocolate chip! But it has to be good chocolate - otherwise it's all weird and gets stuck in your teeth. Maybe it's the good quality ice cream that makes a difference? Hmmmm.

What is your favorite smell?
The way DH smells when he hugs me. Fresh cut grass. Vine ripened tomatoes. 

What is your favorite TV commercial? (Past or Present)
There was a Krave commerical that made me laugh to the point of not breathing but I can't find a link for but the empty Krave cereal pieces jumped out with little headdresses and spears and chased down the chocolate. It reminded me of the pygmy mummies in The Mummy Returns.

What is your favorite day of the week?
Saturday would win out. By Friday night I'm worn out so we usually do dates on Saturday. Sundays are church and running and grocery shopping. Definitely Saturday.

What is your favorite way to waste time?
Reading and Reddit

What is your favorite article of clothing? (Feel free to show a picture)
My flat brown boots.  

I've Gone and Disappeared Again

Oh chickens, I up and went AWOL again. Sorry bloggy friends!

I'm mentally exhausted lately. I come home from work and want to do nothing but veg out and cuddle with DH and Henry. They tell me it's winter here in Texas. In fact, it's almost Christmas. What? In this weather? With flip flops still able to be worn? And a perpetual state of bland green and brown everywhere.

We have a tree. Henry has unwrapped anything that comes close to being placed underneath it. We may have to buy him a ficus once we take down the Christmas tree. If I could figure out how to post video from my iPhone, I would. On a Henry-related note he had to have minor surgery on his paw for an infection. I felt like the worst fur mama ever when we found out he was sick. I guess he forgave me since he curled up with my last night for a 20 minute belly rub. We're pretty sure he's part dog.

DH and I are recommitted to the gym machine lately. Today I bench-pressed for the first time ever. I thought I might die but I didn't. I also tried a pilates-yoga blend class and was a little amazed at how good I did. My upper body strength was a wimpy little thing but it's slowly getting to be Arnold-sized.

We're getting closer and closer to the wedding. Only a handful of months to go. We still have to make centerpieces, bouquets, set up the rehearsal dinner, make welcome bags, I need to find shoes and then decide whether the price is worth the heel height versus the cost of hemming a wedding dress (yikes on the hemming prices and why in the world are there no cute comfortable wedge heels that don't cost as much as my dress?), figure out how the heck we're getting between venue and hotel, make a packing list for the honeymoon and start looking for bargains, find someone to do my hair and make-up and clutch what's left of my sanity.

Tonight I'm watching old school Grey's Anatomy because somehow this makes my day better. I'm not sure why. But it does.

Apology Accepted?

I have been woefully absent. Sorry about that.

We are in Wedding Mode over here. The Save The Dates are sent, for the most part, and are not the right color but that was my fault 100%. The flowers are chosen - maybe the hardest part of the entire planning process until now. I'm gearing up to make a million and one pinwheels. I can't find shoes in turquoise to save my life. Oh wait, that's not true. There are a thousand cute shoes on Pinterest without a good link back to where to buy them or the designer. I'm getting desperate, people. We're debating buying everything for centerpieces versus renting everything from the venue. And my broken finger's fingernail finally bit the bullet and departed. Great. Now I have to grow a new nail too?????  It's not as bad as I'm making it out to be - there's already almost half a new nail grown. But sheesh!  At least I'll look like this after the wedding nonsense is over with since I'm marrying the funniest man I know.

DH and I spent Thanksgiving apart as I went back to Da Burgh for a couple days. A very QUICK couple days. Momma A, The Don and I all went and did some wedding shopping, found unexpected bargains (thanks Martha Stewart) and hung out. I spent Thanksgiving with one quarter of my family but enjoyed every minute even as I missed DH and the rest of my family and family-to-be. One of my lovely aunts even made me a pumpkin roll - which was amazing! 

Henry has moved in to DH's and he loves the space and the window sills. He's costing me a small fortune in vet bills, but I love him still. 

 

A Brief Hello

Well friends, it's been pretty busy here. How do y'all make time to blog at this time of year????

In one sentence: Henry was still sick and ended up having an infection in his paw, writing Save the Dates almost killed me especially after I realized we ordered twice as many as needed (I should not do the maths), and I have the allergies from Hades.

That about sums it up.

Talk soon, friends, talk soon.

Humbled

I had a moment yesterday when I was completely humbled.

For a long time, years at this point, I have had a heart for the poor. I feel for them, I wonder why they're homeless. I want to help them in a way that allows them to maintain their pride and not feel like being given a handout, that I'm not trying to negate all the good they have accomplished in their life. I worked occasionally with a group in Da Burgh that provided breakfast sandwiches and a bible study at the day labor locations. We would get up super early, like 3:30, make a ton of sandwiches and head out. The men that we met were looking for work, to better themselves. Maybe some were looking for a handout but what concern is that of mine?

Proverbs is pretty clear about our responsibility toward the poor, along with widows and orphans. I'll focus on the poor...because these days it feels like we're all a few steps away from it. The pastor at our church gave a great sermon last year sometime about Proverbs and the poor. It boils down to that as Christians, we are not called to question the motives of the poor. We are not supposed to worry about how they use what we feel led to give. The blessing isn't related to how they use the resource, but in the free and willful giving on our part. And remember that giving doesn't mean monetary necessarily. It can be time, advice, skill building, or of course money.

Proverbs 28:27 "He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses."
Proverbs 14:31 ""He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him."

I drive home from work the same way every day. At one particular stoplight there is usually a homeless guy. Not always the same guy, but a rotating guest list, if you will. Now I know that it makes DH and my family and friends nervous that I roll down my car window and give a little something if I can. If I have nothing to give but a kind word, I will offer that sometimes. Yes it's a little scary to make yourself vulnerable to the unknown. Yes, one of them could try to harm me. But God doesn't ask us to only give when we're comfortable or feel secure. I've offered money, food and just a smile.

Last night I was at the light and there was a new guy there. He was just sitting on the curb, not asking for anything. He looked like he was enjoying the sunset and almost meditating. I remembered that I had some cash left in my wallet. I usually don't carry cash because, well, it's 2012 and most of us use our cards for everything. I rolled down my window, said hello, passed over a bill and he thanked me profusely. I told him to have a good night and stay safe. And you know what he asked me?

He asked me if I had a relationship with God. When I replied that I do, he said "He blesses me every day."

Blessed. There was no sarcasm, no self-pity, no self-righteousness. Just a man stating a fact. He is blessed everyday. Homeless. Down on his luck.

The light turned green and I made my turn. As I drove away, I was filled with shame that I had only given him a one dollar bill and not more. I was humbled that I have so much and yet forget to see the blessings that surround me every second of the day. But he could when it may be easier to see the hardships and not the blessings. I am surrounded by worldly crap that I own or rent or use. I am nowhere near being poor. Maybe we're all closer to poor with the current economic climate, but I don't have to wonder where my next meal is coming from or when, where or when I might sleep. I don't have to choose between bills to pay or food on the table. I don't have to beg rides from people to get to work. I have a choice of clothing everyday. But he still called himself a blessed man.

My eyes filled with tears as I thanked the Lord out loud as I drove for humbling me and convicting me that while I gave, I could give more. And praising Him for the peace I felt that accompanied the giving. I acted and I don't know how that man would use what I gave, but knowing that God loves that I gave without regard for what I would get in return is blessing enough.

The curb was empty tonight on my way home. But my heart is full. I know wherever he is tonight, he is blessed. And I was all the more blessed today for meeting him yesterday.

Weekend Wrap-Up

My favorite kind of weekend is when there is nothing going on. We laze around, catch up on TV, reading, Reddit. We make something amazing in the Crock-Pot and buy a good bottle of wine. Our weekend run is easy and long.

This past weekend was not that weekend.

DH and I ran and ran and ran this weekend! We had an unexpected Friday night date and tried our hand at drinking scotch. Apparently I'm not Scottish because it started straight up, went to neat and then the rocks with ginger ale in the course of one glass. I am patently not Scottish. Our honeymoon is not going to change this.

Saturday found us shopping around for someone to buy DH's car. Yep, the sweet little Beemer is going to make someone else very happy. I did get a little hangry halfway through our day and consequently inhaled a "share" bag of pretzel M&Ms. Then we morphed into Don and Betty Draper for a Halloween party. I put my hair into a chignon for the first time ever and it looked pretty good! YouTube, what would I do without you????? Oh and 99 cent lipstick. I'll never wear that shade of red again.

Come Sunday morning we actually did have a good run. Not easy though. Somewhere between mile 3.5-4 miles in DH's knee started to hurt. We definitely don't want DH to need a knee surgery or replacement so we toned it down after that. We completed a full 5 miles which is ahead of our training schedule for our upcoming half marathon. The Big D is too big and pricey for us so this year we're running a New Year's Eve half instead. What better way to justify champagne and eating until 1 in the morning? Last night I carved a pumpkin while DH and friends watched The Walking Dead. That show is amazing but leaves me having an anxiety attack because of the dark corners and jumping out and zombie noshing. So I concentrated on the pumpkin instead.

Today we're going to sell DH's car after work and then pick-up his replacement car. I am so blessed to be marrying a man who is willing to sacrifice for our future. This is the best move for us but I can't help but appreciate that it's a big decision to downgrade the car!

That's it here!

Sunday Social: Spooky Halloween

Well hello Sunday Social! 

I know, I know, it's been over a month since I last linked up. I'm sorry. But you see, life has been non-blogging friendly lately. Just busy busy busy and in my spare time I've been trying to catch my breath. Please forgive me!

This week's social is all about Halloween!

1. What was your favorite halloween costume as a kid?(pictures??)
I don't remember a lot of the costumes I had as a kid, but there is a picture of me dressed as a raggedy ann clown that was pretty cute. I think I was maybe 3 or 4....mom, some help here?

I would definitely NOT relive the year I dressed up in my version of a belle at the ball. We grew up in a fairly rural area and by the time I got back home my feet were bloody...stupid pretty shoes.

2. If you could go back and dress up as something what would it be?
So we never went all out for Halloween. We weren't poor by any means growing up, but we were a frugal family. We used homemade costumes or ones that were passed between cousins. And that totally worked for us! I can't speak for my brothers but I don't remember wanting, begging, salivating over any store bought costume. 

With that said, I would love to go back now and dress up as a character from The Neverending Story. It was one of our favorite movies. I assure you, I would have chosen the Princess. Cause I was kinda girly.

3. Favorite costume as an adult?(pictures)
When I was in undergrad (is that considered an adult?) - I was a theater major. My first semester I was taking Intro to Costume Design or some such class. Anyway, we had to sew A LOT. One saturday I spent hours trying to get a ruffle right on the wrist of a costume. Hours...but I digress. That first semester I decided to make my own Halloween costume. I went as a belly dancer/arabian concubine/something to show off my stomach girl. Yeah, I was that girl...well, not totally. I should get credit for A.) Making my own costume and B.) Not revealing more than my stomach. Come to think of it, that deserves a lot of credit.

But since I don't have a picture of that I will include one from last night as Betty Draper.

And while I'm sure Betty never makes this face, I still do.

4. Favorite Halloween Candy?
DH and everyone else can tell you that I like chewy candy over chocolate, although both have their place. I adore Bit O Honey and those peanut butter taffy candies. The Bit O Honey might pull your teeth out if you're not careful but it's a risk worth taking. 

Peanut butter taffy....does anyone else remember these? Peanut butter flavored, salt water taffy consistency, black and orange wrappers? Gosh they were good.

On a side note, Halloween candy that I detested? Mallo Cups. I adore marshmallows but I cannot eat these. The chocolate always tasted cheap and the filling is like marshmallow fluff, which I've never been a fan of. 

5. Favorite Halloween Memory?
I think my favorite memory is a bunch of them all together. We never went Trick or Treating on Halloween where I come from. You went the Thursday night before Halloween. When the fire sirens went off at 6pm (which happened every day since we had a volunteer FD) you could start knocking on doors. If you left before that nobody would open their door to you. We'd trek between houses and hold out our pillow cases in hopes of the mecca of Halloween candy - the full size candy bar. It was elusive but could be found if you knew where to go. We would eventually end up at home right at 8 when Halloween was officially over. Into the car we'd pile and head to my grandparents for the traditional popcorn ball. The 4 mile trek was more than we were willing to walk, even hopped up on chocolate.

6. Whats your favorite scary movie?
I absolutely abhor scary movies. Abhor. The problem is not that they're unimaginative or hokey. I can distance myself from the gore and know how they made that scene. But once the lights go out at night I become convinced that everything I saw is real and will transpire that night in my house. I mean, I thought the Jabberwocky lived in my closet and to this day can't sleep if the closet door is ajar. Do I sound like a woman who should watch any type of scary movie?




Linking  up like I should!

Something Fascinating

I find other's ability to keep physically motivated fascinating! Unless I have an end goal, and one that is fairly attainable it's hard for me to keep going when it comes to training or the gym. I'm not sure why this is. I want to be in better shape. I actually do work hard at going to the gym - I'm there at least 3 times a week if not 4. But my heart isn't always in it.

How do people keep their heart in it? There are girls I see that are getting after it on the stair master, on the free weights, on the treadmill. And I want to go ask how they keep going. I also kind of want to order a pizza and just leave it in front of their machine to see how good their will power is.

I'm in the best shape of my life. And I don't want to keep going. I want to sit on the couch and eat donuts and Lucky Charms and pumpkin muffins. But I suspect I will, in fact, still go to the gym after work tomorrow night and get in my miles.

Mama Kat....link up.

Splintering

   I feel like I'm on the verge of fracturing into pieces. I'm pulled this way and that. I have to go the extra mile and attempt to be the perfect employee, the perfect fiance, the perfect Christian, the perfect roommate, the perfect everything. Everywhere I turn I need to give of myself. I need to give time, give money, give myself. Be better, go harder, do more.
   Sometimes fracturing isn't a bad thing. It can make you stronger. Sometimes we need to fall apart, figuratively, in order to make it through harder times later. To grow faith. To believe more.
   But today it just feels like I have no control over where things are going. Maybe I don't. Today it feels like I've taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in a place I should never have been. Today it feels like I'm wrung out emotionally and physically.
   I know that tomorrow may bring a lighter heart and less pressure from myself to meet and exceed expectations. That when I wake up I may see how blessed I am in so many ways. That needs may have been met and life will look brighter.
 
  It's not much but it's my heart today.

Thanks Shell for always being a safe place to pour out my heart.

Ridiculously Amazing Engagement Photos

DH and I had engagement photos taken last Sunday. Monica Burkett is our brilliant photographer. And she happens to also be a brilliant friend. Seriously, y'all, there's not a bad picture in the bunch. And we all know that most women will find something to nitpick. These make me so excited to see our wedding photos and we still have almost 6 months before that happens!!!

She took us to one of her favorite places to shoot and DH and I couldn't be happier with the sneak peeks she gave us today!

Here are a few to enjoy! She caught DH and I's essence. Yes, I just said that. Check her out. http://monicaburkettphotography.com/

I'm Back!

Blogging friends, I'm SO excited to finally be able to type again! We went to Care Now and they x-rayed my finger, said I was good to go. No splint, no more fracture, no more poking kids in the eyeballs while trying to put insert earphones in. I celebrated by spinning around on the doctor's stool until I was dizzy.

So here's a couple things that I wanted to share.
1. Turn signals are not optional and I don't have ESP. I am not Kreskin. I am not Madam Cleo. Please don't get sore butt when I choose to NOT let you merge into the side of my car without warning. This goes for all of you minivan driving moms - do you drive like that with your KIDS in the car?????

2. Dear FW ISD bus driver who was one her cell phone, it is never a good idea to pull a school bus into on-coming traffic. I realize that you have a route to keep and a schedule to run on time. This would be easier if you would hang up your cell phone. This will be infinitely harder should you ram the bus through my car. I will be upset and may physically harm you as soon as the jaws of life release me from the scrap metal my care will be reduced to.

3. Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother are on with new episodes! That is all.

4. Henry loves the laser pointer we bought him. But he is perpetually confused about where it goes when we stop playing. I'm convinced he's going to start losing (more) fur and attack anything that moves.

I promise that I have a ton of post ideas but I just needed to blog about not much of anything to get started. When I started this blog I had no idea I would miss this so much!

Still Out Of Commission

Dang fingers take more time that I'd like to heal. Bones knit together right? KNIT FASTER!!!!

Typing continues to be challenging to say the least. The scariest part of it is that I'm getting pretty good at typing without my middle finger.

On the downside, many patients eyeballs were in immediate danger this past week since I have no control over the splinted finger.

And finally, I'm still reading everyday! Just not able to get much out on here that's worth the time it takes. :( I hope to be back in the blogging game soon, loves.

A Little Break

Hey y'all....


So I broke my finger today. As the BFF said, at least it wasn't another head injury. Anyway, just a little break resulting from my wee soft fingers being crunched in between DH's malfunctioning garage door panels. My middle finger fared the worst and is splinted which is making it more than difficult to type. So I feel an enforced absence headed this way.

I'll be checking in every day to read everyone's posts but until the grape sized swelling vacates my phalange, it will be slim pickings here.



Oh dancing phalanges, come back to me! And please let me NOT lose my fingernail. Tragic first world problem.

My Imaginary Friends

Share 5 Fictional Friends you'd want in real life. (Movie/Book/TV etc.) (inspired by Hooked and Happy)

1. Loralie Gilmore. C'mon, people, I want to hang in Star's Hollow. The wit. The smart humor. The fast talking. The cute clothes. The troubadour weddings. How can you not want to be friends with Loralie?

2. Claire DeTamble. She deals with a time traveling husband. Clearly she can teach me how to handle ANY stressful situation in life. Also, she doesn't mope over Henry being gone. She doesn't like it but she doesn't mope over it. I picture this happening: "Henry, can you pick up some milk?" "I did, but it's from 10 years ago. Sorry."

3. Natalie (The House Bunny). She had the idea for a BYOM party! Bring your own MOUSE. Seriously. That kind of inspiration can't be replicated.

4. Walter White. I'd be terrified of disappointing him, but it would be magnificent to see it up close and in person. Plus if I need these pesky student loans paid off, surely he can spare that kind of cash. He's Heisenberg, after all.

5. A younger Cristina Yang. You know, the Yang that was in the first couple seasons. On a side note, I've given up on Grey's in the last year. But Yang I shall always love, even the more melancholy Yang.
"It's small. It's tiny size. It has cat-type creatures on it. But it is a chair. For ninety-nine cents, you can buy furniture. That is America, man! "
courtesy of http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0962365/quotes

Raising Our Expectations

Danielle at Butler Party of 2 blogged about a topic near and dear to my heart that you can find HERE. So this idea is by no means original, but she put it so well and I want to add my own spin to it.

How many of you have friends that are women? Would you consider these women as someone to uphold you and encourage you? Do your friends edify you when you’re not there? Do your friends love you well, hold you accountable but not judge you?

I hope that you answered yes, yes, yes and yes! You are indeed a lucky woman if that is the case.

All too often though it seems that we are quick to tear each other down, to expect failure from one another, to not encourage and to not love well but out of the selfish need to feel better about ourselves.

Let me say right now that this post will likely not be my most popular. I’m ok with that. It’s not meant to be a veiled attack or jab at anyone. But some may read it that way. I have to be ok with that.

An example that comes to mind (and I can credit Danielle with this because I had not thought of it this way before reading her brilliant post) is the friend who tells you that once you have kids you won’t have that same body. There won’t be time for working out and you’ll let yourself go. Danielle’s point here was that instead of encouraging one another to do what keeps each other happy/centered/stressfree the friend expects you to fail. Fail at being healthy. Fail at keeping your goals. Why? Maybe they’ve failed and it’s better to have company. Maybe no one has encouraged them to excell.

But why not encourage each other instead? Why not give kudos for surpassing the conventional worldly expectations of each other? Why not kick social expectation to the curb and cheer one another on? It’s hard to encourage and yet so easy to do as well. For some maybe it’s the emotional component of giving that encouragement. Maybe encouragement isn’t being given to that person. Social experiment: Give encouragement to someone who doesn’t easily give it out. Listen to the person that complains loudly. Maybe they don’t know that anyone is listening to them and are just trying to be heard.

I have indeed been guilty of being on both sides of this. Our relationships as women are complicated and often times are fraught with drama, baggage from…well, every experience of our lives….and the period of life we’re in currently. They also include love, laughter, tears of joy and pain, and the occasional glass of wine. We should absolutely be free to discuss where we are, the difficulties, the successes, the rewards and the fears. However we should be careful to not put our own expectations on the other person as a given. Who knows what we could accomplish if given the chance?

Edify one another in public. Encourage one another in whatever way works. Uphold one another in prayer and in conversation. Love one another well.

Stop expecting one another to fail, to be mediocre, to do enough to just get by.

Shell, thank you from the bottom of my poured out heart. 

10 Things About Weddings

Today's Listicle from Stasha is particularly fitting. It's 10 Things About Weddings. And I'm in the middle of planning a wedding with DH and our families and friends. You know that's how it goes. It's not just us planning, it's everybody planning. 

I've also been in numerous weddings over the years...nothing approaching 27 Dresses, but still a commendable handful. So the list below is cumulative from all the years of experience plus our current journey.


1. There is nothing as motivating as when the bridal salon calls and tells you that THE DRESS is in. It becomes very real that you are getting married in that moment. Enjoy that excitement!

2. Weddings are emotional events. Someone will be P.O.'ed at you at some point....maybe at all points. Just expect it, try to not hurt feelings and move past it.

3. Centerpieces can either be the easiest creation or the most time consuming. Buy one of everything to make a sample centerpiece to make sure you like it before buying 20 of everything! 

4. Be kind to your bridesmaids. By this I mean no ugly dresses, no bows on the butts, don't ask them to do more than you would be willing to do. Does it really matter if they all have the same hair style or the same shoes? They want to be part of your day. Don't make it hard for them to support you.

5. Don't have little tiny bows on anything unless they come that way from the store. Trust me on this one. Tying 94,376, 897 bows gets real old real fast.

6. Remember to focus on you and your fiancee. This day is just that, a day. A huge special day, but it shouldn't be the reason to get married. The marriage is what you're committing to, not the wedding. Nourish it, grow it, protect it.

7. Ladies, don't assume your groom doesn't want to have a say. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. But at least give him the chance to have input.

8. If someone else is footing the bill, thank them often and wholeheartedly. Make sure they know you are overwhelmed with gratitude.

9. Don't be scared to do something that is unique. There are no rules - if you want to wear Vans under your dress, ride a bicycle down the aisle, have cookies instead of a cake, an unconventional guest book, be announced to an autotune of Kristen Bell, whatever it is that makes you happy.

10. Have your photographer capture all those first looks - not just the groom's when you appear, but also your dad's, the guests, grandparents. Those are the pictures that could last a lifetime.

There's a huge well of advice and things to do and to avoid but this is just some of what I've learned over time.

Overwhelmed by Grace

I totally had a different post halfway written for tonight.

Then I went to Life Group. And I realized that I'm continuously covered and overwhelmed by grace. And love. And mercy.

Last week was full of small trials and bad news and trying times for myself and really for people I love.

This week...at least this far....has been one full of excitement and love and grace.

My bridal party has dresses ordered or in to be picked up. My wedding dress, y'all, has come in. I have yet to lay eyes on it, but IT. IS. HERE. DH and I bought plane tickets for our honeymoon. My Henry is ok despite spilling a Scentsy full of My Dear Watson all over himself and DH's living room. (For the record, it won't make a cat sick. But they sure smell nice when it happens. And look a little baffled by the impromptu paraffin dip. But his fur is silky smooth.) My mom loves me enough to, well, love me.

Above all God's grace has covered me. When DH loved me more than the day before. When I was almost creamed by a tractor trailer on I35W. When I kept my mouth shut instead of saying what I thought...which didn't need to be said. When He calmed my spirit and soul in the middle of the night. When I met the right people at the right time.  When I sat in a room with other women and listened to how they love, fear, defend and laugh. When I pushed myself harder at the gym and didn't talk myself out of going further.

I am thankful for the grace that covers me and overwhelms me with the love it holds.

Actually Road Tripping

It's the long awaited road trip post! You were waiting, right? Nah, probably not. But I'm gonna talk about it anyway. Cause it's my blog. 

DH and I agreed that this road trip would be a test of whether we have looong road trips in our marital future. The trip from the Deep South to the Deeper South (Knoxville TN) is roughly 13 hours. We broke the drive out into 2 days to make it a little more do-able. Of course Hurricane Isaac came through the night we arrived in Little Rock. It was a drive full of fried pies - y'all....to die for!...and zipping past tractor trailers at high rates of speed in very wet roads. I white knuckled a bit, not gonna lie. 

DH loves fried pies enough to sing about them! And the pecan pie was worth singing about.

The next day we sprang out of bed, well maybe slowly rolled, and hit the road. We met up with a great friend of mine in Nashville and had lunch, did some shopping and talked wedding stuff for a couple hours. Way too soon it was time to get headed onto Knoxville. Not that we weren't excited to get to Josh and Rachel, but I was sad to leave my Nashville friend.

It was our first trip to Knoxville and we loved it! It has such a small town funky feel to it. There's a little of everything there. We were so excited to see some of Josh and Rachel's favorite places....

Brassiere where I had my first frog leg and was introduced to salmon to die for.

Chez for breakfast

And we also tried a new place that DH and I pretty much would DIE to have here in the Deep South.

Dead End Bar-B-Que. Y'all, if you are ever within a couple hours of Knoxville, take the time to detour and go eat. It was a-freaking-mazing. DH and I are totally jealous that we don't have BBQ anywhere near this in the Deep South. 

*Before y'all start leaving me hate mail about how Texas has great BBQ, we agree. But this place is way better. Truth, y'all.*

My beef brisket, cheddar and fried onion sandwich. I could eat this every day.

And there is Yuengling on tap. On. Tap. 

Let's all take a moment to reflect on the lovelieness that is Yuengling.

The thing with Yuengling is that Tennessee is the closest state you can get it in to Texas. Unless Florida is closer than Tennessee. Then that statement is wrong.  We brought back a couple cases to Florida and it will be drank like the liquid gold that it is. It was only a couple cases because the place we went couldn't sell more than that without shorting their own stock.

When it's gone DH and I will look like this...

But until then, we'll look like this.

And when we got back to the Deep South there was a Henry who was very happy to see his Momma.

Road Tripping

Hey all!

So DH and I have been traveling and then some stuff at home cropped up...including two broken AC units. Which made us look like this...

But I promise to be back soon with a long post - and some pictures - in the next couple days.

I'm just spending my time trying to catch up and get blogging again! Next time, I'm totally writing posts ahead and scheduling them to post for me.

Sunday Social: Summer

Sunday Social! This will be short and sweet, I think.

What was your favorite trip/vacation/activity this summer?

DH and I went to San Antonio for a weekend to see his mom and stepdad. It was a lazy weekend but we loved it. 

Favorite outfit look of the summer/clothing item?
My Calvin Klein athletic shorts. I got the at Ross and while they're not the most flattering piece that I own, but they are versatile!

What is one thing you wish you had gotten to do this summer?
Gotten home for longer than a weekend. There is nothing like western PA in the summer. The lightening bugs were out when I was home but there was also the possibility of a rogue brown bear in the area. I weighed all the pros and cons and decided I'd watch the fireflies from inside rather than be eaten off by the bear. 

Favorite Song of the Summer?

Picture in a Frame by Tom Waits

Favorite movie/tv show of the summer?

Favorite new show: Bunheads, hands down. Although I despise the name. I do, I'm sorry. But I love the show! The clip below is why I love Sutton Foster - if you don't know her, she's the brunette.

Favorite old show: Breaking Bad, of course.

Link up, kids!

A Dash and A Pinch

Mama Kat always has some great writing prompts, and the nice thing is that there is enough of a range that if you are married, single, parents, not parents, old, young, in-between, sharing today or sharing years ago...you can always find one if not two or three or four prompts that would be an option.

A prompt option this week was:  If you could change career paths now and be anything you wanted to be…what would you be and why?

If you've been reading my blog, well, ever, then you know that I would be a chef. A pastry chef to be perfectly clear. 

There is something so absolutely absorbing about baking. I lose myself in whatever it is that I'm making, whether it's a *gasp* box mix or from scratch. I honestly prefer to bake from scratch. Otherwise it's too easy; and by that I mean I have less time to lose myself. 

When I have time in the kitchen to bake it is one of the most relaxing pieces of my day. I had a moment the other night that turned into the realization that I can start to call myself a baker. Girls night in and brownies were needed. I pulled out the baking books to find a recipe and everything was way too complicated. We needed chocolate and we needed it pretty freaking quick. So I used trusty old Pinterest to find an easy brownie recipe. 

Now, hang on. I know you're thinking "What makes her think she can call herself a baker from following a pinterest recipe for easy brownies?" Well, the thing was I didn't have everything the recipe called for....including the right size pan. 

In my head I thought "I can totally wing this". Then I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best since I was making these for everyone. I sorta kinda almost doubled the recipe, threw in some cinnamon to make up for the lack of vanilla and a mix of special dark and regular cocoa. 

Seriously they were the best brownies I have ever made in my life. And I've made a lot of brownies. A lot. They tasted like box mix brownies - the chewy, fudgey kind. Usually homemade brownies that I've made in the past taste more like cake in texture and taste. These totally rocked my face off.

They made me believe that even if I'm not a baker by trade, I just may be one by choice.

Link up, you brilliant bloggers!

Sunday Social: The Internet/Technology

I totally missed Sunday Social last week and I'm so glad to be back. It has been one of those weeks. I'm just happy that usually I only have one of those weeks rarely! Now on to the topic of the week

Technology/Internet...um, yeah. I am not the first person in the know when new things come out. But I'm not the last either! I lament the changes that Facebook forces upon us along with my friends. But I wouldn't necessarily know how to make it better either. And when my computer at work doesn't do what it's supposed to my first instinct is to throw it out the window. Luckily our windows don't open wide enough, or I would be out of a job by now.

1. What is the first website you log on to each day?

It's a tie between Facebook and Blogger. 

I know, what could have possibly happened on Facebook in the 8 hours I was asleep? Sometimes A LOT. But most days not much in Facebook world. 

Blogger, though, is always hopping. I think I must have a good mix of blogs that post in the morning and in the evenings with a sprinkling in the middle. Usually there is something new to read whenever I check Blogger.

Pinterest is closing in as a bronze medalist though. I've been in the Pinterest mood this week. I blame it on all the awesome tug at my heart fall pins.

2. Give us some funny websites you visit that we need to know about

If DH was posting this he would say Reddit or CollegeHumor. I don't check anything funny other than the blogosphere. Sigh. Does this seal the deal that I have no idea what's cool anymore?

3. Pinterest or Facebook? Why?

Despite what I said in #1, Pinterest might win out. And here's why. I love Facebook for keeping in touch with my friends. But I despise Facebook in an election year. And then you add in all the posts that are from Pinterest? I might as well just go to Pinterest. At least then I can look at the pictures and pins that interest me without having someone else's political or social views shoved in my face in an offensive way. I'm all for free speech, but be respectful people! Don't put it out there if you would call me intolerant for having the opposing view stated in the same manner. I actually have to block friends because I can't STAND the constant barrage of opinion that is really inflammatory. After November I'll unblock them and we can all talk about Christmas.

4. Twitter or Instagram? Why?

I'd have to go with Instagram because I don't have a Twitter account. I know, I know. I'm living in the dark ages! 

5. Favorite youtube video...post it!

Hands down.....

6. Biggest online pet peeve?

This is a hard one...the fact that no one has invented the scratch and sniff screen? Think of it....look at the picture of that amazing dish and be able to smell it. Yep, that's my biggest pet peeve, something that is impossible.

Next week's questions:

What was your favorite trip/vacation/activity this summer?

Favorite outfit look of the summer/clothing item?

What is one thing you wish you had gotten to do this summer?

Favorite Song of the Summer?

Favorite movie/tv show of the summer?

Maybe It's the Lack of Sleep

I'll apologize now if I'm a little non-existent in the blogosphere this week. I'm just not feeling it. Ever happen to any of you talented bloggers???

Maybe it's the lack of sleep. It was a busy weekend!

Friday night DH and I went on a date. Now, this is not uncommon. We go on dates a lot. Like, he calls me early in the week and asks me to go on a date. How sweet is he? We've gone on a lot of dates, and this Friday we went on the same date we originally went on right after we met. Well, along with a detour or three. And while the mexican food was still great and the drinks were still wet your whistle good, we had this wet stuff that falls from the sky....I think the rest of the country calls this "rain". It wasn't raining when we went into The Flying Saucer but it sure was when we left!

At first we were sad to be so sopping wet.

But then we realized that a little walk in the rain could be fun.

Saturday brought an early morning after a late night, cat adoptions and a field trip for Henry. He spent the weekend at DHs. They spent time bonding while I went and volunteered for Classy Cats. Classy Cats is a no-kill shelter and pretty much rocks. So if you have an extra bajillion dollars hanging around torturing you with it's presence, feel free to donate to them! Henry wiled away the hours being entranced by the cows on Minecraft and occasionally chewing on DH's feet. We also introduced him to the sun. See, my and Roomie's house is quite dark. There's not a lot of direct sun and in the summer it's super hot inside if you leave the blinds up. Couple these facts with small shallow windowsills and Henry had no idea of the sunny spots to be used.

We opened up DH's blinds and Henry sat perched staring into the backyard. He couldn't believe his eyes. And then he decided he'd love to sleep in the sun, thank you very much.

He loved it so much that he slept long after the sun went down and we were watching The Hunger Games.

This meme makes me laugh and then it get's stuck in my head and then I question my priorities in life and then I laugh again. It's a vicious cycle.

(Courtesy of http://peetatoast.tumblr.com/post/24773832896 via Pinterest)

I got sidetracked. Back to the lack of sleep. Henry typically sleeps in the laundry room, but since he was on a field trip he was allowed to sleep in the bedroom. Which meant behind my knees, on my feet, against my ribs and most sleep-depriving....in my face. I woke up to find him staring at me and purring like a mad thing. It's sweet but so loud it woke me up. Seriously? And in between all of that he managed to give me a heart attack by knocking the cup and toothbrush into the sink which of course led me to think the Martians were attacking. I'm not very logical when awoken suddenly. Last week I left the weather radio plugged in and it took years off my life when it blared a 90dB warning signal at 3am because of flash flooding. I couldn't figure out why the house alarm was suddenly SO LOUD. Again, the first thought was that we were being attacked. We're sweet girls, I don't know why I expect to be attacked by aliens.

Clearly Henry also needed some extra sleep as he spent most of Sunday sacked out in various spots.

It was another early day today. Henry went to the vet's to become a eunuch. Sigh. He was not happy about being the carrier and I was trying to not break into tears at the thought of leaving him. I actually did cry. I'm going to be a horrible mother someday...not the beat them with coat hangers kind of horrible, but the unable to be strong and brave kind of horrible. Henry looked a little like he wanted to comfort me. And he's a cat. That's just pathetic.

Clearly I needed to make some rocking S'more bars to ease my pain and suffering.

(The recipe was courtesy of www.loveintheoven.com but this picture is mine. I wouldn't want anyone to think this passes as presentable for her!)

So, showkids, if I get some sleep then maybe I'll post more than I think I will. But if I'm a little light on the posting it's because I'm snuggled under my comforter and I've beat my alarm clock into submission.

Is That A Yeti or a Poodle?

Mama Kat's been keeping me honest this summer. Well, here is one more example of my honesty.

This week had some great writing prompts and I chose the biggest fashion mistake I've ever made. Just one? I'm already breaking the rules and giving you two options for your viewing pleasure.

When I was little all I wanted to have was curly hair. My mom had curly hair, my older brother had curly hair...why couldn't I have it to???? My aunt was a hairdresser and she often permed my hair to within an inch of it's life. But those darn perms always fell out soon after. I mourned my curls, I wanted to wail and gnash my teeth and rend my garments. Yes, I wanted to be Esther, if she'd had wanted curly hair. As a last dirch effort to make my dreams come true, my aunt gave me a spiral perm. Who needs Walt Disney when I have an aunt with mad skills? From what my chemically processed brain can remember the spiral perm shouldn't have worked. A normal perm didn't work, so why would a spiral? I'm sure there is more reasoning behind it, but that's all I can dredge up from those days spent inhaling hair products.

This is what I ended up with. 

I was the human poodle. Seriously. And it stayed that way for months. I vowed to never touch a permanent again. 

But nothing compares to this lovely Heidi ensemble.

 Is that me or a Yeti? I love that my hair is bigger than my entire best friend. And why in the world was I wearing a dress to play in a dirt pile?  I remember I loved that dress though. All I needed was a flock of goats and a kindly grandfather to be Heidi incarnate. 

I can finally say, my hair has been my biggest fashion mistake. I can't take full credit for this, but I do feel somewhat responsible. I'm not sure what I did to tick it off as a child, but after 30 some odd years it has calmed down and forgiven me. Maybe I'll look good into my 60s?

Link up, get the skinny, and find some new groovy blogs to follow!

Where I Come From

Erin at Shades of Gray and a Pinch of Pink is one of my newest blog obsessions - Erin, I mean that in the least stalkerish way possible, pinkie promise - and she had the fantastic idea to learn more about where we all came from instead of where we are now. Behold, the Where I Come From link-up! That should be accompanied by trumpets and revelry. Commence, please. 

What are the biggest attractions in your area?

My hometown doesn't even have a red light, so "attractions" don't really exist.  We do have stop signs, so there's that. There are 2 traditions where I'm from that really does make me love my hometown. I'd consider them attractions. The first is the county fair that happens every September - the Big Knob Fair. It's small and the rides are probably riddled with tetanus. But you'll see everyone you grew up with while you eat an elephant ear and sip a lemonade. 

The second attraction is one that happens on graduation day. All of the graduates who are farmers or who's parents farm drive their tractors to the high school when we have graduation practice. These are not lawn mowers but impressively large and immensely expensive tractors. It's a sight to see, for sure. 

What's the average Saturday night like?

In the hometown, hanging on the front porch with friends. If it's during the summer months then the yard sparkles at times during early evening. It's the lightening bugs, you see. They don't exist here. I miss them every summer.

What sports teams does your area root for?

Seriously? Near Pittsburgh? The only NFL team to have six rings, that's right....the black and gold. The Steelers! But even more near and dear to my heart are the Penguins. My boys on the ice. Who needs that stuck up Ovechkin???? Not us, we have Sid the Kid and Malkin. My heart is broken that Staal has been traded  to the Hurricanes. I'll wear my jersey until it falls apart.

*I think there's a thing called a "baseball" team, but I have no idea. The Parrots maybe? Oh wait, it's the Pirates....yeah.*

What kind of home-cooked meals are served?

Pierogies, which are pockets of dough filled with mashed potatoes and cheese. Then you fry a ton of onions and bacon, fry the pierogies in the grease and it's heaven in your mouth. 

Haluski, a noodle/cabbage/onion deal that's all fried in butter. 

Um, we like fried meals? It's the Eastern European heritage that runs rampant through the hills.

Do you have restaurant chains that aren't anywhere else?

King's and Eat-n-Park. Typical diners where you can go 24 hours a day. But the place I miss the most is Sheetz. At Sheetz you can get shmuffins, shgas, shbananas and shcoffee, to name a few things. Seriously though, I miss Sheetz. It's a gas station chain that also has made-to-order everything. They're open 24 hours a day which means that when you have a 2am craving for an english muffin sandwich, otherwise known as a shmuffin, it magically appears!

What's the scenery like? Mountains, desert, beaches?

It's very green, hilly and curvy. The kind that makes DH a wee bit carsick. Not the green part. Yep that sums it up.

What kind of activities did the kids in your neighborhood play?

My brothers and cousins used to play War at night. They'd ride their bikes and sneak through the woods with air rifles trying to mangle one another. I was the only girl. I stayed inside out of the line of fire.

What about style - prim and proper, casual country?

Farm casual? Is that a style? We're very rural. Funnily enough, I never felt like I fit in, even when the "look" was jeans and sweatshirts in high school. You can't get more laid back and yet I still felt uncomfortable.

What animal gets hit on the road most frequently?

Deer and skunk are probably tied. The smell of skunk actually makes me homesick, that's how often it happens. I'm weird though - it's genetic...my grandfather had a pet skunk that lived under the porch when he was a kid. If deer had a smell then maybe I'd be better able to determine the roadkill ratio between the two.

What kind of music blasts through local radio stations?

Country. Country. Country. And some pop. But mainly country.

I hope y'all enjoyed learning a little bit about my small (not kidding y'all) hometown. Link-up and learn me something about yourselves!