Planned Pins for December's Pinstrosity Challenge

Pretty excited to try these babies out this month (click picture to be taken to website):

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting

Peppermint Popcorn Bark

Peppermint Whipped Cream

July 4th Vacation: Day 2

On day two we got up early and headed to the Georgia Aquarium.  Good thing we got there early...it was packed by the time we left.

We went to Stats for lunch and I must say, the food and service was much better than The Vortex.  After lunch we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit before the big game.  On our way to the game the clouds came rolling in, lightning and thunder followed, and then the deluge came.  Braves beat the Cubs 10-3.  WOOT!  There were fireworks after the show, but those pictures didn't come out well. 

Waiting in the parking lot for the storm to pass...

We made it!  Turner Field!

Rain Delay...ya think?!

We got a kick out of the Harrah's Cherokee Casino ad.  (the casino is 15, maybe 20 minutes from us)

My man Chipper!

Chipper up at bat.  He got 5 hits this night...first time he's ever done that at home.

The sun came out long enough for a sunset.

And the crowd goes wild!  (Chipper)

Such a fun vacation!  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A Christmas Story

Many many years ago in a land far far away (aka ~25 years ago and when I lived in Florida) I asked Santa for the Barbie & The Rockers Hot Rockin' Stage after I saw this commercial:



Did you see those moves?!  Oh the colors!  Oh the fun!  My life would never be the same!  I couldn't live and my barbies certainly would be crushed if I didn't get that toy from Santa!!

Funny.  My little 4 or 5 year old brain didn't hear that very important phrase at the end...'Dolls each sold separately.'  And this is what I received:
 

Which, I mean, ooooooookay, not bad...that's a bunch of stuff in a box.  But I was expecting a PARTY IN A BOX!  Does that look like a party?  Not to me!  Where were all the barbies?  Where was the dancing??  Where was the music???  Where was the fun????  Oh, I'm supposed to supply that?  Well phooey. 

That said, I would give my right arm something important to be able to pull that out of a box right now, slip some barbie legs into those pink leg holders and then, with the slight movement of a nob, make those barbies turn first to the right and then to the left.  And then to the right again and then to the left.

P.S. In doing research for this post I also found video of another very influential barbie I had.  *Sigh* I so miss my friends.

Happy Valentine's Day!

How we celebrate at our household:  C plays World of Warcraft and me?  Well, I'm working on my thesis.  Right?  Right after this post.  I need to take a look at the thesis guidelines & formatting requirements.  Probably should've done that first thing, but whatever--I like a challenge.


I spent part of last Saturday at the library working on my Methods section.  Actually got a fair amount completed.  I had to because: 1. I have a meeting with my advisor tomorrow and 2. I'm to submit a "final" draft of my thesis to my advisor by March 7th if I want to graduate this semester.

As I sat there in the library checking Facebook for the umpteenth time sitting open in a window right next to my draft, I realized I needed to nix that distraction.  So guess what?  I deactivated my account.  YESIREEBOB I surely did!  I may reactivate once this whole thesis thing is over unless I find I like my life better without it.  So far I haven't missed anything except posting status updates and checking others' statuses and pictures when really bored.  That came out wrong.  Correction:  I miss having something to mess with on my phone when I'm bored.

End Post.

Indeed indeed

Valentine's Day

Occurred right after we got back from spending more money than we had hoped in Canada, so it was kind of an afterthought.

At least for me, it was. C went and got me lotions, bath bubbles, & a super comfy bath robe...and sadly, I didn't get him anything. He asked me if we were going to celebrate Valentine's Day and I said yes. To him that meant go buy something. To me it meant cards and a home cooked dinner. Perhaps I should be more specific next time.

I will say, I was pretty impressed with the dinner I made. I roasted (using our new roaster C's mom gave us) a 5lb boston butt for 11 hours. Basting every 1 hour. Also used a cool blackening rub I made from several spices. 11 hours. Basting every 1 hour. Annoying, to say the least, but well worth it. I made my own bbq sauce too--so good! Cheese grits...mmmmm...didn't realize it would be so easy. Duh. Grits + cheese = cheese grits. And applesauce. From a jar. Can't get easier than that. So I guess I balanced out the time consuming task of the butt with the ease of the grits & applesauce. I also baked an apple pie/cobbler. Crust bottom cobbler top. Which was okay I suppose--I don't enjoy baked apples very much, but C loves apple pies, so I thought I'd be nice.

Especially since I didn't get him anything. :oP

Live & Learn

Thanksgiving with the Allman side:

Thought I might get out of there without any drama, but alas, I did not. Some feuding occurred during the bridal shower planning that it has continued & let's just say I was a little upset at some inferences made & the fact that it was even brought up.

Thanksgiving with C & N:

The only hiccups were that I threw my potholder in the gravy (not on purpose) & I managed to make the smoke alarm go off by burning the oil I was heating up. :oP

All in all, not too terrible.

All about Thanksgiving

When I was growing up I always felt like we (I) were left out from the extended family's fun holiday gatherings--which we were--there were only a handful of times we actually visited them during the holidays.

So when I came to graduate school near my extended family, I was really excited to spend more time with them. I soon realized that other family members saw us as having been lucky to have a good excuse to miss certain gatherings. And I soon saw why. You know families!

At any rate, for some reason (probably because I've never done it before) I have this intense desire to make Thanksgiving dinner. C & I even discussed declining all invitations and staying home to have our own Thanksgiving. After much thought and careful consideration we decided we'd spend it with my grandparents on my dad's side...and have our own Thanksgiving on Friday.

I'm so excited about it! Here's the menu I picked out:

Baked mashed potatoes, w/ pancetta, parm cheese, & breadcrumbs
2 in 1 gravy & sausage stuffed stuffing
Cornish game hen (on the panini press)
A green bean casserole of some sort
A sweet potato casserole of some sort
Cranberry sauce (yes, from the can, it's my favorite)
Pumpkin pie
And maybe a sweet corn bread pudding--if I'm feeling adventurous

I'm trying to think if I'm missing something my mom usually makes, but I think I covered it all. I only have one oven, so I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being fiasco. Then again, I might discover a talent I never knew I had. Come to think of it, most people only have one oven, so it must be doable.

In case you're wondering, the cornish hen is taking the place of a turkey. A turkey would just be ridiculous for two people. Unless they have turkeys made for two. I have no idea.

Another favorite Christmas video

This is pretty popular so chances are you've seen it. But for those of you who might not have, here it is:

Another post on the Christmas topic

I finally finished reading Cane River (not impressed) and started reading The Autobiography of Santa Claus as told to Jeff Guinn.  I'm only two chapters in and I'm already in love.  It's such a cute book (so far) and I guess you can read a chapter a day starting on December 1st and arrive at the end on Christmas day or maybe Christmas Eve...I'm not real sure.  At any rate, that's pretty neat-o and I'm keeping it in mind if I ever have children. 

P.S.  I have a sneaking suspicion that this book is regarded as a classic.  If so and you already knew that, I just demonstrated to you how little I know of literature.

It's the little things that count

A couple of days ago my boyfriend and I were watching (kind of...he was fixing dinner & I was crocheting) a program on the TV Guide channel about Christmas entertainment or something.  They started talking about Christmas movies and I proceeded to tell the tv which ones I already had and which ones I wanted.  

He comes home from work yesterday and (I'm sure you can see where this is going so I'll spare you the insignificant details) hands me two DVDs that I had said I wanted!  Jack Frost (the old stop-motion one) and the box set of Christmas classics!  I'm so excited.  He's so sweet.  I already have How the Grinch Stole Christmas (which is included in the box set), but I have it on VHS, so now I can get rid of that one and stick to the DVD version.

:oD

In the spirit of the holidays

Here is my absolute favorite Christmas song.  My boyfriend and I sing this year round!

Better late than never!

Happy Thanksgiving!