Unwrap Life

Farewell, Pine Valley

2011-09-23T18:41:00.002-04:00

{image via}

Today is the end of an era! I started watching All My Children with my mom one summer when I was a kid. In college, I watched only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays because I didn't have a 1:30 class those days. When I started my first job, I listened to it on the car radio during my lunch break. And after I started working from home, I always had it on in the background while I worked. Now I DVR it and have a marathon many Sunday afternoons.

And today, 20+ years of faithful viewing come to an end.

Farewell, Pine Valley.

It's OK

2011-09-15T10:15:00.006-04:00

This is my first time linking up with the lovely Neely and Amber for "It's OK" Thursday.

It's OK that I haven't blogged consistently in nearly a year. I've been busy. Doing life. But I miss doing life with y'all. Take me back? Pretty please?

It's OK to finally admit that after many faithful seasons of watching, I am completely over Project Runway. I even deleted it off the DVR. Sorry, Heidi.

It's OK that I pluck out every single gray hair I find. I am OK with being 30. I am not OK with gray hair.

It's OK that I am already counting down to Christmas, even though it's not even technically fall yet. I can't help it.

It's OK that I'm cheating on my Starbucks caramel macchiatto. Darn you, salted caramel mocha!

Pucker up and blow

2011-04-03T21:54:00.002-04:00

When I saw this PostSecret on Sunday, it immediately made me think of the movie Corrina, Corrina and the scene where Corrina and the little girl are in the car and the stoplight is red and Corrina blows at it and 'makes' it turn green for them. We used to do that all the time when we were kids and thought it was the coolest thing. Even at 29 years old, if I'm at a long red light, I'll watch the cross traffic and wait for that light to turn red before I 'blow' my light green. Never fails to make me smile.

If you haven't seen Corrina, Corrina, you need to get on it. Such a sweet movie.

Do you have any silly little things that you did as a kid that you still do today?

{image}

30 Before 30: #2 Throw an 80's party

2011-04-02T00:05:00.000-04:00

Plans for #2 on The List are in full swing and it's time to start working on my costume. There are so many fun options for guys and girls, it's hard to narrow it down to just one. I am thinking maybe I need make like Anne Hathaway at the Oscars and have multiple costume changes!

So far I have managed to narrow it down to these three options:

1. Madonna in her Like a Virgin days
2. 80's prom in all it's shiny satin glory
3. Peppy, big-haired aerobics instructor

Every time I think I've decided, I go back and look at these pictures and change my mind all over again. They could all be super fun.

So help a girl out. What say ye?

What I'm Reading

2011-03-29T17:01:00.000-04:00

For months I kept hearing friends say they were obsessed with The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It's considered Young Adult (YA) and I just couldn't see myself getting into anything YA. Too close to all that silly vampire nonsense for me to be interested. But my sister Amy bought me Book #1 for Christmas, knowing full well that if I read it, I would be hooked.

And boy was I! I finished The Hunger Games in four days while we were on a trip to NYC. When I got to the last page of THG, I was so disappointed that I didn't already have #2 to get started! I tweeted out my disappointment and, lo and behold, Catching Fire and Mockingjay were mine to borrow from a friend the very next day! I read Catching Fire in four days and Mockingjay in a single Saturday marathon. I won't give it away for those who haven't read them, but suffice it to say, I couldn't put them down until I knew how it all turned out. I can admit when I am wrong and I will never again turn up my nose at YA books.

What should I read next? I am the waiting list at the library for Water For Elephants so I need something to keep me busy until then.

Pretty Please: Birthday Edition 2

2011-03-28T20:37:00.000-04:00

I am loving this new Glass Photo Pendant from Amy Cornwell, which can be personalized with a teeny tiny photo of your choice. I love Amy, but if she keeps coming out with such great new stuff, I'm going to go broke. So someone please save me from the poor house and send me this pretty for my birthday, mmmkay?

Flash Mob

2011-03-21T19:11:00.000-04:00

If I could re-do my 30 Before 30 list today there are a few things I would change. Namely, I'd add 'Participate in a flash mob' to the list. Although, in my defense, when I made this last (all the way back in October) flash mobs weren't yet a 'thing'. I mean seriously, how fun would that be to do with your girls?

This is a flash mob that my college friends John and Maria did as part of the youth retreat at their church last weekend. Now Maria can mark 'Flash Mob' off her 40 Before 40 list (sorry, had to rub it in that she's already 30). Clearly, they are way cooler than me.

Pretty Please: Birthday Edition

2011-03-21T14:17:00.002-04:00

{link here}

Because who doesn't love toasty warm feet?

My feet are always freezing. I wear socks and slipper Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. It can be 90 degrees outside and I still need socks on my feet. I don't wear them to bed, so in the time it takes me to put my socks in the hamper and crawl into bed, my feet are little blocks of ice again.

Although these are probably a bit like wearing cement blocks on your feet. Hopefully there's never an emergency while lounging around in these babies. Or at least if there is, I'll die with very warm feet.

Is it Spring yet?

2011-03-10T22:45:00.003-05:00

It's still definitely winter in Indy (snow flurries this morning!) which is why I was shocked the other day when a friend said it was only two weeks until Spring. Um, wait, what?! How did that happen? I'm usually itching for Spring. Dying for shorts. Staring longingly at my sleeveless dresses. Painting my toenails in February in anticipation of open-toed shoes in April.

This year? Notsomuch. It just totally snuck up on me. But now that I've been made aware? I'm in total Spring Preparation mode. And what better place to start than ~~spring cleaning~~ with a new Spring dress? I am loving pretty much every single thing in Ann Taylor Loft's new spring line. I'll take one of everything.

Please and Thank You.

30 Before 30: #13 Give serious thought to dying my hair red

2011-03-07T17:01:00.000-05:00

Like most girls, I have a love/hate relationship with my hair. Two of my sisters have the most amazing corkscrew curls and the third one has a silky curtain of hair thicker than a horse's mane. Me? I got stuck somewhere in between with wavy hair that is neither deliciously curly nor luxuriously straight.

In short, my hair takes a lot of work. Once I find a style that works for me, it takes a lot for me to be willing to change it. I alternate between to styles: long layers and a cute short bob. Boring? Sure. But it works for me.

I may not be wild about my waves, but one thing I've always loved is the color. Healthy and dark and dimensional. Which is why I've never messed with what the good Lord gave me. I'd love to be one of those girls who can change from blonde to chestnut to auburn without batting an eyelash. (see: Rachel McAdams), but I'm way too ~~lazy~~ ~~cheap~~ skittish for that. I have, however, always wondered how I'd look as a redhead. If I ever worked up the courage to do it, red would be the way I'd go. So for my 30x30 List, I decided to give it some serious consideration. If not now, when? (And don't say when I go gray - we're trying to downplay turning 30, remember?)

After a month of experimenting with a new layered haircut, embracing my inner curly girl, and finally taking the plunge into blunt bangs, I figured I was on a roll. Might as well give it a (temporary) go. So while I was home for a week in early December, my sister Amy dyed my hair a nice deep auburn.

I hate both of these pictures of me but they are pretty much the only ones I took the entire month of December. The pictures really don't do the color justice. I loved it. All of my female friends noticed it immediately. Nate didn't notice for four days. So I guess it wasn't shockingly dramatic, but it definitely gave me a good taste of what it might be like to take the plunge for real. For now, I think I'll stick with what my mama gave me (cheap and lazy, I tell you) but when those gray hairs start calling, it's good to know I've got some options.

Tuesday's at the Table

2011-02-01T07:46:00.000-05:00

I'm back to participating in All the Small Stuff's Tuesdays at the Table. I've found some amazing recipes (read: short and simple) through TATT, so if you don't check it out every week, you totally should. Or at the last very least, try mine! HA!

I had this Weight Watcher's Taco Soup at bunco in December and loved it so much I came home and Googled it the very next day. I've made it twice since then and I'm still not tired of it. It is so super easy and makes the house smell incredible. Perfect for the winter storm we're in the midst of this week.

__________

Weight Watcher's Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey (I've been using turkey and Nate has no idea)
1 large onion, chopped (I cheat and use onion flakes)
1 (1 ounce) package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 (1 ounce) package of taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can of pinto beans
1 (16 ounce) can of chili beans (hot or regular)
1 (16 ounce) can of whole kernel corn
1 (10 ounce) can of diced Mexican-style tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can of diced tomatoes (any flavor - I use the basil kind)

Instructions:
1. Brown meat and onions and drain.
2. Mix ranch dressing and taco seasoning into meat.
3. Without draining, add all of the other ingredients.
4. Simmer 1 hour.

An Ode to Katie: An Endless List of Why I Love My Baby Sister (Alternately titled: I Suck at Blogging)

2011-01-30T17:05:00.003-05:00

*Poking head sheepishly back into the blog-o-sphere*

Hello? Anyone here?

Anyone?

Bueller?......Bueller?

___________

Soooo......clearly I took a ~~little~~ big fat (albeit unintentional) hiatus from blogging. No excuse, really. Just got busy and lacking inspiration, then got out of the habit. For those of you who missed me, you have my sister Katie to thank for getting me back on the blogging horse. She gave me an ultimatum to blog by the end of January, and in true big sister fashion, I put it off to the very last day, just because I could. HA!

It's been a busy two months with lots of time with friends and family (rare and much appreciated!), a flooded basement, a new job for Nate, a recent return to his old job for Nate, and lots of progress on my 30 Before 30 list (updates to come!).

And because I'm still finding my blogging mojo again, I'm going to cheat and update you with a little State of Mind.

Loving: my quiet weekend

Hating: that my feet are always cold, no matter how many layers I put on them!

Craving: Fruity Pebbles

Wanting: Spring to hurry up

Reading: The Hunger Games

Watching: Kourtney and Kim Take NYC

Listening to: Jason Aldean, Big Green Tractor

Looking forward to: NYC this weekend! (Twice! In six months!)

Worried about: the winter storm ruining our trip

30 Before 30 : #6 Have a Shaving Whipped Cream Fight

2010-12-09T13:35:00.007-05:00

Back in mid-November, my dad's side of the family had a reunion in Jacksonville, FL. As we all get older and busier, it gets harder and harder to get all of the aunts, uncles and grandkids together, so it was lovely to have almost everyone in one place, even just for a few days. We did the typical family reunion stuff: ate too much, watched the Gamecocks whoop up on the Gators (a victory made even sweeter by the fact that we got to watch it with the Gator side of the family!), and had a little friendly family competition (wiffle ball). And, of course, the obligatory family photo shoot.

It was right about the time that we finished the 'grandparents with grandkids' pictures that I noticed some incredibly suspicious behavior going on. The adults (I say that as if I am not nearly 30 years old - apparently I still think of myself as a 'kid' when it comes to the family hierarchy!) were all huddled behind a big tree in the yard. No sooner where the words, 'What are you guys up to over there?' out of my mouth than they all attacked me with two dozen cans of whipped cream.

It turns out that these two had been plotting all day to help me achieve #6 on my 30 Before 30 list. And the rest of the family was all too eager to join in the fun.

It was an awesome surprise! And a wonderful memory that we'll all talk about for years to come. In the last few weeks, the list has definitely become less about accomplishing goals and more about making forever memories with the ones I love.

Sisters are one of God's best ideas

2010-11-29T22:12:00.005-05:00

I was very blessed to have my mom, dad and my sister Amy come stay with us for Thanksgiving. They drove all night on Tuesday to surprise me at 6am on Wednesday morning, which gave us a whole extra day together!

We cooked....

And ate....

And molested a turkey....

And cuddled with puppies.....

And shopped....

And played games (I won!)....

And watched movies....

And cuddled some more with puppies....

And threw cupcakes all over the floor....

Okay, so maybe that last one wasn't on purpose, and maybe Amy didn't find it too funny, but how can you not laugh when someone drops a dozen half baked cupcakes on the floor? What else are sisters for?

Cozy

2010-11-19T18:27:00.003-05:00

It figures. I've been eyeing new bedding for months and couldn't find a single thing I liked enough to make the change. And then the minute I buy art to match our current bedding, I find this:

{Image via The Company Store}

With some dark grey walls?

Love.

State of Mind

2010-11-05T17:30:00.000-04:00

Loving: my new job (work at home - YAY!)

Hating: being far from the ones I love

Craving: time alone

Wanting: a pair of patent gray booties

Reading: Worth Dying For by Lee Child

Watching: Giuliana & Bill on the Style Channel (Seriously, how cute are they?)

Listening to: Taylor Swift, Sparks Fly

Looking forward to: Jacksonville next weekend!

Worried about: nothing. And loving every minute of it.

30 Before 30

2010-11-03T20:06:00.008-04:00

In case you haven't already heard ~~me whine about it~~, I'm turning 30 this year. October 15 was my half-birthday and in an effort not to enter full on freak out mode about my impending exit from my twenties, I decided to celebrate these last six months instead by accomplishing a few things I haven't quite gotten around to the last 29.5 years. Some of them will be easy, some of them will be a challenge (hello, Oprah!), and some of them will take the entire six months, so I better get cracking.

1. Try water skiing
2. Throw an '80's party
3. Try acupuncture
4. Paint a canvas for the house
5. Find the perfect shade of red lipstick
6. Have a shaving cream fight
7. Improve my photography skills
8. Visit Chicago
9. Catch up on my scrapbooks
10. See Wicked
11. Eat a fresh fig with honey and walnuts
12. Learn HTML code
13. Give serious thought to dying my hair red
14. Have a girls weekend with my college besties
15. Get in the best shape of my life (work out consistently)
16. Have boudoir shots taken
17. Visit the Indianapolis Zoo
18. Take a pole dancing class
19. Try a cuisine I've never tried before (Lebanese or Indian?)
20. Decorate our bedroom
21. Try snow boarding
22. Attend an Oprah show taping
23. Get knocked up
24. Serve in a soup kitchen or food pantry
25. Complete my dream closet
26. Do something completely impulsive
27. Kiss in the rain (or snow!)
28. Go dancing in Vegas
29. Attend at least 2 concerts
30. Learn to relax and enjoy turning 30!

I spy with my little eye.....

2010-11-02T20:43:00.002-04:00

Something RED!

The red cups are back at Starbucks.

The trees are out at Macy's.

The peppermint mocha creamer is at the grocery store.

The lights are going up at the John Deere store (hello, how Southern does that sound?!).

The Container Store is tempting me with their holiday wrapping paper.

You know what this means, right? Christmas time is officially upon us.

And I couldn't be more excited! Who's with me?

Ring-a-ding-ding

2010-10-11T18:10:00.000-04:00

{image via Dilbert.com}

I feel like this comic is the story of my work-life lately - spinning my wheels 8 hours a day and getting absolutely nowhere.

How is it that I can be nearly *gulp!* 30 years old and still not know what I want to be when I grow up? Three years ago I thought I had this all figured out.

Now? I'm waiting on a call for what could be my fifth job in 2 years. This was so not my plan.

Shows you what I know.

State of Mind

2010-10-08T21:28:00.000-04:00

Loving: having a weekend at home

Hating: waiting

Craving: a trip home

Wanting: a pair of patent gray booties

Reading: The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass

Watching: the new Fall Lineup

Listening to: Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat, Lucky

Looking forward to: full-on boot weather (where the heck is it?!)

Worried about: nothing. And loving every minute of it.

Coffee Lovers of the World, UNITE!

2010-09-29T14:49:00.003-04:00

It's National Coffee Day.

I'm not sure who decides that kind of thing, but I definitely love them. And if someone could make it a national holiday, I'd love that person even more. Then I could sit in Starbucks all day long and do nothing but drink coffee and read a good book.

As it is, National Coffee Day is not yet a national holiday, so I made due by working from home and sipping coffee in my pajamas all day while I ~~goofed off on the computer~~ worked. Guess that will have to be good enough this year.

And I'm totally going to Starbucks for the second time today before Nate's soccer game. Gotta support National Coffee Day and all. They don't just give away national days, you know.

Dear God, Please let this be true.....

2010-09-28T18:44:00.002-04:00

{image found here}

LOSTies rejoice!

It was reported last week that NBC is developing a new show by J.J. Abrams, creator of the epic series that we all knew and loved and lost (hee, hee, see how I did that? see?). And as if that was awesome enough, J.J. is creating the show for Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson!

Holy excitement, Batman! I might have just wet my pants a little.

The rivalry and love between Locke and Linus was one of the best parts about LOST. By the end of the series, it was clear that Terry and Michael had a bit of a bromance going on. When they dreamt aloud at several interviews of a vehicle all their own, I never dared to hope it would happen.

And now it's happening! On NBC! With J.J. Abrams!

I can't wait!

What I've been up to while I was away....

2010-09-27T05:50:00.002-04:00

Celebrating my Grandma's birthday in Florida:

Loving on a few of my favorite people....

Eating at the Big Ice Cream Cone....

Hanging with the extended family....

Visiting my sister-in-law in New York City:

Blasting out my eardrums at the Eminem/Jay Z Home and Home concert...

Enjoying every single second with my sister-in-law.....

Singing all the words in every Jay Z song, even the bad ones (sorry, Mom!)....

Trying not to geek out when I saw Brad Goreski from The Rachel Zoe Project at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week....

Meeting celebrity dogs.....

Tasting every single Baked by Melissa flavor and not feeling a single bit guilty about it....

Taking a weekend road trip to Knoxville to cheer on the Vols:

Inviting my sister on a last minute road trip....

Making flip cup a family affair.....

Eating gator stew for dessert....

To see the rest of our month-of-vacations pictures, check out my Flickr.

Football FINALLY makes sense...

2010-09-04T08:42:00.000-04:00

{image found here}

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

"Oh, I really liked it," she replied, "especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents."

Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarter back! Get the quarter back!' I'm like...Helloooooo? It's only 25 cents!!!!"

The Neurotic Versatile Blogger

2010-08-27T07:38:00.000-04:00

As promised, my other award from the talented (and recently promoted!) Cole.

For the Versatile Blogger award I need to tell you all 7 things about myself.

1. I always flush the toilet with my foot in public restrooms. Yes, I realize the stall door and the sink handles have just as many germs, but I can't help myself.

2. I have this obsession with headbands. I want to wear them so badly. My favorite barista at Starbucks wears one nearly every day and looks darling. I want to look darling too! Sadly for me, I've got a big fat head, so all I end up with is a big fat headache to match.

3. I currently owe $2.25 in library late fees. If I can't renew a book I'm reading, I'll just keep it until I'm finished. Bad, library patron, bad!

4. I hate it when people mispronounce the words indicative [in-dik-uh-tiv] and preferably [pref-er-uh-buh-leel . If you can't pronounce it correctly, you shouldn't be using it in a sentence.

5. After that last one, I might as well admit this one too: I love dictionary.com! More people should use it.

6. I like to keep my email organized. I have at least two dozen folders in my Yahoo account and file everything accordingly. I realize this makes me a dork. But I'm a dork who can find any email from the last 7 years.

7. When Nate's out of town, I always sleep with the bedroom door locked. I don't know why this makes me feel safer. All it really does is slow the bad guys down long enough to wake me up so that I'm fully conscious when they come to get me, but whatever. If it helps me sleep at night, that's all that really matters.

Your turn! Give me one random fact about yourself in the comments.

What a real man does....

2010-08-25T06:14:00.000-04:00

A real man is a woman's best friend. He will never stand her up and he will never let her down.

He will reassure her when she feels insecure and comfort her after a bad day.

He will inspire her to do things she never thought she could do; to live without fear and to forget regret.

He will enable her to express her deepest emotions and give in to her most intimate desires.

He will make sure she always feels as though she's the most beautiful woman in the room and will help her be the most confident, sexy, seductive and invincible....

No, wait. Sorry. I'm thinking of wine.

That's what wine does....

Never mind.

_______________

Special thanks to my girl, Jamie, who brightened my day with this in my inbox. Who doesn't love a what wine does?

And we were afraid it was completely over...

2010-08-24T07:27:00.000-04:00

{image found here}

Do you know what this is?!

LOST: The Complete Collection - and it comes out TODAY!

Six glorious seasons of the best.show.ever. Plus two hours of never-before-seen content, including a 12 minute mini-epilogue about Hurley and Ben's time as keepers of the island.

I want it. I want it bad.

But as Nate so helpfully pointed out - I've already seen it all. I know how it ends.

Well, yes, this is technically true. But I don't have cast and creator interviews, a mini replica of the island, a box that comes complete with black-light hidden secrets or my own personal Senet game. And did I mention the 12 minute mini-epilogue? I need to know what happened, man!

If you need to know what to get me for Christmas - this is it. Just don't expect to see me for at least 96 hours afterwards.

A scoop of chaos with a side of nuts

2010-08-21T17:39:00.005-04:00

Cole from over at All the Small Stuff must have known I've been lacking in the blogging inspiration department lately, so she dropped some inspiration right in my lap in the form of two awards! One for today and one for later this week (you know, because I'm lazy like that).

I love the idea of 'A Daily Scoop of Chaos' - that's exactly how I feel like my life is right now! It was a roller coaster of a crazy emotional week over here. Nothing earth shattering, just a whole lot of random insanity that we were not quite prepared for. Add in the regular HOA drama and a really crummy project at work and we had a whole freaking ice cream SUNDAE worth of chaos.

What is your signature color?
Hmmm...this one is a toughie. If I'm getting dressed, I will always reach for black as my signature 'look'. If I'm decorating, it's anything in the autumnal color family. If we're talking about the color I gravitate towards like a magpie to shiny objects? That would orange, of course!

What is your most embarrassing moment?
Oh, so many to choose from, how will I ever narrow it down to one? Embarrassing stuff happens to me all the time, ya'll. Not even kidding.

My mom reminded me of this one the other day: I was 15 years old, we were living on the tropical island of Guam, and I had a babysitting job for a new family I'd not met before. As I knock on their front door for the very first time, a giant gecko (you know, like the Geico commercial?) falls from the roof of their house, straight onto my head. I, of course, start shrieking like any girl worth her soprano lungs and batting crazily at my head in an attempt to free the lizard from my hair. And just in time to see my manic fit, the mom opens the door, with the dad standing right behind her.

Hi, guys, I'm here to care for your children. So lovely to meet you.

Would you ever get anything pierced other than your ears. If so, what?
Considering I barely survived the panic attack when I got the second hole in my ears at age 12, I highly doubt it.

Are you a social butterfly or a homebody?
I am naturally very shy in large groups. Most people are shocked to hear this because I tend to speak my mind most of the time. But that's only to people I know. Although I must say, unemployment was good for one thing - it forced me to learn how to network despite my natural proclivity toward being a wallflower.

I love nothing more than staying home in my jammies with my hubby and my puppies, a great glass of wine and a good read.

Are you done having babies or do you want more?
I used to want five babies, but given our current difficulties, I've down-scaled that to three. Nate is holding steady at two. We'll see.

Are you loyal to your hairstylist or do you try every salon in town?
I've written about my allegiance to hairstylists before. I'm sad to say I've still not found someone I'm crazy about here in Indy. Luckily, I'm doing the growing out thing right now so it's more about maintaining health than maintaining a style. When I eventually grow tired of it and chop it again, chances are I'll be headed to K-town to do it. Sad, but true.

How many times have you moved in your life?
Oh my word. I don't know if I could count them all. Let's try:
Florida to Georgia at age 2
Georgia to Virginia at age 7
Virginia to South Carolina at age 10
South Carolina to Guam at age 14
Guam back to South Carolina at age 16
Sumter, SC to Due West for college x 4 years of college (which, if you think about it, is really EIGHT moves - 4 in and 4 out!)
Sumter, SC to Knoxville when we got married at age 22
Knoxville to Boston for six months at age 26
Boston to Indianapolis apartment
Indianapolis apartment to our first house at age 27

If you could plan your vacation with just you and your love where would it be?

We have so many places we'd like to go. Too bad that pesky job thing keeps getting in the way! We'd love to go back to Europe and see the places we missed the first time - Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain and Italy. We want to hit Australia for at least two weeks. I'm dying to go to Turks and Caicos someday.

Your turn! If you could vacation anywhere in the world, with anyone you chose, where would you go and with whom?

Countdown

2010-08-12T18:42:00.003-04:00

Because I really, really need something to look forward to right now....

14 days until my Premier Designs jewelry party

22 days until I see (most) of my family!

23 days until COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON

30 days until NYC and Fashion Week, baby!

32 days until Jay Z and Eminem

49 days until a cabin in the woods with our best friends

80 days until we debut the world's most awesome Halloween costumes

94 days until the Colts open a can of whoop-ass on the Bengals

105 days until Black Friday

Confessions on Nosiness

2010-08-06T17:24:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite websites is PostSecret.com. I look forward to reading all the new secrets every Sunday afternoon. Maybe it's just my female tendency towards nosiness, but I love reading other people's secrets - relating to some, being flummoxed by others, and praying for the really sad ones. I've also gotten some really awesome ideas for paying it forward, like the one above, which is probably my favorite secret ever.

So imagine my delight to find out that the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting an exhibit of Frank Warren's PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death and God! The exhibit opens tonight and runs through September 18. The opening reception is tonight and I've somehow convinced Nate and some friends to join me.

I can't wait to read dozens of new secrets tonight! It's like Christmas morning for nosy people!

Time to buy some stock in popcorn

2010-08-05T10:24:00.009-04:00

I don't know about you but I've been pretty disappointed in most of the films released so far this year. Inception was the first truly good movie I've seen all year. Nate wasn't a fan but I thought it was amazing - complex, engaging and beautifully acted. That's a hard combination to find these days, when all Hollywood seems to be doing is remaking old favorites. I don't want a remake of what I loved when I was 12, I want something new and different! Is that so much to ask?

That said, the next two weeks seem jam-packed with movies that I am actually interested in paying $10 to see in the theater. FINALLY! It's not too late to have a big summer hit.

{image found here}

This one came out last week. Although the storyline probably isn't going to be revolutionary, who doesn't like seeing Angelina Jolie play a bada$$? And she did almost all of her own stunts. Gotta admire a lady who's not afraid to get dirty in the name of making a good movie.

{image found here}

The Other Guys has the potential to be hilarious. Maybe not Hangover hilarious, but still pretty good. I'm somewhat skeptical (Will Ferrell has the tendency to go a little overboard, IMHO) but Nate is pumped to see it. I will balk because that's what I'm supposed to do, but secretly I don't mind a bit as long as Mark Wahlberg takes his shirt off at least once.

{image found here}

I'm not ashamed to admit that I like a good action movie every now and then. It doesn't have to be all romance and rainbows in my movie world. Sometimes you just need a good shoot 'em up, and this one looks like it could be pretty amazing. Stallone? Li? Statham? How could it not be good?

{image found here}

Hang with me on this one guys. It is a given that the storyline will be predictable and acting overly dramatic, but OH THE DANCING! Have you seen the previews? To quote Rachel Zoe, I die. I'm all about the dance movies - Dirty Dancing, Save the Last Dance, Center Stage and, of course, the original Step Up, which brought us the handsome and talented Mr. Channing Tatum. The dancing in Step Up 3 looks off the chain. I'm giddy just thinking about it.

So what movies are you looking forward to? Seen anything good lately?

Suddenly I've got a craving for bananas....

2010-08-03T17:42:00.000-04:00

{image found here}

The clothes!

The jewels!

The celebrities!

The meltdowns!

The medical drama!

The catchphrases!

OMG

I die.

Shut up, right now.

I'm coming undone.

It's going to be buh-na-nas.

Who else is ready for the Season 3 premiere of the Rachel Zoe Project tonight?

It's a short trip to Crazy Town

2010-07-29T06:59:00.000-04:00

I used to pride myself on having a good memory. I never forgot a face. I could accurately identify every unlabeled baby picture in my mother's ~~photo albums~~ box of family photos. I could sit in a college class, pay decent attention and pull out a B without ever cracking a book.

And then I hit the real world. And got a job that completely fried my brain. The more responsibility I gained, the more completely useless information I was required to store in my increasingly overtaxed brain.

So now, while I still have an excellent memory, much of it is useless. I can recite every policy and procedure my old company had for the credit card program. I can parse out a VIN for you and tell you exactly what each section means, down to where your vehicle was built. I can recall the name of every vendor I did business with. during my 4.5 years there

But it seems I have no room left for any new information. You know, like the names of co-workers or vendors I presently work with. Or the fact that our anniversary is tomorrow and I completely forgot until yesterday.

I have always been a master list maker, but now I need lists of my lists. I live in a world populated by calendars, To Do lists and bright orange sticky notes. If I don't write it down, I will forget. I keep a notepad by my bed so I can write down all the things I think of while I'm lying there desperately trying to turn off my brain and sleep. I tote my To Do list with me practically everywhere I go.

My latest forget-me-not inspiration? My Palm Pre. Every time I think of something I want to add to my To Do list, I email it to myself. My inbox is full of notes to self: blog post ideas, emails I need to send, appointments I need to make, books I want to read.

Am I the only one who wishes she had a delete file function in her brain? What tricks do you use to keep yourself from losing your mind?

Facing the Giants Needle

2010-07-28T06:18:00.002-04:00

{image found here}

I come from a family full of bad backs and had my first bulging disc at the ripe young age of 24. I was suspicious of chiropractors in general, believing them to all be quacks who hurt more than they helped. That is, until I needed one. Now I am a firm believer in chiropractic care and I consider monthly massages to be a health necessity.

Unfortunately, I've not found a chiropractor that I like here in Indy. My Knoxville chiro set the bar pretty high and despite my best efforts, I can find no one even close to his level in our no-longer-so-new hometown. And although my monthly massages have staved off the daily headaches I used to suffer, my back and shoulders are wound tighter than a Nate's hand around my credit card on Black Friday. At this point, I don't think simple massages are going to fix this.

So I'm considering this:

{image found here}

Acupuncture.

I am terrified of needles. I have to be dying before I'll visit a doctor because I'm convinced all they'll want to do is suck out my blood. My phobia is so bad that I don't even like to be touched in the crooks of my arms because it gives me the needle heebie jeebies.

So considering acupuncture means I'm desperate. I lie in bed at night and rationalize to myself: It won't be so bad, it's just in my back. I won't even be able to see them. I won't look at the needles. I can take drugs before I go. Maybe they'll let me have a cocktail if I promise not to drive.

I get all brave at night, thinking I can do this and I'll make some calls in the morning - and then I look up an acupuncture website, take one look at those needles and start hyperventilating at the mere thought of someone jamming pointy-ended sticks into my delicate as a baby back.

My head knows it will help. My back is screaming for relief. But I just don't know if my nerves can take it.

Have you ever tried acupuncture?

Have you ever faced a fear head on and overcome it?

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-07-27T08:16:00.000-04:00

This one's an oldie, but a goodie. And now we'll be making and eating it on our brand new deck. Summer lovin', havin' a blast.

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Grilled Pizza

Ingredients:
Pre-made pizza dough (I use the Pillsbury kind)
Baby spinach or arugula mix
Tomatoes
Mozzarella (fresh or processed, whatever your preference)
Salt
Black Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions:

1. Prepare outdoor grill to medium heat.
2. Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Cut the pizza dough into 4 sections, so you have 4 mini 'crusts'.
4. Place pizza dough on hot grill. Cover grill and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until dough begins to stiffen. (Time will vary according to your grill, so watch carefully the first time so that you don't burn your dough!)
5. Carefully move the dough back to the cookie sheets with the 'cooked side' up.
6. Top the dough with spinach, tomatoes and cheese.
7. Return dough carefully to the grill. The topping side should face up and the 'uncooked' side should face down.
8. Cover grill and cook another 1 to 2 minutes (again, your grill will vary) until the bottom of the dough stiffens and cheese begins to melt.
9. Remove the pizzas from the grill and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and to taste.

__________________________________________________

I have been making this recipe for several years and unfortunately I have absolutely no recollection where I found it, but it is one of our favorites. I would eat it every single week if I could. We do it on the grill in the summers and then when it gets too cold, we just use the oven everywhere that it says 'grill'. It doesn't have the grill flavor but it's still super yummy.

I like to make mine exactly like the recipe. I add mushrooms and pepperoni to Nate's and leave off the olive oil drizzle, so there are lots of ways to play around with this idea.

Happy grilling!

Happy Anniversary, My Love

2010-07-26T05:48:00.000-04:00

I Love You

by Roy Croft

I Love You,
Not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you,
not only for what you have made of yourself,
but for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
I love you for putting your hand into my overflowing heart
and passing over all the foolish, weak things that can't help,
dimly seeing there, and for drawing out into the light all the
beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
I love you because you are helping me to make of the dreams of my life
not a thought but a reality,
Out of the works of my every day not a reproach but a song...
Yes, a Love song.

Seven years ago today....

State of Mind

2010-07-25T17:27:00.001-04:00

Loving: my new laptop!

Hating: the heat and humidity

Craving: time with my sisters

Wanting: to purge the house of everything that is unnecessary

Reading: Kelly Cutrone, If you have to cry go outside

Watching: Pretty Little Liars

Listening to: my newly stocked iPod

Looking forward to: our anniversary tomorrow!

Worried about: the work/life balance

It's not a mid-life crisis until someone gets a tattoo

2010-07-21T12:03:00.000-04:00

{image found here}

Well, hello there. I'm back.

Miss me?

I'd like to say I'm back and better than ever, after my longer-than-expected technological hiatus. But that wouldn't be quite true. Is there a such thing as a third-of-life crisis? Because I'm pretty sure I'm having one.

You know how when men have a mid-life crisis, they dye their hair, or get a random tattoo, or run out and buy a convertible?

Yeah, that's totally happening to me.

Suddenly, everywhere I look, there are sassy, sporty, suh-weet convertibles - and I want one.

I see myself zipping downtown to work each day in black Nissan 370Z.

I dream of Saturday afternoon shopping trips with a girlfriend in my red Mini Cooper.

I envision sexy summer date nights with Nate in my slate gray Infiniti G37.

Who cares that it's only top-down weather like three months out of the year? Never mind that I'd be terrified to be on a snowy interstate in a Mini Cooper what basically amounts to a tin Campbell's soup can. Room for a baby seat, groceries, suitcases? Who needs 'em?

Five years ago when I could have had any car I wanted, I chose the biggest mid-sized family car I could find. It never even crossed my 24-year-old mind to get a sporty two-door, let alone a convertible. But now that I'm a grown-up, responsible, almost thirty-year-old, trying to procreate woman?

I WANT A CONVERTIBLE AND I WANT ONE BAD.

Practicality be damned.

In my prayers today....

2010-07-01T10:56:00.002-04:00

What: Moment of Silence for Cohen

When: Thursday July 1st from midnight to 11:59 pm.

How: Bloggers participating will post the Cohen banner (below) or simply post Cohen’s name in large letters on their blog.

Why: July 1st Megan and Brent will be holding Cohen’s memorial service. The moment of silence is an opportunity for Megan’s blog community to stand behind her and support her on this difficult day. Linking up will give Megan a chance to see the support at a glance.

Participating bloggers can Link Up on today at Send Love To Cohen.

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-06-29T08:37:00.002-04:00

Honestly, it feels a little silly to call this a recipe, but it is one of our all time favorite meals - we eat it at least once a week. And when I say at least, I'm not kidding - we've been known to make these two or three days in a row. Some may call me lazy. I prefer to call myself a 'creature of habit'.

____________________

Baked Turkey Sandwiches

Ingredients:
Sliced turkey breast
Pepper Jack cheese
Small deli sub rolls (we like Sara Lee)
Mayo
Mustard

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare turkey sandwiches as you normally would - turkey, pepper jack cheese, mayo and mustard on a sub roll.
3. Wrap each sandwich individual in a single layer of tinfoil, rolling the seams to seal them.
4. Bake directly on the oven rack for 15 minutes, until bun is slightly stiff and cheese is melted.

I serve these with soup during the winter (clam chowder, vegetable, broccoli cheese) and some sort of salad, like broccoli slaw, in the summer. No matter how often we eat them, it never gets old. SO YUMMY!

Crack is whack

2010-06-24T08:08:00.003-04:00

I am being held hostage by the World Cup.

Okay, well maybe not me, but at the very least, our TV is on constant black-and-white ball surveillance duty. All day Saturday, all day Sunday, and for at least two hours every evening, for the last two weeks - with weeks more to go.

So of course it's on in the background the other night as I'm getting dinner ready. The vuvuzelas are out in full force. Like a swarm of annoying flies. That never, ever stops. For ninety minutes. Seriously, I am all for rooting on your team. I'll scream my lungs out at a Vol football game. You know, at the exciting parts - a first down, a touchdown, a really spectacular stop. But not for an entire game without ever stopping. These South Africans must have a ridiculous lung capacity.

But then again, if they waited around to only blow when something interesting happened in a game of soccer, I guess they'd be a sad, sorry, quiet bunch....HA!

So I'm doing my best to make dinner while resisting the urge to swat at imaginary gnats that seem to be swarming literally in my ears, when:

Nate: You know you can buy vuvuzelas on the internet.

Sara: And your point would be?

Nate: You should get me one.

Sara: I'm thinking, no.

Nate: Why not?

Sara: Are you smoking crack? Have you met yourself? You're like a 12-year-old trapped in a 29-year-old body. If you had one of those things, you'd never stop blowing it, probably right in my face.

Nate: I know. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Sara: Yeah. Awesome. That's exactly the word that comes to mind.

Quotables

2010-06-21T13:09:00.000-04:00

{image found here}

I was at the nail salon today getting a much needed pedicure with a girlfriend, chatting merrily away, oblivious to those on either side of us. I was telling her about how I finally ~~wore down~~ talked Nate into letting me hire Merry Maids to clean the house every other week. To which she naturally replied, in complete mock jealousy: Boo, you whore!

At which point we suddenly became aware of the lady to my right - who literally clucked her tongue and shook her head in dismay.

Clearly, she has never seen Mean Girls. Poor thing.

Which got me thinking about all the movie lines I quote on a daily basis, without even thinking about it.

Gopher hole! - Homeward Bound
That's gonna leave a mark. - Tommy Boy
Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? - Rush Hour
What we've got here is a failure to communicate. - Cool Hand Luke
There's no crying in baseball. - A League of Their Own
This one time, at band camp... - American Pie
I'm gonna run a train on some chicken wings. - Role Models
Missed it by that much. - Get Smart

and of course,

Boo, you whore! - Mean Girls

I'm sure there are tons that I am forgetting because I know I do this all the time without even thinking about it. And that's not even counting all the TELEVISION show lines! That's a whole other post worth.

What movie quotes do use on a daily basis? Do tell!

Father(s) of the Bride

2010-06-09T07:18:00.000-04:00

According to Perez Hilton, Tom Selleck recently confirmed a third installment to the Three Men and a Baby movie - Three Men and a Bride!

I loved Three Men and a Baby! It's from the era when comedies were actually funny without trying too hard. And I'm relieved to hear that it is a continuation of the story, not a remake of the original movie. It seems like Hollywood has so little original content these days that all they can do is re-do movies from 20 years ago. Bor-ing!

So who else loved this movie and it's sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady? What was your favorite 80's movie?

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-06-08T05:46:00.001-04:00

I love chicken salad. On a croissant, on a sandwich roll, in a lettuce cup, in a wrap, plain, with apples, with dried cranberries. As long as there aren't any onions, I'll eat it. If chicken salad is on the menu, you can rest assured that I will order it. When I make chicken salad at home, I will eat it for every single meal until it is gone.

I lurve chicken salad.

I found the basis for this recipe on Real Simple's website. You'll understand why I say 'basis' if you look at my version and then look at theirs. While theirs sounds yummy (minus the scallions!), it's way too much work. Why cook chicken breast when you can buy it already cooked in a can? And who the heck has the time to squeeze their own limes? Not this girl.

My version is just as good, and takes about five minutes as opposed to twenty. You can use the fifteen minutes I saved you to thank me later.

_______________

Chicken Salad with Apple and Basil
via Real Simple

Ingredients:

Two large cans chicken
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon white wine or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Granny Smith apples (peeled, if desired), diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar, and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the apples and toss.
Drain the chicken and add it to the apple mixture along with the basil, and the salt and pepper. Toss and divide among individual plates.

2010-06-07T18:45:00.003-04:00

I've been over Tom Cruise for the better part of the last five years, basically ever since he lost his mind and his dignity with all that couch jumping and verbal sparring with Matt Lauer.

I've had no desire to see any of his recent movies. Valkyrie looked like a snooze fest. Knight and Day (or is it Day and Knight? I forget. Whatever.) looks like every other trying-too-hard-to-cover-a-crappy-script-by-hiring-two-overpaid-stars caper these days. Think I'll skip it.

Of course I had to give props where props were due - his portrayal of Les Grossman was just about the only good thing about Tropic Thunder. And possibly the best acting job old Tommy boy has ever done.

So I wasn't expecting much when I heard Mr. Cruise was making an appearance at the MTV Movie Awards. A little image rehab and an effort to make himself relevant to the current generation, perhaps.

Oh, how wrong I was.

This is freaking hilarious. Tom Cruise should do more comedy. Seriously. I almost hurt myself laughing last night.

I predict a movie starring Les Grossman very, very soon.

Apples and Wine

2010-06-07T06:30:00.000-04:00

I got this email from one of my girlfriends the other day and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Belly laughs are a good way to start a Monday. Enjoy!

Sha-ZAM! and a whole lot of other randomness

2010-06-02T05:50:00.003-04:00

I'm BAAAA-AAAAAACK!

Miss me?

We are back from 9 glorious days at the beach (I'm tan!). We saw all of our immediate family, plus an aunt and some cousins. It was fabulous.

But now it's back to the daily grind. No more Lady of Leisure for me. I swear this last unemployment went by too fast. Stupid contract job sucked all the fun out of it.

Remind me who says it's important to be a productive member of society?

I started my new job yesterday. It was awesome. I think I could love it (too early to tell for sure yet). I got a lot of shiny new toys (hello, Blackberry!) and what girl doesn't like shiny and new?

Guess who wasn't too pleased to see Mommy grab her briefcase again?

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-06-01T07:12:00.000-04:00

I made these super easy Nacho Pinwheels for the first time right before we went on vacation. They took maybe 10 minutes to prepare plus cooking time. I served them with a side salad, chips and salsa and we made a meal out of it. A perfect busy night or lazy Saturday night meal!

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Nacho Pinwheels via Pillsbury.com

Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
6 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tsp Old El Paso taco seasoning mix
1/3 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese (I used a Mexican blend instead)
1/4 cup Mexicorn whole kernal corn with red and green peppers (drained)
Thick n Chunky salsa

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. Unroll crescent rolls; separate dough into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal.
3. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and taco seasoning. Stir in cheese and corn.
4. Spread cream cheese mixture over each rectangle to within 1/4 inch of edges.
5. Starting with the short side, roll up each rectangle, pressing edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 5 slices. Place cut side down on cookie sheet.
6. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Serve warm with salsa.

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-05-25T07:26:00.000-04:00

It will come as no surprise to most of you, but I'm not the cookbook type. Nearly all the recipes in my repertoire have been ripped straight out of a magazine. This one comes to you straight from the pages of April's Cosmo.

____________________

Pasta Ponza
via Giada De Laurentiis's cookbook, Giada at Home

Ingredients:
2 cups halved red cherry tomatoes
2 cups halved yellow cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
1 lb ziti
1 1/4 cups grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup parsley leaves (or cheat and use parsley flakes)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8x8 glass baking dish.
2. Combine tomatoes, capers, olive oil, salt and pepper in baking dish.
3. Sprinkle bread crumbs over mixture.
4. Drizzle with additional olive oil and bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook 8-10 minutes.
6. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the water.
7. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl.
8. Spoon the tomato mixture on top of the pasta.
9. Add the cheese and toss well. If needed, thin the sauce with a little of the reserved water.
10. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

The End

2010-05-23T07:22:00.003-04:00

So today is the day. The final 2.5 hours of The World's Greatest Television Epic, otherwise known as LOST.

I am officially in mourning already. Wearing my black bikini on the beach. Staring morosely at the waves while the piano theme from LOST plays on a loop in my head ~~for sixteen years~~ the entire day. Drowning my sorrows in ~~circa 1970's Dharma beer~~ a series of margaritas.

I have high hopes for tonight's episode. I am sure it will be the fastest 2.5 hours of television ever. Carlton and Cuse still have a heck of a lot of ground left to cover. In The End I just hope it's satisfying. Please, please, please let it be satisfying.

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-05-18T07:05:00.000-04:00

Anyone who's read around here for any length of time knows that I am addicted to coffee in any shape or form. Liquid, chocolate, brownie, shake - if it's got espresso in it, I'll take two!

So when I ran across this recipe in People magazine, I ripped it right out! Espresso? Cake? Microwave? 150 calories? I might have died and gone to Heaven. Care to join me?

____________________

Espresso Cake in a Mug
via Hungry Girl

Ingredients:
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tbs devil's food cake mix
1 tbs fat-free sour cream
1 tbs fat-free liquid egg substitute
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 no-cal sweetener packet

Instructions:
1. Place coffee and chips in microwave-safe mug sprayed with nonstick spray.
2. Add other ingredients on top and mix well.
3. Microwave for 1 minute and 45 seconds.
4. Cool slightly before eating.

Food + Friends + Flickr = Fantastic Fun

2010-05-17T07:41:00.002-04:00

If you follow me on Twitter then you already know that I got to meet the lovely Ally from Cute on the Cheap when I was in Louisville a few weeks ago. She and her sweet husband, Al, took my friend Jamie and I to Ramsi's Cafe on the World, home of what is possibly the best brunch buffet on the planet. If you're ever in Louisville, you must go. It's insane.

Anyway, I finally got our pictures from the weekend. This one's for you, Ally!

And just because she's wonderful and fantastic and let me drag her all around Louisville for a weekend and took all the pictures because I was too lazy to bring my camera, this is my girl Jamie. Sup, playa?

You can see more pictures of our Louisville weekend (and Carrie Underwood!) on Flickr.

Sugar High

2010-05-15T13:19:00.003-04:00

If for some reason, you should find yourself saying, 'Self, we really ought to send Sara a present, but what shall we send her?', allow me to gently point you in a sure-to-make-Sara-smile (and-gain-twenty-pounds-that-she-won't-even-care-about) direction:

Baked by Melissa

Holy mini-cupcake heaven. I want them all. ~~One~~ ~~Two~~ Five of every flavor.

Laptop down

2010-05-13T14:54:00.002-04:00

{image found here}

My laptop has been dead for a little over a week now and I think the worse of the withdrawals are over. I'm pretty sure the only reason I've managed to survive thus far is because I have all day to be on the desktop in the office, so by the time Nate comes home, I've got all my emailing, blogging, researching done and I can hang out in the living room with him. Well, except for the time that he then spends in the office, checking email and doing whatever it is he needs to do.

I shudder to imagine what life will be like once I go back to work in a few weeks. Then we'll both be fighting for desktop time in the evenings and there will be no more blogging during commercial breaks on the couch (my prime blogging time!). Although we've discussed replacing the deceased party, someone doesn't quite seem to share my sense of urgency on the matter.

Of course, this hasn't stopped me from researching the heck out of shiny new laptops. I've never had to purchase one on my own (Dead Dell was my old work laptop that I got as part of my severance) and I am completely floored by the sheer number of options and decisions to be made. 2GB, 4GB, 6GB. i3, i5, i7. Screen size. Screen resolution. Touch screen. Touch pad. Memory. Hard disks. Bits. HOLY COW.

So I'll do the only thing I know to do. Which is ask you. What laptop do you use? What do you like about it? What do you hate about it? What would you do differently if you had to purchase one again?

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-05-11T06:55:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back to a few weeks off as a Lady of Leisure and I plan to make the most of it. And by 'make the most of it' I mean, I will do as little as possible. Unfortunately Nate doesn't have quite the same definition as I do. He seems to think that since my days are free, he should come home to a gourmet meal every night. Riiight.

But in the interest of at least pretending to be domestic, I think I will try this super easy recipe for dinner tonight. He'll think I slaved away all day when really all I did was sit on my duff and watch The Time Traveler's Wife while drinking Starbucks. Sounds like a productive day to me.

____________________

Parmesan Meat Loaf
via Real Simple

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 large egg
1 grated onion (or cheat and use onion flakes like I do!)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (or parsley flakes)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use Italian)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup tomato paste

Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
2. On a foil-lined baking sheet, form the mixture into an 8-inch loaf.
3. Bake at 400 degrees until cooked through, about 40-50 minutes.

Serves 4.

There's a boy who works at Starbucks....

2010-05-10T10:20:00.002-04:00

To promote their new Any-Way-You-Want-It Frappuccinos, it's Frapp Happy Hour at Starbucks from 3-5pm every day this week! Although, technically it should be Happy Hours, since it's actually two hours, but whatever! As long as they are giving me a frappuccino at half price, I don't care what they call it!

I tried their new Extra Coffee Caramel Frap with non-fat milk yesterday and it was delish. The more coffee, the better in my opinion!

So in honor of Happy Hour week, here is a little tribute to Starbucks from one of my favorite Broadway stars, Kristin Chenoweth. Makes me giggle every time!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T18:41:00.003-04:00

to the best whole world Mom a girl could ask for. I hope that some day I will share the same kind of relationship with my (future) daughters that you share with yours. Thank you for always being there to listen, support, pray and celebrate. I love you!

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-05-04T06:58:00.000-04:00

We love a good sandwich at our house, especially in the summer months when it seems like we are running in a hundred directions of every day of week. We eat them for dinner at least once a week, so I'm always on the lookout for good recipes to add to my repertoire. I ran across this one in April's Real Simple and can't wait to try it.

Sliced Egg Sandwich with Herb Mayonnaise
via Real Simple magazine

Ingredients:
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Pumpernickel bread
2 sliced hard boiled eggs
Lettuce or watercress

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, parsley and Dijon mustard. Spread on 2 slices of pumpernickel bread and form a sandwich with 2 sliced hard-boiled eggs. Top with lettuce or watercress, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

What I learned from my sisters

2010-05-03T21:11:00.006-04:00

- She who showers last will shower fast...cause there isn't any hot water left.
- You snooze, you lose...the last brownie, the front seat, whatever. See also #1.
- Each successive sister has it easier than the last. This is the only case where it sucks to be first.
- If you are doing something you shouldn't be doing, at least one sister has likely seen you do it.
- Said sister will use this knowledge to her advantage the next time she snoozes and loses.
- Your underwear drawer is the only safe place to keep chocolate.
- I will always have three best friends. And they all have the same last name.

Today I am thankful for....sisters who are not above bribing each other with cupcakes if it gets all four of us in the same place at the same time.

I love you, girlies! Can't wait to see you in just 24 days!

Love, Ruh

May I give thanks

2010-05-02T18:36:00.004-04:00

Do you ever just feel out of sorts? Not mad or upset or sad - just not 'right'? I don't know how to describe any better. Just out of sorts.

That's been me the last few weeks. There's nothing particularly wrong, no one big thing I can point to and say, 'That's what's making me feel bad'. I've just not felt like myself.

And that's not okay with, well, myself.

Because I sure do have a lot to be thankful for! Who am I to sit around feeling sorry for myself, when God has blessed me immeasurably above all I could ask or imagine? Just because those blessings aren't in the form I particularly asked for doesn't excuse my ungratefulness. I've been acting like a 5-year-old, who upon opening all her beautiful gifts on Christmas morning, looks around, stamps her foot and says grumpily, 'But I didn't get the dollhouse I asked for!'. In fact, I'm surprised He hasn't reached down and spanked me for my poor attitude lately.

Thankfully for me, and my behind, His mercies are new every morning and I can start this month with a brand new slate. Determined to be thankful for all that I do have, instead of focusing on the things that I don't have.

Today I am thankful for....days that on the surface seem trying but are really just God's way of showing you how many people love and care for you.

What are you thankful for today?

Leading Lady

2010-04-21T07:26:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year. The lovely Spring weather and extra hours of sunlight brings the entire neighborhood back to life. I love running into our neighbors nearly every night as they go by - walking, running, playing, jogging, riding.

I've been itching for a bicycle of my own so I could get out there on the days that I really don't feel like running. Running = necessary evil. Riding = Ton o' fun and a lot less sweating.

My birthday served as the perfect excuse to fulfill my wish! Meet Penelope:

Isn't she beautiful?!

Nate thinks I'm crazy for naming my bicycle - and I didn't even really plan to - but she just kind of spoke to me. I fell in love the minute I spotted her lovely orange frame! And somewhere between pulling her off the rack and wheeling her to the cash register, she christened herself Penelope and who was I to argue?

Welcome to my world, Penelope. I think you and I are going to be very good friends!

I wonder as I wander

2010-04-20T06:07:00.000-04:00

{Image found here}

SPOILER alert - If you aren't up-to-date on LOST (um, why aren't you?! isn't the suspense killing you?), you may want to stop reading now.

I don't know about you, but last week's episode blew my mind! All the dead people seem to think Locke is still Locke, FLocke pushes Desmond down a well, alterna-Desmond hits Locke with his car, the Whispers turn out to be trapped souls! It was an hour chock full of ten kinds of crazy but I loved every single minute of it.

It's hard to believe that there are literally only a handful of hours of LOST left. As thrilling as every episode is, I am still completely and utterly lost as to where this is going. Someone please tell me that I am not the only one wandering through the morass of final episodes wondering what the heck is going on? Every single week I think 'This is it! This is the week I will finally figure it out!'

Um, yeah. Not so much.

Although we've been parcelled out an answer or two each week, I feel like I have more questions now than I did back in February! Which means my expectations are epically high for the next few weeks. Here's hoping Team Lindelof doesn't let me down!

What do you think of the season so far?

Play On

2010-04-09T13:58:00.002-04:00

Guess where I'm going tonight?!

To see Carrie Underwood!

And I can't wait! There are very few artists who make CD's that I want to listen to all the way through, over and over. Carrie is one of them! Her CD's are in constant rotation in my car and nearly half the songs in my ipod's 25 Most Played are hers. I can't wait to see her rock in concert tonight!

Happy early birthday to me!

She shoots, She scores!!

2010-04-05T18:40:00.000-04:00

Every year Nate and I compete in a little March Madness Bracket competition. Most years, of course, one or both of us is competing other places too (school, work, Facebook, wherever) but the ultimate competition is always the one we're waging against each other at home.

Now I know little to nothing about college basketball. I might watch a Volunteer game or two, possibly the Duke v. UNC matches, but that is about the extent of it. My strategy for filling out my bracket goes something like this:

1. Duke - always wins.
2. Tennessee - will make it one round further than they made it last year.
3. Gonzaga - It has a 'Z' in it. Must be a winner.
4. Syracuse - I think that's in New York. I like New York. Must be a winner.
5. Kentucky - Their color is blue. I look good in blue. Must be a winner.
6. Butler - Their mascot is a bulldog. I have two dogs. Must be a winner.

And so on and so forth.

I choose my winners mostly at random. I know enough to know not all #1 seeds will go all the way and that there will be three or so upsets per section (branch? division? whatever), but the rest of it's just blind guessing on my part.

So it really burns Nate up that I beat him by 10 points this year! My method, or lack thereof, actually chose several of the early round upsets and put me out to an early lead that he could never overcome.

I couldn't care less who actually won the tourney, just so long as I won the war at home!

The Fantastic, Magical World of No Calories

2010-03-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

I was happily ~~eating~~ inhaling a Qdoba Naked Burrito the other night when I thought to myself: I could eat this every day for the rest of my life and be perfectly content.

Which got me thinking - if I could only eat five meals for the rest of my life what would they be? Assuming calories are no object, of course!

{Image found here}

1. Qdoba Chicken Queso Burrito & Dark Chocolate Brownie - I was reluctant to try Qdoba when we first moved here. It seemed weird to me. Who wants to build their own burrito? Turns out, THIS girl loves to build her own burrito. Like, at least once a week. When Nate asks where I want to go for dinner on a weeknight, 9 times out of 10 the answer is Qdoba.

{Image found here}

2. Petro's Chili and Cornbread - Petro's specialty is chili over Fritos with all the fixin's. OMG. Best stuff ever. Too bad for me, we now live six hours away from the Knoxville-only chain. Probably good for my waist-line though.

{Image found here}

3. Chili's Triple Dipper Platter with a Frozen Raspberry Margarita - Many Friday nights you will find my happy butt parked in a booth at Chili's. I never get tired of that place, even though I order the same thing every.single.time - Triple Dipper Platter with chicken fingers, sweet buffalo boneless wings and the oh-so-scrumptious Southwest eggrolls. I split it straight down the middle and eat the second half for lunch on Saturday. Two for the price of one!

{Image found here}

4. IHOP Stuffed French Toast w/ a side of pancake - Yet another place I don't get to visit nearly often enough. Their french toast is stuffed with vanilla cream cheese. Makes me go all gooey on the inside just thinking about it. But no trip to the International House of Pancakes would be complete without at least one pancake. A short stack of 3 if I'm feeling really ambitious.

{Image found here}

5. Starbucks caramel macchiato and a cupcake - Because in my world, coffee is a meal. And a cupcake is just, well, icing on the cake.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

LOL(a)

2010-03-24T18:43:00.002-04:00

I would just like to say that this episode is in no way indicative of how often I do or do not vacuum.

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-03-23T05:14:00.000-04:00

One of the ladies in my bunco made these ridiculously easy treats for a bunco party a few months ago. She made them with both chocolate and golden Oreo's and she left off the chocolate dipping completely - just made the 'truffle' part and chilled them in the fridge. They were insanely good. I absolutely could not stay away from the golden ones.

Word to the wise: Make these only if you have a party to take them to, otherwise things will note end well for your waistline!

Oreo Truffles
Via allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 package Oreo cookies
1 package (8 ounces) Cream Cheese, softened
2 packages (8 ounces each) Semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Instructions:
1. Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.)

2. Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl.

3. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended.

4. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.

5. Dip balls in chocolate: Place truffle ball in melted chocolate to coat; roll if necessary. Lift truffle from chocolate using 2 forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on wax paper.

6. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

7. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

This way to Crazy Town

2010-03-12T08:54:00.001-05:00

{Image found here}

Nearly three months after the drama began, I finally got my permanent crown the other day. And the whole time I'm laying there, all I can think is that I am a failure. I couldn't even brush my teeth and floss correctly. They whittled my tooth down to nothing and now I have a fake one. Loser, much?

Cue the tears.

I don't know why I have had such an extreme reaction to this tooth drama. I am not normally so emotional about silly stuff.

Anyone else have this reaction to dental work? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Crazy, Party of 1.

Hello, Lover

2010-03-10T09:28:00.000-05:00

It is entirely possible that I have died and gone to heaven.

It's no secret around here that cupcakes are my kryptonite. But really, it's not the cupcake that gets me - it's the icing.

I don't know what it is about icing that makes it impossible for me to resist. I will eat it by the spoonful straight out of the can, squirt it directly into my mouth from the tube, and I've even scraped the icing off and ditched the cake just to 'save' a few calories (HA!).

Nate thinks this makes me a weirdo.

But now I have proof to the contrary! Clearly there are others in the world just like me. Others who would like nothing more than a spoonful of gooey, sugary goodness sans the crummy cupcake part.

Icing lovers of the world, UNITE!

Who's up for a trip to Miami?

And the Oscar goes to.....

2010-03-08T17:14:00.003-05:00

Who watched the Oscars last night?

I watch every year, and by 'watch' I mean I have the TV on while I am surfing the internet/reading/scrapbooking and tune in only when someone I like is on the screen. Clocking in at 3.5 hours last night, Oscar is a little on the overkill side.

But for the first time in history (well, my history at least), I watched the entire thing. Normally I watch until 10 or so and DVR the rest. Even the year Reese Witherspoon was nominated didn't keep me up til the end. I'm not sure if that is a function of the show being slightly more interesting this year (young stars! funny hosts! no singing!) or the fact that I didn't have to get up and go to work the next morning.

But considering I thought this commercial was actually the funniest part of the entire show, I'm going to guess it was the whole sleeping in thing. I died laughing when this commercial came on. And then I rewound it three times and watched it again.

If there was an Oscar for 'Coolest Wife in the World', Jennifer Garner would win hands down.

Don't Blame Me...The Bookstore Made Me Do It

2010-03-08T07:06:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that I love to read. It's one of my favorite ways to unwind and pass a lazy afternoon. I found a kindred spirit in my bloggy friend Cole from All the Small Stuff. I thought I read a lot, but that girl could out read me in a New York minute!

Our friends and family are always asking us for book recommendations - 'What good books have you read lately?'

Now you'll never have to ask again. Why?

Introducing....

That's right! You asked and we answered - with a brand new book review blog called 'The Bookstore Made Me Do It'! We'll review the good, the bad and the ones we couldn't even finish.

To kick off our new blog, we're having a giveaway. You know, 'cuz we're just nice like that!

Each of us will be giving away a book by our favorite author. I'm giving away the latest book by one of my all time favorite authors, Jodi Picoult. Want to know my thoughts on it? Guess you'll just have to check back here in a few days!

Here's how to enter:
1. Follow us on the new blog! (1 entry)

2. Let us know what you think of our new setup by commenting on each of our first book reviews. (Up to 2 entries) We're looking for constructive feedback here. Did you like what we covered? Did we miss something you would have liked to know? Do you want us to keep it shorter and sweeter? Or give you more detail?

3. Share your favorite book or author with us. (1 entry) What book could you read over and over again? What author are we totally missing out on?

Contest runs from today through Friday, March 12 at Midnight (EST). Winners will be announced next week on The Bookstore Made Me Do It.

And don't forget to check out Cole's book giveaway at All The Small Stuff, too. It's double the giveaway fun!

All Aboard the Fit Train

2010-03-07T14:56:00.003-05:00

LAZY (adj) averse or disinclined to work, activity, or exertion

That would be me, when it comes to working out. Ugh. Hate.It.

It's amazing to me how I can be so highly motivated in every other area of my life, but just can't seem to get my self together when it comes to exercise. I having a treadmill in my basement, a loft area perfect for Tae-Bo and every mat, weight and exercise video a girl could want. And yet, I sit like a bump on a log, lamenting the fact that I am so freaking lazy.

It usually goes something like this: I lay in bed at night, fantasizing about how smoking hot I will look by our beach vacation in May. I vow to work out for at least an hour a day, starting tomorrow morning. I will do it first thing so that nothing can distract me. I can do this! I will do this! I fall asleep with visions of Victoria's Secret swimsuits dancing in my head.

Cut to the next morning. I jump out of bed, throw on my workout gear and head downstairs. I'll just check email really fast because maybe I got an email about a job overnight (yeah, right!). Now since I'm already online, I might as well see what everyone is up to on Twitter. Oh look, so-and-so linked to their blog post. I'll just read that and then go downstairs for a run. I wonder if so-and-so posted that link to her fabulously cute shoes? I'll just log into Google Reader and check really quick. Oh, crap! It's 9:30. If I don't go to Starbucks soon, I'll be past the time when it's appropriate to show up without makeup on. Better go now. Well, dang. I can't run for at least an hour after drinking a Venti. Think I'll sit down and read a book until my 'breakfast' settles. Well, would you look at that! It's time for lunch. Can't run on an empty stomach! I might pass out and there would be no one around to find me for hours. I'll straighten my hair and do my makeup while my lunch settles, run my errands and still have time left to run before Nate gets home. Dang. My hair looks awesome! How often do I have a great hair day like this? Can't ruin it by sweating it all flat! Okay. No run today. But tomorrow. For sure tomorrow!

And then I lay back down again a few hours later, berating myself for not working out, fantasizing about how smoking hot I will look by our beach vacation in May. I vow to work out for at least an hour a day, starting tomorrow morning. I will do it first thing so that nothing can distract me. I can do this! I will do this! I fall asleep with visions of Victoria's Secret swimsuits dancing in my head.

And the cycle begins again....

Surely I am not the only person who so completely and totally lacks in motivation? What do you do to keep yourself motivated to work out?

There's no crying in baseball on Saturdays

2010-02-27T07:50:00.002-05:00

Dear Lola,

Perhaps you did not realize that today is Saturday or, as I like to call it, The Day Mommy Sleeps In. Because surely if you had remembered, you would not have felt compelled to start up the Death Howl at 7:30am, causing Mommy to startle suddenly awake and race downstairs in a panic to make sure that someone was not dying down there.

Seeing as how you are both very much alive and well, let's go over the rules for the Death Howl, shall we? The Death Howl shall only be used if:

1. You are actually dying.

2. Your brother Oliver is dying.

3. Your daddy is dying.

4. Someone is breaking in and we might all soon be, well, dying.

Do you notice a theme here? While I appreciate your desire to 'help' your Daddy shovel the driveway at 7:30am on The Day That Mommy Sleeps In, you are not actually dying to get out there, so let's keep the Death Howl to ourselves next time, okay?

Sincerely,
One Grumpy Mommy

You know you're married to a chemist when...

2010-02-25T08:31:00.001-05:00

...you drink your coffee out of a mug that celebrates the wonder that is Hydrogen gas.

Guys, where who are we?

2010-02-23T20:23:00.001-05:00

{Image found here}

ETA: If you aren't caught up on LOST, you may want to stop reading now! Spoilers ahead.

You remember a few weeks ago when I said Nate and his penchant for nicknames would be my island's Sawyer? Well, the lovely Cole, turned the question around and asked me who I would be. Hmmmm. Good question.

My first impulse is to say Kate because, heck, who doesn't want to be that beautiful (even after three years running around a jungle with nary a hairbrush in sight!), with two handsome fellas fighting over you? But upon closer introspection, I decided Kate is entirely too dependent on men and their opinions of her. Plus, she's wanted for murder and I'd never make it in the slammer.

So maybe Claire? I've always wanted a cute little accent and Aussie is about as cute as they come. Plus she got to make out with Charlie and who wouldn't want to get on board that Hunky Man Train? However, it seems that Baby Mama has gone a little loony tunes running around in the jungle the last few years, so maybe not.

Juliette? While heroine-ism seems appealing, it also got her killed, so I'm thinking no.

Sun? Married to Jin? No thanks.

Locke? I like my hair, thank you very much.

Jack? Too wishy-washy. 'Nuff said.

Sawyer? See reference to 'Hunky Man Train' above.

Richard? As much as I'd love to never need eyeliner again, the thought of living forever makes me tired just thinking about it.

With the list of castaways quickly dwindling, it finally came to me.

I would want to be Hurley. Except maybe slimmer, with less frizzy hair and, um, female. But other than that, dude has the best lines in the show. Who else gets to say stuff like this?

You're just jealous my power's better than yours. [to Miles]
I think 'Leslie' is a bitchin' name. [to the sensitive-about-his-girlie-name Arzt]
So, Seoul? Is that in the good Korea or the bad Korea? [to Sun]
You just totally Scooby Doo'ed me, didn't you? [to Kate]
Dude, are you a zombie? [to Sayid]
So, the hatch, like, blew off your underwear? [to Desmond]
Dude, you've got some Arzt on you. [after Arzt blew himself up]
Dogs can find pot and bombs, so maybe they can find water. [to Jack]
It's not so bad [living on the island]. I mean, sure the Others are like coming to eat us and all and every once in awhile someone blows up all over you, but we do get to sleep in every morning. [to Jack]
So Rose's husband is white. Didn't see that one coming.

So if we were on The Island, who would you be and why?

Tuesdays at the Table

2010-02-23T16:27:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I've participated in Tuesdays at the Table, but seeing as I have a very, um, limited repertoire in the kitchen, this should come as no surprise. However, I am currently obsessed with this recipe. No lie. I have made it at least once a week since I got the recipe last month and once it's made, I eat it at every single meal until it's gone. And then I go immediately to the store to buy more ingredients so I can start the cycle over again. Seriously.can.not.get.enough.

Broccoli Slaw

Recipe courtesy of my friends Buster and Kasey

Ingredients:
1 package shredded broccoli slaw (found in the salad aisle)
1 package Chicken Ramen Noodles
Slivered almonds
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp white vinegar

Directions:
1. Crush up the Ramen noodles into little pieces. I usually put them in a plastic baggie and crush them up in that.
2. In a large bowl, combine vegetable oil, vinegar and the chicken seasoning from the Ramen.
3. Mix in shredded broccoli.
4. Mix in crushed noodles and the almonds.

I have also used apple cider vinegar when I ran out of regular vinegar and it turned out great. I actually might prefer the apple cider to the white. Also, last week I bought a plastic bowl with a lid, so now I just throw in the broccoli, noodles and almonds all at once, pop on the top and shake to combine. Lazy and fun at the same time.

Beware of Dog(s)

2010-02-15T13:47:00.004-05:00

Behind these sweet, cuddly, angelic faces....

..lurk the hearts of wild, untamed animals devouring their prey.

This used to be a snowman.

Fog on snow

2010-02-12T18:00:00.004-05:00

Despite the irritation of being snowed in, I've actually really enjoyed the abundant snowfall of the last week. We had six inches last Friday/Saturday and another four to six (depending on who you ask) on Monday/Tuesday.

View from our back porch.

This was just after the first round over the weekend -
the front steps and most of the bushes are covered!

Oliver checks out the lay of the ~~land~~ snow.

Oliver's favorite thing to do in the snow? Snow angels, of course. He does this every.single.time we let him out. Over and over again. You have to keep reminding him to do his business, otherwise he'd just roll in the snow for hours. He's lucky it's so darn cute.

The wind was wicked and blew the snow into deep drifts in some places. This is on the hill behind our house - it's up to Nate's knees! Oliver and Lola love running around in it - especially in the 'tunnels' made from the snow blower.

Then this morning, we had the most bizarre ice fog. I've never seen anything like it. When I first woke up, I couldn't even see the end of the driveway; it looked like a cloud was sitting on the ground. And when the fog lifted - furry, glittery snow all over the trees and bushes. It was absolutely stunningly beautiful.

Every time the wind blew, it was like a hundred tiny snow showers under every tree. I swear it looked like there was glitter in the air. It was absolutely breathtaking.

I know this to be true

2010-02-09T20:58:00.002-05:00

If we were ever stranded on an island LOST-style, Nate would be our band's Sawyer....

Sawyer's nicknames - Season 1-3

Snow me once shame on me....

2010-02-09T16:50:00.000-05:00

Dear Hamilton County,

It is now Day 2 without a snow plow or mail delivery at my house. Now in case you weren't aware, I actually pay extra taxes for the privilege of living on cul-de-sac. As such, I, your faithful tax-payer, would expect a little extra attention or, at the very least, the same attention provided to the rest of my neighborhood.

For two days now, we have watched the snow plows make their way through the neighborhood, directly toward our street, hit the stop sign and....turn around. Leaving our worth-extra-taxes street under six inches of snow. Is it really so tough to drive a snow plow in a circle? Tougher than the seven-point-turn it took to turn that bad boy around (which he did expressly to avoid driving it in a circle around my cul-de-sac)?

And for two days now, we have watched the mail truck make it's way slowly through the neighborhood, directly toward our street, hit the stop sign and....turn around. Leaving our worth-extra-taxes mailbox empty. Whatever happened to 'neither wind, nor rain, nor sleet, nor snow' shall stop the mail service?

Since my extra taxes mean nothing to you, I will wait patiently for my tax adjustment in the mail. And keep my fingers crossed that the street is cleared by the time the mailman attempts to deliver it.

Sincerely,
Snowed Taxpayer

May the smartest man win

2010-02-07T07:22:00.000-05:00

Well there is certainly no doubt about what a big day it is in this town. The entire city, myself included, is painted a lovely shade of COLT BLUE. Horseshoe flags abound, crowds are nothing but a sea of blue and white, and business marquee's all trumpet luck to the Boys in Blue.

Now normally, I couldn't give two figs about the Super Bowl game itself. This girl is all about the commercials. In fact, a few years ago, I actually brought some required course reading to a Super Bowl party so I could read during the unimportant parts....you know, those pesky football parts between the commercial breaks?

Being older and wiser, I'm actually more than a little bit into football parts now. Put my man Peyton on the field and I'm glued to the screen. But the marketing major in me still can't wait to see what commercial silliness will ensue between those all-important football parts.

I was less than impressed with the offerings last year. In fact, Super Bowl commercials as a whole have gone completely downhill in the last five years. What happened to the days of old, when beer commercials rained supreme? Budweiser frogs? I Love You, Man?

As disappointing as the last few commercial years have been, there are a few shining rays of creative commercialism that make every Super Bowl viewing worth it. Thus I give you, my favorite Super Bowl ad of all time, Budweiser 2007.

Will you be watching the Colts whoop up on those Saints tonight? Do you actually watch the game or are you a commercial crasher, too? What's your favorite Super Bowl commercial?

Face Double

2010-02-04T15:59:00.005-05:00

So apparently someone decided it was Celebrity Doppelganger Week over on Facebook. Last week was Look Up Your Name on Urban Dictionary Week. Before that it was Post Your Bra Color Week. And that got me thinking: Does anyone know who this Someone is and why they get to decide what week it is? Cause I'd sure like to have that job.

Anyway, since I'm much too lazy to actually change my profile picture on Facebook, I thought I'd post mine here. According to FaceDouble, here's my Celebrity Doppelganger:

{Image found here}

Okay, okay. So if you've actually done the little generator thingie, you know they give you like a dozen options to choose from. Among my choices? Evangeline Lilly (Kate from LOST!) and Sarah Lancaster (from Chuck). Clearly, brown hair and pale freckled skin aside, I don't look much like either of these lovely ladies.

But I actually have been told I look like Kate Beckinsale before. On more than one occasion. By total strangers. [Insert major ego boost here] It actually happened a lot when the movie Pearl Harbor came out a decade ago. Even my sweet Grandpa called to say it was weird to watch someone who looked like me on the movie screen. Of course, I saw the movie and don't really see the resemblance, but then I don't look at myself all day every day, either.

Oddly enough, it actually happened just a few weeks ago at the hair salon. As the stylist was washing my hair (best part of the appointment, by the way!), she says, 'You know, you look like somebody famous, but I just can't put my finger on who.'

'Oh?', I said, with mild interest. 'What's she been in?'

'I'm not sure about lately', she said. 'But she's been in a lot of vampire movies. And that one a long time ago about the ship sinking? Not Titanic, though; the other one.'

'Um, you mean Kate Beckinsale in Pearl Harbor?'

'Yeah, that's it! You look like that girl.'

Guess who got a ginormous tip that day? HA!

So do you have a celebrity doppelganger? Do share!

IT'S TIME!

2010-02-02T16:00:00.002-05:00

{Image found here}

OMG, ya'll! To steal a phrase from one of my favorite bloggy friends (and fellow LOST enthusiast!), Ally - I'm vibrating with excitement today!

And so it begins....the final season of LOST. As any good LOSTie knows, this is bittersweet. I'm both excited (to find out how it ends and what it all means!) and sad (what will I do when there's no LOST to talk about?). This is one of the absolute best shows on television right now - and possibly ever. Or at least in the 28 years that I've been watching television!

I love the spider web graphic showing all the connections between the castaways. After all, that's what the entire first season was based on, and I'm excited to read that the producers are bringing that idea back this season.

I have so many questions that I hope are answered before all is said and done, but here are my Top 10:

1. As Charlie so eloquently put it in the first season, "Guys, where are we?" Good question, C-Money. Where the heck are you guys?
2. Who is good and who is evil? Charles Widmore? Jacob? The Man in Black? Ben? Locke? Jack? I thought I knew, but season five proved that you can't know. Maybe that's the point? A person's inner good or evil isn't for us to know?
3. Who the heck is The Man in Black and why is he running around in Dead Locke's body?
4. Will Sun and Jin find their way back together?
5. What in the world is the smoke monster? Evil incarnate? Judgement Day? A manifestation of conscience?
6. What happened to the polar bear from Season 1? And why was it there in the first place?
7. Where is Claire and who will raise her baby, Aaron? They made such a big deal out of this in Season 1, I simply must have an answer. Also, what is the deal with Jack and Claire's dad? He seems important somehow.
8. Who will Kate end up with - Jack or Sawyer? I'm kind of torn on this one. I want the 'good guy' to win, but I'm not sure who that is anymore (See also Question #2)
9. Why these people? What was so special about Locke, Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sun, Jin and Hurley? They were 'marked' by Jacob, some of them as early as childhood, but why?

And the biggest, most important question of all:

10. Why has Richard been middle-aged since well, the Middle Ages? Where is his fountain of youth and can I buy some of whatever he's drinking?

Will you be watching tonight? What are the questions you hope they finally answer this season?

Craving, craving

2010-01-28T17:58:00.002-05:00

{Image found here}

For some inexplicable reason, I am craving Little Caesar's pizza today. I didn't see a commercial, I didn't drive by one, I didn't overhear someone mention it - I just suddenly wanted it. A lot.

This happens to me a lot. I'm going about my merry way, doing whatever it is I'm doing these days, and suddenly - BAM! - I get a craving. And they tend not to go away. Last week? I ate broccoli slaw five meals in a row. The week before that? We had toasted turkey and pepper jack sandwiches for dinner two nights in a row. The week before that? I couldn't get enough chicken salad.

And our weekend dinner dates? I usually know where we're going and what I'm going to order by Wednesday. This Saturday night? PF Changs - lettuce wraps and orange peel chicken.

Nate calls this behavior 'weird'. I prefer to call it 'anticipation'. Po-ta-to; Po-tah-to.

Surely I can't be the only person who does this? Do you look forward to your meals with such enthusiasm? Or am I really a weirdo?

Hello, Puberty. Long time, no see.

2010-01-27T18:13:00.002-05:00

I don't know what the deal is the last few weeks but my skin has gone crazy. It's like how I imagine puberty is for most people, except that it never actually happened to me back then.

My skin never gave me a bit of trouble. Ever. Not in middle school, not in high school, not in college, not in my mid-20's. I get the random blemish once a month or so, but even those are mild compared to most people. I'll take pale and freckled any day, so long as it comes with a smooth porcelain veneer.

So why, all of a sudden, has Puberty decided to pay me a visit - three months shy of my final year in my twenties?

It's like every pore has suddenly started hoarding dirt and oil and then waving it around in the form of a big red flag on my face. WTH?

I've racked my brain for changes in my daily routine. I haven't changed face wash, make-up, laundry soap or anything similar recently. No new vitamins or supplements. No, I'm not pregnant. I am less stressed than I've been in months and my diet has actually improved now that I'm not eating my misery all day at my desk. So what gives?

Could it be the weather? Am I over moisturizing? Under moisturizing? I seriously have no clue where to even start trying to fix this because it's never been an issue before. HELP! What do I do?

All the pieces come together....

2010-01-26T14:18:00.001-05:00

{Image found here}

One week, ya'll! I am beyond excited! Who's with me?

MIA

2010-01-25T17:42:00.002-05:00

{Image found here}

MISSING

One gaseous mass. Answers to the name Sun or Mr. Golden Sun.

Height: 865,000 miles
Color: White, but may appear yellow from a distance
Distinguishing Characteristics: Hydrogen, Helium, Oxygen

Last seen approximately 8 days ago, heading West.

If found, please return to the Eastern Horizon.

Well ain't that a pickle?

2010-01-23T19:23:00.003-05:00

Task #15 on my ~~attempt to look productive for the sake of my husband~~ To Do list last week was to clean out my closet. As you can tell from the picture above, this project was a smashing success.

Well, except for the fact that it spawned a completely new To Do item. Task #16 - Clean up the mess that my closet clean up created.

Currently this disaster is residing on one of our guest beds. Luckily, we have two guest beds, and no imminent plans for guests, but still...I should get this taken care of. Or so my husband reminds me every evening when he asks if I did anything about the mess I made in the guest bedroom.

In closet purges past, I would simply pack up my giveaway pile and trundle it home to my baby sister, who has long been the lucky recipient of my short attention span when it comes to clothing. Sadly now (for both of us!), the 12 hour drive no longer makes this option number one.

When we moved to the house a year ago, I took a dozen items to a local consignment store to test the waters, hopeful that I could make at least a small amount of pocket change for my almost-as-good-as-new items. Much to my dismay, I didn't sell a single thing. Three months later, my lovely clothes were given to Goodwill. Not that I am knocking donating to Goodwill, but seriously, these clothes were all still in style and worth a decent amount of money.

So maybe it was just the wrong consignment shop? Granted, it was a bit out of the way and I didn't find a single thing I'd want to purchase there, but still. Surely someone with good taste (such as myself) wanders in there occasionally, even if by accident.

I Googled consignment stores in the area and came up disappointingly empty-handed. I'm considering selling some things on eBay, but I'm not entirely sure it's worth the effort. I've shopped on eBay before, and scored some fabulous deals - which is kind of the point. I love it because I pay next to nothing for department store labels that I love. I don't exactly see myself ecstatic over selling my stuff for pennies on the dollar.

What do you do with your still fashionable, but no longer wanted clothing? Have you sold clothing on eBay before? Is it easy? Is it worth it? Is there some other website that's better for that type of thing?

Master of the House

2010-01-20T11:08:00.010-05:00

What does this look like to you?

A full bowl of dog food, you say? Funny, that's what it looks like to me too.

"Au contraire, Mama!", says Master Oliver. "Completely unacceptable."

Hear that? That is the noise Oliver makes when the food in his bowl does not meet his liking. You see, Picky Pom here only likes the red (meat) and green (veggie) pieces that come in his food. The tan (barley) and brown (wheat) simply aren't acceptable to his palate. So after he eats all of the red and green pieces, he will sit by the bowl and make this woofing noise until you come and: a) stir the bowl to reveal more red and green OR b) replace the offending tan and brown with a new helping loaded with red and green.

Spoiled much?

Nate says this is all my fault. He only does it when I'm around. Never when Nate is home alone. This happens at least once a week, usually more often. Yes, I know that I should not give in. I know this in the sane part of my brain. I never give in immediately. I am always going to STAND MY GROUND and SHOW HIM WHO'S BOSS. This turns into a Stand-off of Epic Proportions, where I continually scream, "Oliver, knock it off!" while chasing him away from the bowl and he defiantly returns bowl-side and continues carrying on.

The longest stand-off to date? 45 minutes. He can keep this up for 45 minutes!! Why is it that when we play fetch, he has the attention span of a gnat, but he won't be lured away from the food bowl with anything less than brute force?

Needless to say, 20 minutes into most stand-offs, the sane part of my brain is no longer functioning and the Dear-God-make-it-stop part has taken over. At which point, I stomp into the laundry room, slap food in the bowl and hurl it at him, muttering "Stupid dog!" under my breath.

Oliver 101, Mommy 0

Book Worm

2010-01-16T16:46:00.008-05:00

Many weekends, you can find the Mister and I parked on opposite ends of the couch. He with a video game controller and I with a book or magazine in hand. While this may not be everyone's idea of 'romantic quality time', it works for us. The way I look at it, we're in the same room, on the same piece of furniture, both doing what we enjoy most. That's quality time, right?

Sadly, when I started working in an office again (and commuting an hour each way!), my reading time was one of the first casualties. I normally average a book per week, but as you can tell by my 2009 reading list, I only made it through 41 books this year. My 'To Read' list for 2010 is already a mile long, but luckily with my new Sony e-Reader (a Christmas gift from my darling hubby), I never have to be without a book again! It's so small and light, it slips right into my purse for convenient reading anytime. Here's to making it to 52 books again this year!

Sara's 2009 Bookshelf
*Please note that I never claimed this was worthwhile reading. To me, the entire point of reading fiction is to escape the real world. Yes, I do occasionally read books with lasting meaning, but those are few and far between. Feel free to judge me, I don't care.

Barbara Delinksy, While My Sister Sleeps
Candace Bushnell, One Fifth Avenue
David Baldacci, Total Control
David Kinnaman, UnChristian
Harlan Coben, One Final Detail
Harlan Coben, Long Lost
Heather Gudenkauf, The Weight of Silence
James Nicodem, Prayer Coach
James Patterson, Alex Cross's Trial
James Patterson, Honeymoon
James Patterson, Double Cross
James Patterson, Kiss the Girls
James Patterson, The Big Bad Wolf
James Patterson, The 8th Confession
James Patterson, Cross Country
Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care
Jodi Picoult, Picture Perfect
John Grisham, The Associate
John Grisham, The Testament
John LesCroart, The Second Chair
Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Laura Lippman, Life Sentences
Lee Child, Gone Tomorrow
Lee Child, Die Trying
Lee Child, Running Blind
Lincoln Child, Death Match
Lisa Gardner, Gone
Lisa Scottoline, Look Again
Lisa Unger, Die For You
Michael Connelly, A Darkness More than Night
Michael Connelly, The Poet
Michael Connelly, 9 Dragons
Michael Connelly, The Brass Verdict
Michael Connelly, The Closers
Michael Connelly, The Last Coyote
Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song
Nicholas Sparks, The Lucky One
Tori Spelling, Mommywood
Tori Spelling, sTori Telling
Whitney Gaskell, She Myself and I

The One Where Sara Gets Laid Off Again

2010-01-13T18:27:00.005-05:00

Oh, the titles I could have given this post....

Don't Cry for Me ~~Argentina~~ Bloggerina

On The Dole Again

~~I Kissed A Girl~~ I'm on the Dole and I Like It

Good Riddance to Bad ~~Rubbish~~ Bosses

Breaking Up is ~~Hard~~ Easy To Do

Sayonara, Suckers

For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter (whatcha waitin' for, an engraved invitation?) or Facebook (friend me!) or my other blog (shame on you for not reading that too!) I got laid off on Monday. For those of you keeping count, this makes twice in less than a year.

Unlike last time, though, I am less than heartbroken about this one. In fact, calling me in any way upset by the news would be overstating things. I knew from Day 3 at this company that this was not a long term situation for me. While I didn't talk about it much here (because we all know that's a no-no in the business world) I dreaded going there every day. I fantasized on a daily basis about quitting. It literally sucked the joy right out of me. It's not my nature to be a Debbie Downer, but that's how I felt every time I walked into that place. I hated who I was when I was there.

So it was with something closely resembling elation that I graciously accepted the news of my lay-off. I'd been forewarned by an in-the-know friend on Sunday - and forewarned is forearmed. I was able to put my thoughts together before going in there and was prepared to say what needed to be said to HR before I left. It also gave me the opportunity to say good-bye to the few friends that I'd made while I was there.

Now I'm back on the government dole again, but wiser and more prepared for unemployment this time. I've learned a valuable lesson - as bad as unemployment feels, an ill-fitting job feels worse. I never should have accepted my last position. I knew it was a bad fit before I even accepted it; in fact, I struggled mightily with the decision to accept it at all. But I felt guilty for being unemployed and with no other options on the horizon, I figured I could put up with the job for the paycheck. Big mistake. One that I won't be making again.

I will also embrace this time with enthusiasm, something I didn't do the last time around. I felt so much guilt for not contributing to our checkbook that I didn't enjoy the time the way that I should have. I'm not naive enough to think that the old guilt won't resurface - it's already trying, every day when Nate comes home and asks me what I did today - but I'm trying not to let it suck the fun out of my time off. I've got a long list of things to do, people to reach out to, goals I've put off long enough. It's time to embrace this season in my life and I am walking into with open arms.

No More Mr. Nice Spy

2010-01-10T18:11:00.000-05:00

{Image found here}

Chuck is back tonight on NBC! This is one of the few (read: two) shows that Nate and I agree on. I was so sad when I heard the show had been cancelled but it looks like the power of the people pulled it back from the Graveyard of Great Shows That Ended Too Soon.

OOOOH, NOOOO

2010-01-06T21:27:00.002-05:00

To say I had a rough day at work today would be an understatement. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself until this commercial came on for the zillionth time. And for the zillionth time, I laughed like a lunatic at it. If you haven't seen the Geico Pothole Commercial yet, get ready. Note to first time viewers: You might want to swallow whatever you're drinking before you press play. Unless, you know, you like the sensation of snorting diet soda through your nose.

Jigga, what?!

2010-01-05T21:29:00.002-05:00

{Image found here}

Well that picture just about sums up my afternoon!

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I had a cavity filled back in mid-December. At the time, I didn't mind so much because, hey, it got me out of another afternoon of the most mind-numbingly boring job on Earth. But more than a week later, I was still having stabbing pains in my tooth every time I chewed on that side - not good. So Tuesday before our vacation, I went back to the dentist to have it checked out. There was much talk of filing it down a little more, bruising, swelling, waiting, pain tolerance....and then the dreaded words 'root' and 'canal' right next to each other in the same sentence. I went home hoping and praying that the dentist had fixed the problem and that a few more days of rest would solve the problem.

Not so much. Two weeks later, vacation is over and I still can't use that side of my mouth. On the bright side, I have some fantastic jaw muscles on the right side of my face now.

So to the endodontist I went this afternoon for a consultation. Yay! Another missed afternoon of work! I figured a thirty minute consultation at 2:00 and then I'm out and home a full two hours earlier than usual. Wahoo!

The tech girl comes in, taps around on my tooth, touches it with cold, touches it with hot, makes me bite down, takes an x-ray. Looks like I definitely need a root canal and she'll have the endodontist come in to look at it. Enter Dr. Endo, who taps around on my tooth, touches it with cold, touches it with hot, makes me bite down, looks at the x-ray. Yup, I concur, you need a root canal.

Major bummer, right? My wallet feels lighter already.

So as I'm laying there listening to exactly how a root canal works, he sticks a cotton swab in my mouth and suddenly my cheek goes all tingly. Which is when he says, 'We'll just numb you a little before we do the injections'.

Whoa, wait a minute. Jigga, what?!

WE'RE DOING THIS NOW?

I'm pretty sure my face looked exactly like that monkey up there. I was totally and completely shocked. I was expecting a consultation and a follow-up appointment, before which I would take copious amounts of relaxants and possibly mix them with alcohol (KIDDING! Sort of.) What I was not expecting was a root canal. Silly me.

Apparently it's standard operating procedure at that office to follow up a consultation with a two hour opening for an immediate procedure. Um, might be nice to tell the patient this on the phone, don't you think?

They, of course, offered to let me come back if I preferred, but that was clearly not what they wanted me to choose. And being that I was already there and all tingly anyway, I bit the bullet and forged ahead. The procedure itself was not bad at all, if you don't mind having your mouth wedged open and the smell of burning teeth in your nostrils for nearly an hour. And lucky me, I get to go back to my regular dentist for a crown in two to three weeks. Hear that sound? That's my wallet crying quietly in the background.

But when all was said and done? A surprise root canal is still better than an afternoon at work.

And that's all I have to say about that...

2009-12-31T11:17:00.001-05:00

{image found here}

Dear 2009,

Don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya.

Sincerely,
Sara

Just call me Grace

2009-12-20T19:11:00.002-05:00

It's a good thing it's tights season because anyone who took a good look at my ~~hideously pale~~ legs lately would surely think my husband beat me on a daily basis. The current bruise tally:

2 - Left knee
1 - Left elbow
1 - Right knee
1 - Right ankle
1 - Right shin

Truth be told, I have, as of late, become one of the world's clumsiest people. Take for example Monday night: we arrive at our holiday gathering, chatting about our respective work days as we climb out of the car. Apparently exiting the passenger door safely requires total concentration because as I jabbered away, I managed to slam my right ankle with the corner of the car door. A howl of pain from me as I grabbed my ankle - and slammed my left elbow into the (closed) back passenger door. I'm pretty sure Nate was praying for a hole to open in the ground and swallow him whole. I was just praying to make it to the front door in one piece.

Yeah, just call me Grace.

Guilty Pleasures

2009-12-12T21:16:00.001-05:00

I saw this little meme over at Gilding the Frilly (isn't that a fun blog name?!) and thought I'd ~~steal~~ borrow it. I'm ashamed to admit, but it took quite a bit of time to narrow my guilty pleasures down to just five!

1. High heels - I firmly believe that a girl can never have too many pairs of high heels. Unfortunately my husband doesn't hold the same belief. 'Yes, darling, I know have four pairs of black heels in my closet, but I don't have black patent leather peep-toe stilettos with a white stitched diamond pattern.' Well, at least I didn't until this afternoon....

2. MTV's Styled - Maybe it's just Rachel Zoe Project withdrawals, but I am a little bit obsessed with MTV's RZP knockoff. It's like a train wreck - you just can't look away. Seriously, where do they find these people?

3. Being a 'hairbrush singer and dashboard drummer' - You know, like the Carrie Underwood song? Okay, so I'm not a drummer, but I'm definitely a hairbrush singer. Well, not with an actual hairbrush but I love to belt some Carrie and Taylor Swift in the car. Seriously, I could alternate their two CD's for the rest of my life and be perfectly content listening to nothing else for the rest of my life.

4. Sonic commercials - There isn't a Sonic less than an hour's drive from here, but they still show the commercials non-stop. I laugh like a maniac at every one, even though I've seen them all a million times. Nate thinks I'm a nutcase. How can you not find this laugh-out-loud funny?

5. Massages - I've gotten a monthly massage for the past four or five years now and I look forward to that hour with eager anticipation every month. When we moved to Indy, I discovered Massage Envy and it's the best gift I've ever given myself. My massage therapist is a-MAH-zing and I don't know what I would do if she didn't knead my shoulder muscles into submission on a regular basis. This guilty pleasure is worth every single penny.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Imagine the possibilities!

2009-12-10T11:45:00.002-05:00

The ultimate shopping fantasy....

....maybe some day!

Cocktail attire required acquired

2009-12-02T20:38:00.003-05:00

{image via the limited)

Dear Friends,

Will someone please throw a cocktail party so I can wear my fabulous new party dress? I promise to bring a good hostess gift.

love,
Sara

Russian Neighbor Roulette

2009-11-29T19:24:00.003-05:00

I was planning to do the requisite 'Things I'm Thankful For' Thanksgiving post. You know, the one where I tell you I'm thankful for God, my husband, my family, my friends, my health, my boring job in a crappy economy, my house, my dogs, Starbucks, chocolate and Steve Madden shoes.

Yawn. Bored yet?

Yeah, so I was planning to do that post until Nate came home from a run this afternoon and found this on our roof.

Know what I'm thankful for this year? Neighbors who start silly Orange Traffic Cone Wars. Who throw fabulous Halloween costume parties and teach the Southerners to play Euchre (and then let them win!). Who take in your mail while you're on vacation and will check your house for dead bodies when they don't see you for more than three days straight. Who share with you the holy grail of dessert recipes and give you plastic forks on move-in day when you have no idea what box the silverware is packed in.

We kind of hit the jackpot in the Neighbor Department.