the day we all hoped for

Today, March 3, is a snow/ice day in east Texas. Again, in March. Cuh-razy. You should know that all winter we hoped for an unplanned day off--a snow/ice day--but it never happened. It snowed/iced to the north, south, east and west, but never in Tyler. It was so very disappointing. Every almost snow/ice day I wanted to throw a tantrum when I had to dry my hair, put on my makeup and get dressed.

To say that I'm excited is an understatement. I've had two cups of coffee and have a second pot brewing. I'm currently watching kelly & michael in my pajamas, under a blanket, hair pulled on top of my head, my sweet puppy snuggled close. I just tossed some steel cut oats on top of the ice for the birds so that they don't starve today. And I tried to take a picture to share, but it looks less than spectacular.

Side note: my computer has been dying a very slow death. It's about nine years old. And it's a Dell, so it's lived about 7.5 years longer than life expectancy. Apparently it's the most sturdy Dell on the planet because I can't break it, even when I try. [Not that I've tried...if my husband reads this.] Currently the sound is on mute, but there's static-y noise coming through the speakers, so as I type it sounds like Morse code or that something--or someone--is trying to communicate with me through a dying Dell computer. I'm not sure who that would be, but they like to communicate mostly through the keys on the right side of the keyboard. 

During the snow/ice storm last night, the lights flickered a few times and the cable went out for about 20 minutes. Which. Oh my word! The Oscars were on. Now, I've only seen two of the nominated movies: Gravity and Despicable Me 2, but I love the Oscars. And I didn't want to miss Ellen hosting. Thankfully, we were spared.

Today, I'm catching up on the DVR and continuing the Great Purge of 2014 that I started on Saturday. I'll drink lots of coffee. And make sure the birds have plenty of food.

-ing

The past two weeks have been crazy. Of the ten business days, I was in the office for half of them. For the other half, I was on a bus with dozens of students. Two days with freshmen; three days with juniors. We visited seven college campuses and watched several movies. Because what else do you do for hours at a time on a bus? We traveled well over 1000 miles. But now? I'm home. And we're on Thanksgiving Break! Yesterday I desperately wanted to decorate for Christmas, but I forced myself to do nothing. Well, except for a visit to the grocery store, barn sale and salon. So here's what I'm up to:

::ADORING::

I participated in a couple of adoption fundraisers on Instagram (same family, two fundraisers). Each time, I paid $5 to send and receive a gift from someone. Most recently, I received my Christmas Exchange package. And OH MY GOSH. It was wonderful. I received on a day that was just crazy. And I hit the exchange jackpot! My super sweet exchange partner went above and beyond! Katy scoured my IG feed, noticed a few repeated themes and ran with it! I received my first coffee cozy (knitted by Katy) (or maybe crocheted?), the most adorable mini-dachshund hoop, felt donut ornaments (with supplies and instructions for me to create a couple more!) and a frame with several coffee prints to be changed as often as necessary (though that one seems quite perfect). 

::COOKING::

I decided that I should be able to cook lots this week. I planned a few meals and grabbed groceries. First up? Chicken & dumplings.You should know that I make really good chicken & dumplings. But I found a new recipe that I wanted to try.

If you grew up with a grandmother who made chicken & dumplings, then you know there are two teams: Team Fluffy Dumpling and Team Slick Dumpling. Grandmothers make only one version. Mine made slick dumplings. She had no use for fluffy dumplings. And I didn't either. (Because I'd never had them.) But I found a recipe that piqued my interest. The picture from this blog made them look not-too-fluffy. So I decided to give them a go. 

OH MY WORD. Y'all. They fluffed up nicely, but then they started to dissolve. Dissolve! For a pot of dumplings, there were only about a dozen semi-cooked dumplings when I pulled them off of the heat. 

Never again. Never. again. I'm sure my grandmother rolled in her grave when I decided to make a fluffy dumpling. I was left with a pot of dumpling broth, 12 semi-cooked dumplings, a huge mess of a kitchen and takeout from Jason's Deli. I vow to never stray from the recipe I've always used.

::READING::

The Funeral Dress | Susan Gregg Gilmore

I've enjoyed Gilmore's The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove and Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, so I was excited when her next book released. I'm only a few chapters in, but so far, I really like it.

The Lumby Lines | Gail Fraser
The Mitford Series is one of my all-time favorite series. I found the Lumby Series and hope that it is as enjoyable, though it's been a rough start. (I've actually read the first three chapters several times, as I let so much time lag between readings.)

::CREATING::
As part of the adoption fundraiser (mentioned above), I created something Christmas-y to send to my Christmas Exchange friend. Here's the deal, I consider myself to be creative. But I don't create regularly, so it leaves me with a lack of confidence. So I mulled over what I would make. (The gift had to be handmade.) I decided to recreate felt hand-stitched ornaments that I made in college. I also did a very simple calendar and found some cute chalkboard tags. I'm sending it out tomorrow. It's a week late, so I hope she's super gracious. And that she loves her exchange.

a little sprucing up

You may have noticed over the past week-ish some changes on the blog. After months of not writing, and then deciding that a blog makeover would help me want to write, and then trying to find an affordable, cute and clean option, I did it. And I love it!

 

Here are the changes:

 

First, I decided to change the name of my blog to match my URL address. It drives me a little crazy when blog names don't match the address. And so I don't know why mine didn't match. I remember sitting in a big, comfy chair in Christine's house years ago, with a borrowed laptop, trying to brainstorm a creative blog name. Sometimes, I come up with names without knowing the origin. If somehow I come up with something and like it, it sticks.

 

(This happened with my dog, Crickett. I think I've determined how I came up with that, though.)

 

(And my cat, Persephone. I still have no idea where it came from.)

 

(I also have the name of a business, should I need that at some point.)

 

(Jeremy is able to temper the names for future children, thankfully.)

 

It makes perfect sense that my blog name originated this way. Although I did live in a green house when I started my blog, I think it was based more on my initials. Before marriage, my initials were KI. That's how I signed cards and emails. I love my initials. And then I married, and my initials became KIW. Jeremy thought a cute nickname would be "Kiwi." Umm...perfect! Especially since it matched my blog! 

 

So that's how Kiwi Cottage became the official name of my blog about 10 days ago. And I've had more people call it by name in the last week than ever before. I guess it was a good change!

 

 

 

There are some new items in the navigation bar. I've had a few things listed over the last year, but I added my Book List and Favorites.

 

After reading a book, I'll list the title and a quick bit about the book in my Book List. You'll notice I've been on a memoir and food writing kick.

 

Under Favorites is a list of blogs that inspire me. This is in addition to the Blogs I Like on the right side of my home page. It helps reduce the clutter. There's some good writing in there, y'all. Take a look!

 

 

If you'd like to find me on an social media sites, I've listed quick links to each site. There's a pretty decent ebb and flow with my social media. Currently, I'm on a Facebook and Instagram kick. Which, no doubt, will be replaced by Pinterest and Twitter at some point.

 

(And when I get on a Pinterest kick, watch out!)

 

(Just so you know, my Facebook and Instagram are private, but I'm happy to have new friends and followers that aren't my students at school!)

 

So, I'm super excited about these changes. I love the colors and layout and fonts. I do hope that it makes me more inclined to write!

 

current faves

1. I am a coffee snob. Seriously. Don't offer me a cup of Starbucks plain coffee. I won't drink it. I prefer a local roaster. So it comes as a HUGE surprise that I am on the verge of addiction to Nescafe instant coffee.

Before our nephew was born, we took dinner and cupcakes to my BIL and SIL, who was on bed rest. My BIL offered to make coffee. I decided that I would drink the caffeinated coffee (followed by a melatonin), rather than a cup of the fake stuff. Husby wanted the decaf instant coffee. After it came out of the microwave, I tasted it. Oh my, it was good! The trick? Make it with milk. It's creamy and rich and yummy. I purchased both the decaf and regular variety for our house.

via

2. In December, I hosted a wedding shower for my new SIL. As a hostess gift, I received my first Voluspa candle in Santiago Huckleberry. It is fruity and rich and divine. I carry it from room to room, and I only use it when I'm at home for an extended time. I want to enjoy it. I've mostly transitioned to Scentsy products, but I feel certain that once this candle has reached it's end, I'll purchase another.

via

3. I love to order hot tea when I eat at Asian restaurants. No matter the type of food, there's a similar flavor of hot tea. It took years and a visit to Teavana, but I finally discovered the flavor the I love so much: jasmine. I purchased a cute tea tin with a couple of ounces of jasmine dragon phoenix pearls tea. I love it with just a bit of honey.

via

4. These No-Bake Energy Bites are so, so good. Husby and I are attempting to eat real food, meaning that we're cutting down on the sugar we consume. I realize that the chocolate chips have refined sugar, and so does some peanut butter, but for now, we're okay with those things.  I made these yesterday, and we love them! It's something a little sweet for snacks and dessert.

2011 Superlatives

There are just a few hours remaining in 2011. It seems like the year has flown by! Before the ball drops, ringing in the new year (and before we go to bed while celebrating midnight with the folks on the east coast), I thought I'd do a quick synopsis of a few favorites. Here we go:

Favorite Fiction: The Help, Half Broke Horses

Favorite Non-fiction: Under the Banner of Heaven, Unbroken, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Book Most Likely to Make Me Want to Leave my Job and Home for a Farm: The Dirty Life

Most Indulgent Dessert (TIE): White Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Cup Martini. Both at Lulu's Chocolate Bar in Savannah.

Favorite Food (Summer category): Watermelon with feta cheese and honey

Favorite Food (Winter category): Farro and Roasted Butternut Squash

New Favorite Drink (Summer category): Iced Coffee. Not iced cappuccino or iced latte. Just iced coffee with cream(er).

New Favorite Drink (Winter category): Hot Chocolate with marshmallow flavored vodka

Promise that We're Most Willing to Keep: Vacation destinations in the summer cannot be in the south. For the second year in a row, we visited lovely cities (Savannah, Charleston, Atlanta) during a heat wave. Canada, anyone?

Most Likely to Love Us Forever: Persephone. The neighborhood cat we stole from our previous house. (It was actually legal-ish. We talked to someone who lived on the next street over that approved of our adopting her.)

Best Game: Dicecapades. After eyeing it for a few weeks, I decided to buy it. Let me tell you: it's fun. Like really, really fun. In fact, it replaced Cranium as my favorite game.

Most Expensive Purchase:  In April, Husby and I took advantage of the buyers market and purchased our first home. So far, so good. Except when we wish we could call the landlord to replace a doorknob or dig the rogue crepe myrtle out of every single flower bed.

Best TV Shows: Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Castle, Top Chef All-Stars

Best DVD Series (you know, since we don't have cable): Veronica Mars, Alias, LOST

Happy New Year, y'all!

-ing

Last weekend, Husby and I attended the annual Bailey Christmas Party. It's an occasion not to be missed. Each year is a food theme. {Yes, they are fabulous friends who develop a party around food.} This years them? Dessert. So, after our drive to the big city, we feasted on desserts and chatted the night away. During one conversation, I confessed that I am the queen of copying. I don't have many great original ideas so much as I find great ideas already had, and then copy them. It's an issue of which I'm well aware, and I don't know that I intend to change it anytime soon. So, I shall copy a blog idea from the hostess of said party, and perhaps a link or two.

{COOKING}

For me, cold weather is perfect for soups. Last night, I made Chicken & Dumplings. They warmed us up as the temperature dropped just a bit. We'll eat on the leftovers for the next few days.

Last week, I had a hankering (not a craving) for Vegetable Beef Stew. Having never made it before, I called my mom who advised me on the cut of meat and type of potatoes that are perfect for beef stew. My first attempt was super successful. I'm making it tonight to take to a family, and I plan to write the recipe this time. I'll share sometime soon.

We'll be at my parents on Christmas morning. I've requested that my mom make kolaches filled with raspberry or strawberry jam. Of course, she'll make her favorite: poppy seed kolaches. Along with these amazing sweet rolls, I'm making this Southern Brunch Casserole, which is a tradition with Husby's family. I'm pretty sure my family will love it!

{READING}

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This is a challenging read for me. I love the premise of the book and have started by List of 1000 Things, but her writing is a tad too poetic for me.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. My college roommate and I decided to read this together. A year later, I'm finally reading it. And it's wonderful.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I loved her Half Broke Horses, so I'm excited to be reading this.

{WATCHING}

LOST. I've shared before that I'm 6-10 years behind on a few series. About three weeks ago, Husby and I started LOST, Season 1. Last night, we started Season 2. Oh my goodness! This show is good, y'all!

Christmas movies. I love Christmas movies that are not of the Hallmark variety. My favorites: Elf, Home Alone, Love Actually, Christmas Vacation, Four Christmases and A Christmas Story.

{CONSIDERING}

Blessed are the entitled? Just perfect in light of the goings-on in my hometown and my recent blog post about the nativity.

Santa, Strategically I like this. Santa remains in Christmas, but a minimal part.

When Christmas Gets Radical I love the idea that a family chooses gifts for those who are desperately in need. For those who would be more thankful for receiving than perhaps I ever could.

Monday Miscellany

• One perk of working in education is all of the breaks. Today begins two weeks off. I have a list of things to accomplish. I've spent today working in our office / library. About every 18 minutes, I get overwhelmed with all of the books we have. But then I come up with a [new] plan. I have most of the books shelved.
• I inherited my grandmother's sewing machine. If you're wondering: no, I don't sew. But I want to. I figure just having it in my house brings me one step closer to actually sewing. Along with it came a small chest where she kept notions. I have the perfect place for it in the office, near the sewing machine. I've cleaned out two of the three drawers so that office materials will have a home.
• It's taking all sorts of self-control not to carry it out to the garage and spray paint it. We have three dark wood bookshelves, so I don't really want a chocolate brown chest, as well. But I will wait for another day.
• My mom introduced me to a new cracker. Have you had these? Fab-u-lous!

• This video is great. An 82 year old grandmother eating Pop Rocks. So cute!

some thoughts about some things

• Our move this year puts us in a high traffic area for Halloweeners seeking candy. This is exciting because I've never given out Halloween candy. Growing up, we lived way too far out for anyone to visit, and until now, I've lived in an apartment or moderately unsafe part of town. But this year is our year! I was advised by a few people to purchase candy NOW. Waiting until the week of Halloween limits the candy options.I firmly feel that cheap candy is no way to treat small children--or adults, for that matter. As a trick-or-treater, I resented the houses that gave out pieces of bubble gum or fake chocolate candy. Although I prefer most (real) chocolate candy to non-chocolate candy, I decided that it's unwise to keep 250 bite sized Snickers and 3 Musketeers in our house for over a month. Instead, we have a basket full of Nerds, Laffy Taffy, Sweet Tarts and Pixy Sticks. For years, I thought I only liked banana Laffy Taffy. Well, it turns out that I was wrong. I also like cherry Laffy Taffy. I have a feeling that the option for cherry Laffy Taffy will greatly diminish through the month of October.
• Glory be! After almost two years, I found the cable that connects my camera to my computer. It was in a place that I checked approximately five times because it made sense that I would have put it there. At one point, I pulled everything out of the drawer. Somehow I missed it. My memory card doesn't fit into my computer, so it's just a hassle to download pictures. I hope this makes me better at downloading!
• Husby and I don't have cable. We decided that we could watch our shows via internet connection on the network web sites. So far, we've watched the premier of The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family. We loved Big Bang (if you don't watch it, you should), and Modern Family was hilarious, BUT I don't love the new Lilly. She's a brat! And my brain doesn't get that she went from younger than two and not talking to a talking, mean little girl. I also think the first girl who played Lilly was much cuter.
• I'm really curious to make this pie. I'll let you know how it turns out.
• The East Texas State Fair is in town. We're planning to go this week. Of course, we go for the food. My typical meal includes a corny dog, homemade root beer, and coconut cream pie (made by the Lutheran church). I'm also up for sharing pretty much anything else that's battered and fried, including: pickles, jalapenos, funnel cakes, and Oreos. I draw the line at fried butter and chicken fried bacon, though.

The Mockingbirds

One of my top five books is To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch is one of my favorite characters of all time. He warns Scout never to kill a mockingbird, and I love the line spoken by Miss Maudie, agreeing with Atticus:

Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.

Based on this, I thought mockingbirds were sweet little songbirds. After all, the lullaby offers to buy a child a mockingbird before a diamond ring. They must be little songsters. Right? Well, if you haven't encountered a mockingbird as an adult, I have a harsh truth. It's all a lie. Mockingbirds don't tweet beautiful songs. They're territorial and loud and mean. Which is probably how they keep birds of prey away.

While we were away for a week, it seems that two (or possibly more) mockingbirds decided that they like our house and trees. They don't, however, like our cat, Persephone. Within an hour of returning home, we witnessed Persephone being chased and pecked by a mean ol' mockingbird. All the while, he was screeching something terrible. The cat wasn't phased. We've been home for several days, and every day has been a repeat. Now, the cat runs from the birds. I'm pretty sure this is why Crickett has been so anxious, as well. They have tried to get her a couple of times. And I'm scared to death that they're going to get me! I take a stick with me every time I go outside.

I do not advocate killing animals, especially for sport. And I don't think I could ever kill an animal. Honestly, I could easily become vegetarian over the thought of killing animals. And I reason with the cat not to kill birds, which are generally her prey of choice. But now? I've approved her taking out these birds. I know, it's bad, but they're terrorizing us. They've also chosen to use our back deck as, seemingly, their bathroom of choice. Guh-ross!

As the state bird of Texas, I'm sure it's illegal to shoot them. Since I wouldn't kill them, anyway, I want options. Unfortunately, options don't seem to exist for these birds of terror. I've researched how to deter them, but there's little that works for these birds. I was set to buy an owl decoy on Amazon that moves with the wind to simulate a real owl. Guess what? Those don't work on them. Neither do rubber snakes. I'm thinking that I'm going to get the water hose ready, and the next time they dive bomb me or the pets, I'll spray water at them. A little water never hurts, right?

Until then, I'll be running from the birds, shooing them with a stick. And cleaning off my back deck.

Friday Miscellany

1. I cannot believe how fast the summer has gone. It seems like just a week ago that I switched to summer hours at work, my alarm sounding 1.5 hours later than normal. It's been nice and restful. A good summer. Last summer was tough. We lost our nephew just weeks before his arrival, and Husby's dad took a two-story fall off a ladder that left him in the ICU/hospital/rehab facility for six weeks. I'm happy to share that we have another niece or nephew on the way, and our summer has been relatively uneventful. For that, we are grateful.
2. I'm working through pictures of our vacation to Savannah, Charleston and Atlanta. I can't wait to post those, along with a comprehensive list of wonderful restaurants in each city. Just a little teaser: we ate at one well-known restaurant in Savannah owned by a certain celebrity chef with a pronounced Southern drawl. And...we weren't impressed. We both decided that our mom's are better cooks, and Husby said he likes my chicken pot pie much more than the one he ordered.
3. Our house is coming together. The living room is mostly done, except for hanging an antique mirror--that weights approximately 3423 pound--over the fireplace. I'm on the hunt for two other dining room chairs, or possibly an upholstered bench. Light fixtures are waiting to be hung in the breakfast nook and dining room. A headboard is on it's way in the next 2-4 weeks. And I have a super fun plan for unstained nightstands that I bought. (Said plan will not be completed by me; my brother's girlfriend is much more confident in her abilities to draw straight lines.)
4. I'm ready to beat my dog. (FYI...I threaten to beat her every other day. It's never happened. Most often, she gets tummy kisses.) Ever since her return from a week at my parents, she's been on super-high alert. Like we brought a ghost back from the South. She's driving me crazy. I'm contemplating give her a little Benadryl to relax her. Or I guess I could take the Benadryl. That might be nice. :)
5. While we were away on vacay, we had a neighbor and my brother-in-law let the cat in at night and out in the morning. From the looks of it, she slept on the kitchen counters. She isn't allowed on those, but I guess she showed us! (I also threaten to beat her regularly, but instead give her tummy kisses. She'd probably rather take the beating. Ha!)
6. I ordered several holiday items and got those yesterday. I cannot wait to decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
7. We've had over 30 days of weather over 100 degrees. It's hot. Thankfully, we go from air conditioned building to air conditioned car to air conditioning building. That makes the heat bearable. Spending a week in "walking" cities, we discovered that 100 degrees is awful when cars aren't an option. Mercy, the east coast was hot!

Y'all have a great weekend!

i'll take it

I always have such good intentions of taking vitamins. In fact, I have an entire shelf full of them. I guess it's just never been a habit. Although, I don't love swallowing pills. This is a recent-ish development. And doesn't apply to ibuprofen or melatonin. I actually think it started when two pills stuck together in the back of my throat, and I thought it was the end of it. Then it happened again. I'm not sure what my deal is, but I've come to hate swallowing pills. (And if I have to take more than one with a gel coating, they go down in separate gulps).

At Target last week, I happened upon gummy vitamins. (I don't doubt that I'm way behind the curve on this one.) I decided to give them a try. Let me tell you...these are yummy! I take two every morning. No, I'm not with child. The fountain of all knowledge, Kelly Rippa, once remarked that women should take prenatal vitamins all the time. And who doesn't listen to the advice of Kelly Rippa?!

My only problem is that these don't have calcium. Although I'm a milk-drinker, I don't think it hurts to boost the calcium intake. In the spirit of taking supplements that don't require swallowing a horse pill, I decided to go with Viactiv. A little chocolate treat that delivers calcium? I'll take it! I plan to pack two of these in my lunch everyday to eat as dessert.

Another great intention is drinking water. I'm not really a fan of water. Coffee with cream, tea sweetened with stevia, and Diet Coke? Yes, please. Plain old water. I'll pass. But I know it's good for the body, so I've resolved to drink 24 ounces before I have a cup of coffee. It's great motivation to get to the coffee!

If only a workout came in a handy, tasty treat form!

50 Things...

A few years ago, I posted some of this on facebook. Now, I've expanded the list. Fun times!

1. I'm glad I was never offered drugs as a teenager. I give into peer pressure pretty easily.

2. I was the first girl in 50 years born to my dad's side of the family.

3. I used to think it is rather unfortunate that my birthstone is a diamond. That's just crazy.

4. Although I am very fond of diamonds, I love pearls. They're so feminine. I have so many pearl earrings, and I have to talk myself out of buying more.

5. I don't mind that it took 5 1/2 years to complete my bachelor's degree. Not only did I spend 1 1/2 years taking only music courses and then change my major, I spent every summer in college with babies in a Romanian orphanage. My life is forever changed by those summers. I learned what summer sessions could never teach.

6. The friends I made in Romania 2001 are some of the most important people in my life. I love, love, love them. God knew what he was doing when he put 12 Type-A personalities together. It worked beautifully.

7. I love to plan parties. Big parties. Dinner parties. Birthday parties for two. Surprise parties. Wedding showers. Baby showers. I love them all!

8. I wish I were more confident about my artistic abilities. One day, I hope to have an income from things I create.

9. I love to decorate cakes. (Mom, this is not an offer to work on the weekends.)

10. I have knack for arranging books & stuff on bookshelves. Ask me to hang a picture, and it's sure to be off-centered and crooked with 14 nail holes behind it.

11. I love living in an old house. It's has the charm & character I knew it would. It also has cold floors in the winter and stuffy rooms in the summer. Maybe one day, I'll have a new house that looks old. For now, we're happy with our new house that is relatively new!

12. My favorite color is either red or green, depending on the day. Sometimes, it's both.

13. I love cities. San Francisco and Chicago are probably my favorites. In that order.

14. I finally figured out how my dog, Crickett, got her name. In the movie Little Women (the Winona Ryder version), Marmi refers to Beth as "Cricket." I added the second "t" on the end. I like it that way.

15. I love to make lists! It gives me such a feeling of accomplishment to check something off.

16. I hate the process of doing things to achieve a result, which is probably something I should work out with a therapist. Ha! I love a clean house, but hate cleaning house. I despise the getting ready process--both in the morning and at night. Showers? Ugh. Brushing my teeth? Do I have to? (Yes. Yes, I do.)

17. I work hard not to have an East Texan accent. Most of the time, I'm successful at it.

18. My mom owns a bakery, but I do not enjoying baking. I don't have the patience for it. It requires precision and attention that I'm not willing to give.

19. I judge books by their cover. Yep, if I like the cover, I read it. I've only been let down a couple of times.
20. I spray painted my dresser black because the paint the sales guy told me to buy wouldn't "stick." Four cans of spray paint later, I had a black dresser. Six months later, feeling returned to the tip of my pointer finger. (Seriously, I thought that I damaged the nerves so badly that I'd never be able to feel the top of my finger again.)

21. I still get carsick. My brothers don't believe me, but I do. They think it's a 31 year plot to always get the front seat. Silly boys, I'm the oldest, the only girl and the favorite child, I'd totally get the front based on those things alone.

22. I love magazines! I'm perfectly content reading magazines for hours at Barnes & Noble. I only have subscriptions to two, Real Simple & Country Living, but I read them repeatedly each month. I just donated about 250 magazines to two different charities. Hoarding much?

23. I love Hobby Lobby & Target more than the ordinary person. Hobby Lobby is like a worship experience. Seriously. The one in Tyler is huge, and they play instrumental worship music. I can be in the worst mode when I go in, but one trip around the store, looking at all of the 50% off merchandise can brighten my day. I don't even have to buy anything.

24. When I'm cooking at home with no one else in the house, I sometimes pretend to have my own cooking show. I look at the "camera" and explain step-by-step how to make something. I even have commercial breaks. :)

25. When I was 8 years old, my brother was fishing. I needed to walk behind him to the other side of the pier. I said, "Paul, don't cast. Let me walk behind you." Of course, he decided it was the perfect time to cast. The nasty fishhook caught my eyelid. I don't really remember what happened next. It didn't require stitches, though.

26. Both of our pets have middle names: Crickett Marie and Persephone Jane.

27. Sometimes I like a tuna fish sandwich for breakfast. And I'm not prego.

28. I like for the covers on my bed to be a certain weight. I like to feel that the bed is hugging me.

29. Many perfume/candle/spray scents make me nauseous. When I was in high school, I got sick almost every morning after taking a shower. We finally determined it was the Honeysuckle scented products from Bath and Body Works. I stopped using them, and I stopped getting sick. To make certain I avoid this, I stick to food flavored scents and powder scents. The perfumes I wear are Burberry Brit and Donna Karen  Cashmere Mist.

30. I also cannot stand the smell of shoe stores. I get sick if I'm in them too long. Sometimes clothing stores have the same effect.

31. I'm a coffee snob. I do not like Starbucks; they over-roast (burn) their beans. Yuck. I'm a huge fan of Distant Lands Coffee, which is roasted locally and also supplies beans to McDonald's. If you haven't had McDonald's coffee, you should try it.

32. I love to snuggle in a blanket, even in the middle of summer.

33. I love ice cream in the winter. I probably crave it more then than I do during the summer.

34. I had my tonsils out when I was 18 and had no problems. Seriously, I didn't take a single pain pill and was talking as soon as I was out of anesthesia. Not so with my wisdom teeth removal last October. Worst pain I've ever had. (And I had a friends mom tell me her experience was worse than childbirth. Here's hoping!)

35. I super love Bethenny Ever After. I like to pretend that we'd be friends in real life. Maybe eventually BFF.

36. We also huge Top Chef junkies. On our honeymoon, we ate at two restaurants owned by the top three finalists of Top Chef Masters. While en route to Fleur de Lis in San Francisco, I commented that if I met any chef of those three, I'd want to meet Huber Keller. As we were waiting to be seated, Chef Keller walked through the front door of his restaurant. I was speechless. He was so kind and gracious.

37. I have a goal to attend the Aspen Food and Wine Festival.

38. I laugh at my own jokes. Sometimes before I finish telling them. That means I'm funny, right?

39. I don't like Chick Lit. The phrase or the genre of books.

40. While we were in Czech Republic, I really enjoyed the beer.

41. While we were in Austria, I really enjoyed the homemade sausages. Amazing.

42. We're love TV...too much. Regularly recorded on our DVR: Bethenny Ever After, Top Chef, Castle, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Cougar Town, Body of Proof, White Collar, Burn Notice, Psych and a couple of other shows that Husby enjoys.

43. I love to wear black.

44. I cook using recipes. Sometimes this stresses me out if I can't find a recipe for something I'd like to make. Although I can create food without a recipe, I prefer to use it as a guide.

45. I'm a planner. I like to have a plan in advance for meals, trips, weekends, going to buy groceries. You name it. I'll plan it.

46. I listen to NPR.

47. I sometimes have to act quickly when a decision must be made. I mull things over way too long, in hopes that I won't regret the decision. This could be healthy for some things, but not all. When I decided on paint colors for our new house, I was at the store getting them mixed before I could change my mind. Now, I love them!

48. I think about Christmas pretty much all year. Already, I've begun a list in my head of gift possibilities.

49. Where I used to love warm colors in a house, I've turned the corner and love cool colors. Strange.

50. I love working at a school. My brain has always thought in semesters: August-December, January-May, summer.

The Best Laid Plans

I was a tad late jumping on the Royal wedding bandwagon. But I finally made it. I asked to Husby earlier this week to DVR the festivities on NBC. (I do love the Today show and NBC correspondents.) He set it to record from 3am-9am. I figured that I'd see everything I wanted to see and some that I didn't care about seeing, but since it would be DVRed, I could fast forward through all the not so fabulous parts.

My plan was to get up at 5am and make coffee and muffins. You know, the American version to tea and crumpets. Mainly because I have no idea where to buy crumpets. And I'd need the extra caffeine afforded by coffee. I was excited to see Kate's dress, mostly.

But then my body decided to turn against me. I have some sort of cold-sinus infection what-have-you, and my only option to rid my body of aches was a healthy dose of NyQuil. As soon as I conceded to this being necessary, I knew that I'd miss the Royal wedding as the rest of the world watched. The good news is that the NyQuil has a lasting effect, so I have absolutely no emotion for having missed it. And since it's DVRed, I'll have plenty of time to catch-up this weekend.

I was able to watch TLC yesterday afternoon and decided that I would LOVE to rock the hats like Kate Middleton does. Seriously, I love hats. And I love her hats and fascinators. I think she's just gorgeous!

This weekend, I cannot wait to see details of the wedding. I know it will be fabulous. Even as I watched TLC yesterday, I loved seeing the interaction between Kate and William!

And as a side note: I was most disappointed when I discovered Prince William is just a bit younger than me. Oh how I hoped that he would find a girl worth marrying in east Texas. But I just knew that I couldn't marry younger. I'm so glad he found someone.

Over the past 14 days...

• We celebrated Pi Day by ordering our favorite pizza from a local Italian restaurant. My grandparents always called it "pizza pie" so I think it's totally appropriate. Plus I didn't have to cook it. This celebration pales in comparison to previous celebrations that included: chicken pot pie, coconut cream pie, quiche and Husby's introduction to the Moon Pie. But we love pizza and Bruno's, so we'll survive. I was close to making a dessert pie, but I had zero desire to cook.
• I've had little desire to cook until this week. The reason? The week following spring break included TIME CHANGE. To the people in Tyler who chose that week as spring break: EPIC FAIL. (All schools in Tyler [public, private and colleges] take spring break them same week.) Not only was is cold and dark outside when I left the first day after break, but all of my friends had a different spring break. It's just not fair. Well, except for the fact that I got a week off in the middle of the year.
• I'm participating in an NCAA bracket at school. Faculty and students are able to play. I wasn't going to, but then I remembered how well I did at the Oscar party without knowing anything about the movies. I decided to choose the team either by which school I like best or which team colors I like best. Turns out that was the way to go! Out of 46, I'm in 8th place right now. And I'm leading all other faculty. I offered my boss to help him pick his bracket for next year. He asked if my final four were are still in the bracket, and I just laughed. I have NO CLUE who I put in the final four. Although I'm pretty sure I picked Ohio State to win it all.
• We have some other really exciting stuff happening [not in the form of babies], and I hope to share it in the next few weeks.

Miscellany

For some reason, I'm often the lone witness to glorious happenings. Like the time in WalMart that I returned a lamp because the knob was broken, and the clerk did the return successfully, but when it came time to record the problem, she wrote: Broken Pfknobe. I guess if the K is silent, then the P, H and E are, too. I felt sure that my response was being recorded on Candid Camera. (Assuming that show still exists.)

Then one day I was in the laundromat cleaning my feather bed in an industrial washer and dryer. When I threw it in the dryer, I tossed in some tennis balls. A lady questioned me, and I explained that throwing in tennis balls or tennis shoes help redistribute the feathers. To which she replies, "Hmm...must be the tena!" Again, I looked for the hidden cameras, trying desperately not to crack.

Fast forward to today. I was able to leave early for Christmas break. I decided to stop by Tuesday Morning because sometimes you can find a good deal. Not that I ever have, but I hear that deals are to be found. As I walked in, a customer was disputing a price with a clerk. Once the customer left, the clerks decided to call another store for confirmation of the discount. The conversation is, as follows:

Clerk A: Why don't you call the store in Paris? I bet they can tell us.

Clerk B: Okay. [Retrieves directory.] Do you spell Paris with a P?

Clerk A: [Sweetly replies.] Yes.

Me: [Thinking to self.] Where in the WORLD are the hidden cameras? And why can't I have a friend with me to hear this? And what other letter sounds like P? [Run through alphabet in my head and discover that no other letter sounds like the phonetic sound P.] [Smiles and attempts not to laugh.]

I'm telling you, I'm the witness to greatness. Aren't you jealous?

************************************************************

If you don't watch The Big Bang Theory, then you are missing out on one of the funniest shows ever. This weeks episode made me scream-laugh harder than any other episode of any other show this year. This YEAR! I just don't know if there's a funnier show on, and I'm all about funny shows. Modern Family, Cougar Town, and How I Met Your Mother are all on our DVR. But this...this is hilarious. (And I'm pretty sure you can watch it on the CBS website.)

(Don't tell my husband that I recommended that. He works for the cable company. They want your money.)

(Actually, scratch that. I want your money, too. Buy the cable so that he might get a raise.)

(Thank you.)

Here's a picture from this week's episode. Even if you don't like superhero's, you'll think it's funny. And if you're have even a smidgen of nerdiness in you, you'll think it's funnier than funny!

(And for those of you who hate the words Big Bang Theory and/or evolution...it's just the name of the show. No need to be offended. You'll still think it's a funny show.)

(If you don't, it's a money back guarantee. Or a box of Milk Duds. [A reference to this episode.])

(From me. Not the cable company. Husby nor the cable company is liable.)

That is all. Have a good weekend!

Not a Wordless Wednesday

My original plan for posting today was "Wordless Wednesday." But then I somehow figured out that it's not Wednesday, so this post won't be wordless. If I had done a Wordless Wednesday (which I probably won't ever do because I keep typing worldless and having to correct it), I would have simply posted a picture of my Christmas tree. Let's go ahead and take a look...

I think that I should take a class on taking a picture of my Christmas tree. I just can't get it right. It really is covered in ornaments and has clear and colored lights and it's flocked, and the bow on top looks a lot better in real life. But you can't tell this from the picture. You'll just have to trust me (or give me tips on taking a good Christmas tree picture.) Oh, and I love my Christmas tree skirt. It has grosgrain ribbon, rick rack AND buttons. That's like the trinity of cute--you don't know how they all fit together, but they do.

Happy Wednesday Thursday!

Friday Fives: Question Time

1. What is your favorite comfort food?

Ooh...I don't really have a go to comfort food. I love soup, so that could be it. Even in the summer, I eat--and make--soups. Soup with some good, buttered bread. Mmm! You can check out a few of my soup recipes here.  

2. What's one thing that's on your mind right now?

It's only 2.5 months until Christmas break! And less than two until Thanksgiving Break. Praise the Lord.

3. What's the best advice you've ever received?

When one of my BFFs, Devon, advised me to just talk to the boy. Then, I married him.

4. If you found $10 today, what would you do with it?

Since I NEVER have cash, I'd stick it in my wallet and hold onto it until I need $10 in cash. Seriously, I never have cash unless Husby gives it to me. I prefer cards. But then again, I'm not really a saver. (Husby LOVES that!) It'd be fun to do this project that I blogged about here. I'd just need a few embroidery hoops and a little cute fabric on clearance.

Picture via Apartment Therapy

5. What is your least favorite thing to clean in your house?

I HATE TO VACUUM. Seriously, I'll do anything before vacuuming. I'd rather sweep and mop than vacuum. Husby is so good to do that part of house cleaning. Although I'm convinced that if I had the Dyson Ball Vacuum, that I'd change my tune. Ha!

What about you? What's your favorite comfort food?

Have any great advice? What's your least favorite thing to clean?

Leave a comment; then play along at Just Me and My Life.

Another List...

1. We're back to the numbered/bulleted list until further notice. (Which could be the next blog post, if I can write sentences in the form of a paragraph.)

2.  I learned something fascinating over the weekend, while in Wisconsin. Those from the southern states noticed how little salt is used in cooking. At one point, we hunted down salt shakers. THEN, our friend from Canada enlightened us to this fact: we use more salt in our cooking in the South because we sweat more, and our bodies NEED more salt. In the North, since they sweat less, they don't need as much salt, so that don't add as much to their cooking. How crazy is that?

3.  I love salty food. Now, I have an excuse.

4.  I am a HOT MESS when I workout. This morning, sweat was everywhere. So much so that our BodyVive instructor commented on it. Maybe she wasn't talking to me, but after the workout, a couple of girls still looked like nary a hair was out of place. We won't even talk about my hair. It was worse than bad.

5.  I almost cried this morning when I heard that the heat index will be 100 today. Where is Fall, and when will it get here?! I'm so upset at that meteorologist who said it would be "noticeably cooler by mid-September." FALSE.

6.  I'm actually thinking about becoming a meteorologist. You can get away with not doing your job correctly. That's a lot less pressure than a college advisor.

7.  I'm super-pumped about our anniversary weekend. Kathryn mentioned last week that she books hotels through Hotwire. Well, I did it, and we're staying at a Westin for $46 per night. FABULOUS! I love a good deal. Now, I get to find fun places to eat, since we're saving money. Oh, and I should probably get at least one new outfit with all the money I saved.

8.  Let's end with a prayer request. I have an amazing student, Katie (actually, she graduated last year), who is battling cancer for the third time. She's going to treatment every other week in Houston for 10 weeks. In December, she'll begin a new treatment that will keep her in isolation over her birthday, Christmas and New Years. Will you pray for healing for her body? Pray that the side effects of chemo will be minimal. Pray that the Lord will reveal himself to her as a Savior and comforter. Pray for her family; she has a younger sister with whom she is very close. Pray for joy and peace to overwhelm her.

Did You Notice?

• I updated my blog! I added a page just for recipes. Just look at the tab above. I hope to add an edible raw cookie dough recipe soon. If it goes well!

• My weekend has been full of laundry, craft projects (for others) and friends. One of these things has not been enjoyable. Which would you guess?

• I think this font on the new layout is too small. Do you agree?

• 95 degree weather is still too hot. I'd like a few days of 90 degree weather.

• My BFF of the Midwest is getting married next weekend. I'm hopeful for weather in the 80s.

• On the weekend of the wedding, I get to see several of the peeps who I'm spent an entire summer serving with in Romania. I'm super excited about that.

• I'm still really full from lunch. It could be the brownie and cappuccino I had two hours after a lunch at Outback. (Not my favorite, but we don't turn down gift cards.)

• I start individual conferences with my students this week. It's the first step in college applications. I'm a little excited and a little nervous.

• My former roommate invited me to a 5:30am Body Pump class in the morning. For some reason, I agreed. Who am I?!

• On that note, I need to finish my weekend chores. I'll need to be in bed by 7pm to get up that early. 

• Just kidding, it'll be more like 7:45pm.

• I hope you've had restful Sunday. Here's to starting a new week!

Friday Fives: Question Time

What's something you're OCD about?

Bahahaha! If you know me well, you know that there are occasions when you wish I took medicine for OCD! I'd say one of my biggest things is symmetry. Which is ironic because I wound up having an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen in the wedding. Thanks to pregnant friends, swine flu, and friends returning from far, far away, my bridesmaid count was anywhere from 5-7. I'm just glad I had 7 great friends standing beside me. I'm also glad that our videographer filmed on guys side of the stage.

It evened things out just a bit! Ha!

Other things could be: bleaching the sink regularly (I know, bleach is toxic, but it makes me happy to have a white sink.), having things IN THEIR PLACE, documents being as error-free as possible (I about have a conniption when I post a blog and there's a formatting/spelling/incorrect info mistake.). We'll just leave it at those few things. No need to get into the correct your/you're difference/annoyance when the wrong one is used. Or that I feel compelled to reload the dishwasher after Husby puts the dishes in.

What's your favorite quote?

"Comparison is the thief of joy." ~Dwight Edwards

What is the furthest you've been from home?

Targu-Mures, Romania. I worked in an orphanage every summer during college, so I've been to this city several times. It has a special place in my heart!

Do you do a real or fake Christmas tree?

Oooh, if there's one thing I love to talk about, it's our Christmas tree! I love it more than I should. We do a fake tree. It's flocked and has colored lights AND clear lights. AND IT HAS A REMOTE. And that's how I bought it without Husby seeing it. Which guy doesn't love a remote?! I'd also like for it to be known that my husband is a excellent tree-decorator! It helps with my OCD. You can see our Christmas tree here.

What's the first blog you ever read?

Dreams of Simple Life by my friend, Christine. She's an amazing woman who loves the Lord, her husband and her sweet new baby, Luci Belle, and she writes so incredibly well!

Wanna play along or read other blogs? Visit Just Me and My Life.