Thursday, November 29, 2007

Project # 1098347387902




So during my shopping yesterday I found what I thought was a great deal. I checked out my local Church thrift store and found a pretty good chair. Well, it will be pretty good after I make some adjustments like repainting (or staining) and making new cushions. I'll look around for cushions to buy, but I'm not sure I'll find any that will fit. I couldn't pass this deal, it was only $30! They had a second chair that I debated on but ended up leaving. I'll be going back to get it because Jim would like to have a chair in the bedroom (we'll see if it fits).





PPPPPPPPPPPPPSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTT...

...... can I tell you a secret? Are you ready? Do you think you can handle it? Okay, here it goes...


it was my birthday yesterday :) I spent a very nice low key night watching Jim play softball after a day of relaxing and shopping! I think we are going to head out at some point this weekend to do a little celebrating with friends! :) It was very nice turning 21 this year!!!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Kiddo Pictures

We were able to get a picture of the kids being really cute. They normal don't lie so close to each other mostly because Taylor doesn't care for Chewie laying near her. But while watching a movie, we noticed that they were really close to each other so Jim jumped up to take a picture.







We had a cold spell last weekend, so I thought i would try to keep the dogs warm with a sweatshirt. Taylor wasn't to keen on the sweatshirt idea, she kept running around trying to get it off.


Thanksgiving Day

For Turkey day we headed over to Jim's cousins house in Bastrop. It was a great time, and wonderful to see everybody. The food was absolutely yummy and the conversation was great. Here are some pictures from that day....




Our great feast!

The hubby and I

This is Jace, Lori and Charles third child. He wasn't quite ready to wake up from a nap :)

This was a very cool cat. He seemed like he actually liked being held upside down. I want a cat like that!!!

They also had rabbits! They were so cool and very soft!

Who is that crazy lady in the mirror!!?!?!

The kids were playing in the back of their land.

Lori, Charles, Julie, Jim and I

Playing around on the kiddie chair. Thank gawd I didn't break it :)

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I came across this article on CNN.com and I thought I would share with you guys. I have a few friends and my mom that travel quite a bit so I thought this would help you guys out. I would love to only take a carry on piece of luggage when I travel, but I just don't think it would ever happen since I take my hefty camera bag where ever I go. But if I were to follow the tips below, I might be able to pull it off!


Budget Travel

The big goal these days is to pack so little that you can carry on your bag. That means doing more with fewer clothes -- in other words, it's a question of style. Who better to help than Clinton Kelly, cohost of TLC's "What Not to Wear"? Budget Travel asked him to teach our editorial production manager, Lauren Feuer, how to pack for a long weekend in the Berkshires.


Clinton Kelly, co host of TLC's "What Not to Wear" coaches Lauren Feuer on what to pack for a long weekend.

"I'm the master of the three-day weekend," says Clinton. "I haven't checked a bag in four years!" (With all the traveling he does, he says, the time involved with checking bags was adding up to at least one day a year.)

Enough about Clinton: Let's get to packing. "Well, the good news is, I don't see anything that I immediately want to throw out," he said, looking into Lauren's closet.

Packing with Clinton

The big rule: "Nothing gets packed unless it goes with at least two other pieces. In fact, be careful whenever you buy something that only goes with one thing. You get stuck."

Commit to neutrals on half the body: "Let's do neutral bottoms. We're going to bring one pair of jeans, one skirt and one pair of trousers." Clinton bails on the skirt when the one he likes doesn't go with anything else, opting for cropped black pants instead. "Gray is the easiest neutral to make work for day and evening. Brown is OK, but it can end up being too casual, especially for men."


Darker jeans are better: He chooses darker jeans because they can be dressed up for dinner. "Straight-leg jeans are preferable to wide-leg ones, for the same reason."

The other half gets patterns: "A shirt with a pattern goes well with a neutral bottom. I'm no big fan of jeans and a solid -- even though I'm wearing it now." You can mix prints if they're in the same color family and you vary the patterns' sizes.

Keep secondary colors consistent: He throws in an extra knit (a pink top), because it'll go with the jeans and the trousers. "The fewer colors you have, the more likely it is that different pairings will work."

Accessorize strategically: "The right shoes and jewelry can take an outfit up or down." It's fine to mix gold and silver, but when you're traveling, it's easier to stick to one. "Dramatic earrings like these will make this outfit dressier."

On the actual packing: "Wear bulkier items on the plane, so you have more space inside the bag." He puts the jewelry in Ziploc bags to protect it, then stuffs the bags inside the shoes. Next he packs the shoes, in shoe bags, in the bottom of the suitcase.

An excuse to go shopping: "A cotton or poly jersey dress, like a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress, is great for traveling. You just roll it up in a ball." Finally, Clinton says V-necks are better than crewnecks. "They elongate the neckline, which makes you look taller. And that makes you look thinner. I've never met a woman who didn't want to look thinner!"

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Putting up the Christmas lights!!
Jim does a good job of putting up our Christmas lights. We did it on Turkey day since we had some time in the morning before we headed to his families house for Thanksgiving dinner. I was holding the lights for him when I realized I could take some cute pictures :) So I ran inside to get my camera. It was kind of hard to hold the lights and take pictures, but I am a trooper and got it done :)


I thought you might get a kick to see what I was wearing while out front holding Christmas lights and taking pictures. My dog print flannel pants and my red house shoes. I wonder what the neighbors think of me.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Why on earth do you keep following me around with that big black camera???



This is one of the cutest pictures that I have taken.
I wish I could know what she was thinking :)
Chunky Tomato Cheese Pie
Makes: 10 Difficulty Level: 3 Ready In: 30-60 minutes
Ingredients:
5 tomatoes (I only had three tomatoes)
1 pasty for 9-inch pie shell
2 cups Cheddar cheese cubes (I probably only used a little over one cup of cheese)
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar (oops, forgot this!!)
2 teaspoons salt
Directions:Preheat oven to 375. Cut 4 of tomatoes into cubes, slice remaining tomato. On a lightly floured surface roll out pastry; fit into a 9-inch pie pan and flute edges. In a large bowl combine tomato cubes, cheese cubes, bread crumbs, flour, sugar and salt. Toss until well blended. Spoon into pie shell. Bake 30 minutes, until cheese cubes melt and tomato cubes are soft. Remove from oven and garnish with tomato slices. Remove from oven and garnish with tomato slices. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer until tomatoes are soft. Cut into wedges and serve.
I had a couple of extra tomatoe's on hand and the pie crust so i went in search of a recipe to use them in. I didn't have enough tomatoes, but I thought why not. I would suggest to use at least 4 tomatoes. I was not going to the grocery store the night before Thanksgiving :). I will make this again, but I will add onions, garlic, and maybe basil. I did add shredded parmesean to the top before I put it in the oven. It needed a little kick because it was a tad bland, but it is a good starting point!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Fun with Cousins


I had the great pleasure of taking pictures of Kenzie (16 months) and CD (7 months). They were so cute and did quite well while I was taking pictures of them. We took a few photos in Krista's house (Kenzie's mom and my friend) and then we headed out to a park near their house.













Saturday, November 17, 2007

Crazy Ladies

I met up with some friends for dinner and drinks last night. We headed to Berryhill Grill...hmmm, was that the name? I know at least part of the name is Berryhill. I had a tasty fish taco along with a strawberry margarita. As we finished our dinners, we decided to head over to Erin's house since she lived really close to the restaurant. Her house is gorgeous! They are still in the middle of renovating it, so they don't have all of their furniture in it. We got a little crazy, laughed a ton, and talked about everything!!


Friday, November 16, 2007

Hanging out with the kids


I spent some time laying in the back yard with the kids. Taylor spent most of her time sniffing around making sure that nobody was in her backyard. Chewie found a yummy stick to eat while I laid on the ground taking pictures... of course once he realized that I was on the ground he needed to be next to me (see the picture below). And the only way I could get Taylor to come over, was to play with a stick.



Thursday, November 15, 2007

Spicy Sesame Noodles With Chopped Peanuts And Basil
(Bon Appétit, July 2007)


1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
11/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon (or more or less, to your taste) hot chili oil (next time I'll use more, cause we couldn't taste it)
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles (about 1/16 inch in diameter) or fresh angel hair pasta (I used the fresh pasta)
12 green onions (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced (only used 4 green onions)
1 medium carrot thinly slivered
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts (oops.. forgot the peanuts)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh Thai basil leaves (or sweet basil, if Thai isn't available)

Note: If your grocery store doesn't carry hot chili oil, try using chili paste, which is usually available.

Heat peanut oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Transfer to large bowl. Add next 6 ingredients; whisk to blend.Place noodles in sieve over sink. Separate noodles with fingers and shake to remove excess starch. Cook in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly and transfer to bowl with sauce. Add sliced green onions and carrots, toss to coat noodles. Let stand at room temperature until noodles have absorbed dressing, tossing occasionally, about 1 hour. Stir in peanuts and basil; toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature

I also sauteed some chicken and a half of an onion to add to the noodles. We really liked this dish, and will have it again. I was a little worried because I'm not a huge ginger fan, but it was mild enough that it wasn't a dominate taste. I think I might even add some cucumbers next time for a different texture.