Saturday, November 29, 2008

I'm FLOORED!

I'm typing this from my living room staircase, which is the only real sittable (is that a word?) surface in my house. Everything else is piled with stuff that used to be somewhere on the main floor. My Dad, Jeremy and our friend Steve Ludlow (remember the turkey & pilgrim pictures he took?) are slaving away in front of me, installing our new laminate "wood" floor. It looks AWESOME! It does amazing things to this room. It looks so much more contemporary and bright. I'll post pictures as soon as I have time...whiiiiiich could be like a month from now. But bear with me. *haha* 

We started yesterday afternoon after Jeremy got up and with Dad's help we'd ripped up the carpet in about an hour and a half. As today draws to a close, they've finished the living room, entry and most of the dining room. All we have left to do is the kitchen. That being said, I'm still not confident that we'll be done with this lovely project before we leave on Tuesday. Dad can't help much tomorrow because of church commitments and I'm not sure how much help I'LL be.  Plus we have to go buy all new trim for all of the walls (our old trim wasn't wide enough and really wasn't worth saving) and install that. And the kitchen will be time consuming just from the standpoint of moving all the appliances. Yuck. So we'll see. I'm still a little overwhelmed at the thought of needing to continue this when we come back from NYC, but I'm a little less begrudging about since I've now seen how nice it looks. *sigh*

On another note, I feel like my vision is much better today! It's still a little blurry, but not nearly as terrible as it has been. So that's exciting! Thank you Lord! :)

Tick tick tick...the clock is rapidly counting down to the trip I've been anticipating for over a year! Our itinerary is chalk-full!  Looking at it makes me a bit tired. *haha* I'm bringing my laptop because I want to upload all of my photos and videos to it each night when we get back to the hotel (that way I don't have to buy more memory cards) and originally I thought it would be cool to blog each night FROM New York City. (Our hotel, as most do in that city, has free Wi-Fi.) Now I'm wondering when I'm even going to SLEEP! *haha* So I won't make any promises about how much you'll get to see until after we get back...but there's a chance I'll at least peek in here or on Facebook to let everyone know we're safe and sound.

Speaking of safe and sound, have you heard about the increased security on New York trains and subways. Yeah, apparently there was some information leaked to the FBI about a "desire" for terrorist attacks on the NYC transit system, specifically the trains going from Long Island into the city. While we won't be on those trains at all, we will be doing a lot of subway travel. So please keep us in your prayers while we are there, and the rest of the city too for that matter. I'm hoping that since the security has been increased it will erase any possibilities of danger. *yikes*

Well my booty has fallen asleep and that is NOT a pleasant feeling, so I'm going to sign off for now. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! It seems like a big blur to me since we've had so much to do, but we did have a really nice day with my family and delicious food! What more can you ask for? :)

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Turkey Day Eve

STOMP is in town for a performance tonight and this afternoon they had a free show at Exploration Place which Lauren brought the kiddos to and I got to tag along. It was fun but way too short. They only did two songs and I could have watched them for a lot longer. I guess that was probably the point...to wet peoples appetites and leave them wanting more so they would go buy concert tickets.  After the little show was over, we went inside and played in the museum for a while. I hadn't been there in a long time, and never with a kid, so it was fun to see through Livvie's eyes. She really likes all the interactive play areas. And Jack just likes any opportunity to get in on the action. 

Isn't Liv's outfit the CUTEST?!? It was soft and cozy...and that HAT! I could have just squeezed her to death.  

I am really looking forward to tomorrow's food, family and festivities! Mom is putting together quite a feast as always. I'm in charge of very important items such as cherry Jello (which is Jeremy's personal must-have) and rolls. Notice I'm doing the can't-screw-it-up-if-you-tried dishes? Yeah, that's me! :) My Aunt Sharon and cousin Jessica will be there too, with Jessica's kids Jovan and Juliana. They have so much fun with Livvie and Jack. They're such a great age range to be able to play together!

I can't wait to watch the Macy's Parade this year. I love it every year, but this year will be particularly thrilling, knowing that in just a few days I'll be walking down those same streets! AAAH! I'm so excited! In case you're not paying attention to my countdown, we're under 5 days till we leave! I almost have that sick-nervous-excited feeling whenever I think about it. You know, like a little spike in your adrenaline and your heart skips a beat? That's what I have. It could either be excitement or stress because now I have something particularly messy happening between now and then and I just don't know how it's going to get done.

Remember many months ago when I came back from IKEA with boxes of laminate flooring? Remember how we were going to rip out our entire main floor and put that stuff down? Yeah, well now that's scheduled to happen THIS WEEKEND!!! Aaaah! As in, we'll do it Friday, Saturday and probably Sunday, then Dear Lord PLEASE be done with it by Monday so we can clean up and pack! I'm a nervous wreck about it. I really don't wanna leave the house in shambles. If all goes well and we finish it, I'll be relieved to have it over with and be able to come home to the completed project and then begin to decorate for Christmas. But if we run out of time and leave the house in a big mess...well I won't be very happy. So here's hoping! Daddy's going to help us (he's actually the main reason we're doing it this weekend, since he's available) and we've had a couple of offers from friends from church too. So maybe if we get enough manpower behind it we can do it fast.

Here's a completely random, out of the blue product review. Have you seen those commercials for the dryer sheets Bounce now makes that supposedly have "beads of fragrance" or something in them that release all through the day, making your clothes practically BURST with freshness?? Well they don't work. I've been using them for almost a month and my clothes don't even smell straight from the dryer, let alone for a full day. So they get a big ol' BOO from this consumer! And I was so disappointed, because I really, really love the smell of dryer sheets and would love to smell like one all day long. *haha*

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Weight Update

I am down 13 pounds, thanks partially to a "miracle 3 day diet" I participated in last week and have started again this week. You basically stick to this fairly strict (but not torturous) plan for three days of the week, and they don't even have to be in consecutive order. Then the rest of the week you should eat sensibly, but my three pounds I lost last week included pigging out at Olive Garden (I told myself to leave more in that bowl...but DANG that pasta was yummy!) and Sunday night's early Thanksgiving feast.  I had "plateaued" at 10 pounds almost a month ago, so it was nice to see the scale move again.  I won't go into the diet's specifics (unless you want 'em) but my Mom did the diet with me last week and she lost TEN POUNDS in the first three days! Pretty impressive, I must say!

Honestly, in the back of my mind, I don't know why I'm bothering at all. When you look at our itinerary for New York City, about 60% of the places we're going involve FOOD! *haha* And not just food but an excessive amount of pancakes and desserts and chocolate and cheeeeeesecake...(New York style baby! I am drooling just thinking about it.) So the plan is this: I'm going to do this miracle 3 day diet right before we go and right after we get back, so I'm hoping that will stave off any ridiculous weight gain. I mean, seriously, the menus we have planned could rival any cruise ship, and don't people usually gain weight on cruises? So that's what I'm sayin! *haha* And not to mention the Food Eating Holiday of the year is in two days and I don't plan on holding back...so basically by the end of all this we'll see just how big of a miracle this diet really is?!? :) 

Monday, November 24, 2008

Yum Yum Brownie Muffins and Easy-Peasy Lemon Cake!

Last night our Young Married's group from church had our annual Thanksgiving Potluck. They're always a lot of fun because it's an extra chance to eat all the favorites of the Holiday AND chat with a bunch of great friends. We had a great turnout and lot's of yummy food.

I signed up to bring dessert because I wanted to try a couple of recipes from my Hungry Girl cookbook. The baking began early enough in the afternoon that if they didn't turn out, I still had time to run to Dillon's and pick up a backup. *haha* But as luck would have it, everything turned out completely delicious! And they were so EEEEEASY!! You'll never believe it.

The Yum Yum Brownie Muffins baked up big and fluffy and incredibly moist. Here's the "recipe"

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1 can pure pumpkin
Mix these ingredients together, spoon into muffin cups or muffin tin sprayed with no-stick spray and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. 
AND THAT'S IT!
The dough is a little sticky and hard to work with, but other than that everything was easy-peasy.  They have 170 calories per muffin (and they're good-sized) plus they have the fiber from the pumpkin which is a dieting bonus.
I dusted mine with some powdered sugar to make them a little prettier.  They're more of a muffin than a cupcake so they don't really need frosting. 

They were  a big hit! When I revealed the ingredients, everyone was shocked. PUMPKIN? You really can't taste it. Well, Jeremy said HE could, of course, Mr. Picky Pants. *haha* 

I also made a lemon cake using a tip I found on Hungry Girl's website. It's equally as simple.
1 box cake mix (I used lemon) 
1 can of diet pop (I used Diet 7-up)
Mix ingredients together and follow the baking instructions on the box!
It's amazing to me that a can of pop (or pumpkin, for that matter) can do the same job as eggs and oil. Weird, right? But it turned out great too!!  So you have no added calories or fat. The flavor was really nice and the texture was moist...although a teensy bit crumbly. I sprinkled powdered sugar on that too and they tasted like yummy lemon bars.

And you know what I'm gonna say...if I can do it - YOU CAN DO IT! *haha*

Sunday, November 23, 2008

A Very Jonas Christmas?

After months of wondering and waiting, I've finally found a list of who will be performing at the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.  Among the talent for the evening? The Jonas Brothers. Heaven help us.

Don't get me wrong. I happen to like the Jonas Bro's. I even have their first CD on my workout playlist on my iPOD (which means I never listen to it *haha*).  And if I were about 10 years younger (or single) I'd probably be DYING to go to one of their concerts. But, when I read they would be there, my first and only thought was, "Great. Now the crowd will be tripled and the average age will drop dramatically." Let's face it, the Jonas Brothers are about the hottest thing out there right now. And you know that about a billion little girls that live anywhere CLOSE to that vicinity (and even the spoiled ones that live nowhere near) are gonna make their way out in the cold that night just to see those curly-headed boys in their skinny jeans. Again, Heaven help us. :)

I AM excited, however, because David Cook will be among the performers that evening, and even though he's wearing eye liner in his latest promo picture, I did vote for him as American Idol and I think he's got an awesome voice. So that will be exciting. Again, not that we'll be anywhere close enough to HEAR him (or be able to hear anything above the echoes of preteen screaming) but it's the thought that counts. Harry Connick Jr. is also supposed to be there and even though I can't stand him as an actor, I LOVE his music so that's exciting too!

Beyonce' will also be there, as well as Tony Bennet, Faith Hill and Rascall Flatts.  I'm definitely going to DVR the whole event, since we'll probably be so far back that we won't be able to see or hear a thing. But I LOVES me a big crowd and I LOVES me a big Christmas tree...so the whole experience is sure to be a thrill!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Eye yai yai!

This morning I had my eye appointment to check the prescription which I was so sure was faulty. (RECAP: Last week the glasses-lady fixed the frames so my eyes weren't straining as badly, but my right eye has still been blurry. UPDATE: My eyes have felt very dry and irritated lately. I haven't been able to wear my contacts for more than a day without getting little patches of redness on my eyes, especially the right one. That's important for later.)

Well my doctor thought it was pretty strange that I was sitting there in his office asking for a new prescription when I just got a new one not even three months ago. But I was sure he had just done something wrong and written down the wrong numbers or something. He began to look at my eyes and do the whole "Is this clearer? How about this? 1 or 2? 2 or 3? 3 or 1?" thing, 'yknow, till you're so completely confused about what is clear and what isn't you just want your old glasses back? Well, NOTHING helped my right eye. He kept strengthening it and changing it and nothing was getting any clearer. Plus I told him that my right eye has been blurry looking at things up-close too, which has never happened before. 

So he sent me back out to the wheel-of-misfortune to run every eye test known to man, including the hot air balloon stare-down and the surprise-puff-of-air-torture device...and even some new toys I've never had the privilege of playing with, one of which required numbing drops for my eyes which freaked me out a bit.  He also dilated my eyes, which I've never had done before. I never knew my pupils could get that big. They reminded me of cartoon eyes or something...pretty weird. 

One of the tests (I believe it was the space-age-Twilight-zone thingy) showed that while three months ago I didn't have astigmatism, now I'm at a three. I don't really know what that means, but apparently rapid progression up the astigmatism scale is unusual. Oh and not good, definitely a bad thing. BUT, the test that required numbing drops showed that I have good corneal thickness, which means I have generally healthy eyes. Yay me!

After all this he decided that I have one of two things:
I could have Keratoconus (Yes, I had to look that word up in an online dictionary of eye disorders to know how to spell it.) This would stink big time, most likely leading to a corneal transplant at some point down the road. STINK BIG TIME. Bad bad bad.

But I could also have something else called (and since I haven't been able to find the name of it anywhere on the internet I'm guessing it's spelled like this) Tyginson disease. It's a hormonal condition found in women in their mid-20's (that's me!).  It's almost a viral condition that effects the eye making it more sensitive (explaining why I haven't been able to wear my contacts comfortably for a while now), dry and irritated. The irritation then leads to swelling of the lens area of the eye, I guess, and that causes blurred vision. I explained to him that my eye seems to get more blurry as the day goes on, and that seemed to confirm his decision. 

He's going to treat me for Tyginson's for a month and then check my eye again. If things have progressed in the wrong direction, we'll have to take another look at me having that other thing that I don't wanna spell again. But for now I'm praying with all my might that this will help. He prescribed some very fancy eye drops and I'm not supposed to wear my contacts AT ALL for the next month. Good thing I bought these hotty totty glasses, that's all I'm sayin'.  

I'm also really praying that maybe these drops will help enough (and quickly enough) that I can enjoy New York City. I don't wanna be squinting all the way through Phantom of the Opera, y'know? (Guess it's good I found us such great seats though, huh? *SQUEAL*)

Anyways, keep me in your prayers. I'm trying to stay positive about this. Check back on my positive attitude in a week if these drops haven't worked, though. *haha*


Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Time for Joy and Time for Cheer!

 Jeremy is a big ol' stickler about waiting to acknowledge the Christmas season until AFTER Thanksgiving. This is something I've had to honor since he came into my life almost 10 years ago. At first I had a lot of trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that Thanksgiving needed "the respect" of sole recognition, and it's hard, because in my family the house was always fully decorated by at least the week of Turkey day. 

So while I try not to shove anything red & green down his throat, I usually begin listening to Christmas music during my "me time" by at least mid-November.  (And now department stores and radio stations have caught the fever...they're on the schedule our family has been on for years! *haha*) And I've been known to pull out my favorite Seasonal movies or cartoons early too, so I can fit in at least a couple of viewings before the end of December. :)

Well, the other day I was at the kitchen table editing some photos on my laptop while listening to a Christmas station on iTUNES. (Did you know iTUNES had "radio" stations? They're pretty spiffy. I found at least a dozen that play nothing but Christmas music, 24/7.) Jeremy woke up earlier than I'd expected (he sleeps days since he works 3rd shift, for those of you not familiar with his schedule). He showered and came into the kitchen to get something to eat and I didn't shut the Christmas music off...I wondered if he'd say something. Well he didn't and we even proceeded to sit together, eat, talk and surf the net...all to a soundtrack of jingle bells and Bing Crosby. Finally after a few hours, I mentioned something to the effect of, "I'm surprised you haven't said anything about the Christmassy music!" He shrugged and said, "I don't know, I'm more open to it this year." I dug deeper and we decided that it must be because of this upcoming to New York. We both kind of feel like we need to be in the Christmas Spirit BEFORE we get there...so we can hit the ground running. 

So even before we get there, this trip is giving me a wonderful Christmas season and a more "jolly" husband! *haha*  HO HO HO!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Movie Madness

With our trip to NYC quickly approaching, it seems our to-do list is growing. We (*ahem* JEREMY) needs to figure out the map and subway system so we'll have a better idea of how to get around in the city. We need to see if the stuff we're packing will fit into just one suitcase a piece since our airline is one of the peaches that charges $50 for a second bag. Geez! (We have one huge bag but it will almost definitely weigh too much when filled to capacity, and that would get us charged too.)

One of the things I've added to the list might seem silly to others but to me, it's paramount.  I have gathered a stack of movies that are set in New York that I feel we MUST watch before we leave. Initially when I had the thought, I didn't realize how many of my favorite movies are set in New York City! There are a TON! I guess that's why I've been so indoctrinated to love that city. I already have so many "memories" surrounding that place. ;) And basically, in order to watch all of the movies I've gathered before we go, we'll need to watch one a night from here on. *haha* 

Last night we watched You've Got Mail, one of my all-time favorite movies period, and the first movie that made me really think I wanted to live in NYC. Their portrayal of the city is so warm and cozy and romantic...*sigh* I love it. Then we popped in Hitch, which has a lot of great landmarks in it, including Ellis Island and the Museum of Natural History. I'm ashamed to say I dozed off mid-way through that one, but I'm still checking it off my list. *hehe* 

Other movies in the stack include Enchanted, Big, Kate & Leopold, Serendipity and Independence Day (What's more fun than watching a city you're about to visit be destroyed by aliens? Nothing!) And of course, since we'll be there for Christmas festivities, it's imperative that we watch Miracle on 34th Street and Elf. IMPERATIVE I say. 

And then there are the sentimental favorites from my childhood. Newsies, which was filmed entirely on a soundstage in California yet I completely associate that film with my obsession of NYC.  And last but MOST important of all, On The Town, a Gene Kelly musical I discovered as a little girl and have loved ever since. I used to pretend one of my Barbies was Vera Ellen (she's also one of the sisters in White Christmas. I LOVE HER!) and this movie is responsible for my love of Sailor suits. :) It's important that Jeremy watches it with me again, because though he's seen it once, there's a good chance I'll be walking around singing the songs from this movie and he needs to be able to join in. (Yeah right.)  OH! And this is also one of the movies I was thinking of when I referenced Gene Kelly dance scenes after seeing HSM3...you know, with the unrealistic scenery? There's a scene where Mr. Kelly dances around a "fake" New York and it's bright and fantasy-like. So charming. I loves it. :)

Enjoy!



(There's no Vera Ellen in this clip....but this is most likely the song I'll be singing for a week straight. *hehe*)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

The first post that really lives up to this blog's name



Heya! A couple of you have asked me to post a picture of me in my new glasses. Today I've been playing around with my laptop's built in camera, so here ya go!
Um...and then after capturing my "normal" self, I felt inclined to experiment with the other features that were available. (Note: these are not for the faint of heart. *hehe*)

Here I am with my *ahem* twin sister.

Here I am as every elementary school student's worse nightmare:

Here I am with some impressive eyelashes, but the tradeoff just isn't worth it:

Poor Wrigley...

And here...well....just see for yourself.

I'll leave you with a more pleasant image...don't want anyone having nightmares now do I? This feature is called "colored pencil" and I like it alot.



Friday, November 14, 2008

Top Eight's

So, I didn't get tagged to do this, but I was blog-stalking...I MEAN blog-hopping and I found this fun little Top 8's list and I want to do it. I love lists. Not the meaningful, goal-oriented, stuff I need to get done so my life will be better kinds of lists. But the completely pointless, random, these are my favorite flavors of pudding kinds of lists. Those I'm all for. (And it's banana, vanilla, white chocolate and dulce de leche, since I know you're curious. Yes, in that order. I used to like butterscotch until we saw a kid at a Wendy's salad bar lick the spoon from the butterscotch pudding and then stick it back in, so now I have an aversion to the stuff, even though all other butterscotch pudding is innocent and truly unrelated to this horrendous crime that happened like 18 years ago. *sigh* Stupid kid.)

Note: The rest of these will NOT be in any order. That's just too much to commit to.

TOP 8 TV SHOWS
1. Project Runway
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. DogTown
4. Seinfeld
5. Prison Break
6. Lost
7. Fringe
8. What Not To Wear

TOP 8 RESTAURANTS
1. On The Border
2. Chili's
3. Emperor's Grill
4. P.F. Chang's (or Pei-Wei)
5. El Chico (Which we don't have here anymore *pout*)
6. Chick-fil-a (Which we only have in WSU's foodcourt *whine*)
7. Bishop's (Yes, the Senior Citzen buffet extravaganza. I like their mac&cheese ok?)
8. Texas Roadhouse

WHAT ARE 8 THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THIS WEEK?
1. Bought my fancy li'l black dress and my first pair of heels
2. Started getting down to the nitty gritty planning our trip to NYC
3. Went to Mom's house yesterday to get my hair trimmed and have her sew some bead onto my new dress
4. Downloaded some Christmas music off iTUNES and have already listened to most of it. (NO it's not too early. Shuddup.)
5. I've taken the dogs on a walk every day this week...except the day it rained. So almost every day.
6. Took some clothes to a tailor to be hemmed: pants for Jeremy, jackets for me.
7. Got my glasses adjusted on Wednesday (but my right eye is STILL blurry, gonna have to get that taken care of.)
8. Going to see Bond tonight with the hubby! (I know technically that hasn't happened yet, but gimme a break, my week was pretty boring!!) 

WHAT ARE 8 THINGS YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO?
1. Thanksgiving! Yumma-lumma!
2. LEAVING FOR NEW YORK! December 2nd can't get here fast enough!
3. The lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center!
4. Phantom of the Opera!! Ohmagoodness ohmagoodness ohmagoodness!
5. Eating way too much "New York Style" cheesecake, hotdogs and pizza. Woo woo!
6. Walking the streets of New York City, sipping a cup of hot chocolate!
7.  Seeing Times Square, Central Park, Washington Square Park, Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park,  Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Flat Iron Building, lot's and lot's of buildings...and etc!
8. For Jeremy to wake up today so we can spend some time together and go to the movie!

WHAT ARE 8 THINGS YOU LOVE ABOUT FALL?
1. "Sweater weather," I love the chill in the air!
2. Beautiful trees and leaves on the ground
3. It opens "Holiday Season!" Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years...I love this time of year!
4. It starts to get dark earlier. I don't know why, but that's exciting to me. It makes me really sentimental for family nights in the winter with stew and cornbread at a table lit with candles...and driving around Christmas shopping and looking at Christmas lights.  I guess I associate dark evenings with fun memories. :)
5. JEANS! Full-body clothing coverage!!! I feel like I look more stylish in the Fall and Winer. *haha*
6. Soup, stew, hot cider, cocoa and other great cold-weather treats
7. Pumpkins, hay bales, indian corn and mums
8. Snuggling on the couch with my hubby and doggies

Ok so just because I wasn't tagged to do this doesn't mean I can't tag someone ELSE! *haha* I tag:

Thursday, November 13, 2008

I've been tagged!

Monica tagged me to do an "all about my hubby" exercise. This is fun, in my opinion, because it gives me the opportunity to talk about someone else. :) So here we go!

Husband's name: Jeremy Lee

How long we've been married: 4 1/2ish years

How long we dated: Around 5 years! We met when I was 16 and he was 19...he was my first and only boyfriend. *awwww*

How old is he: 28

Who's taller? *gulp* I am, by just a smidge. Again, the reason I gave up heels and my platform Skechers! *hehe*

Who can sing best? Umm...that's a tough race to call. I am more open with my singing...probably TOO open: singing at the store, singing in the shower, singing in the car. I don't have the talent but I have a passion for music. Jeremy is much more quiet when he does sing, or he sings in his "silly" voice so I don't know if I've ever heard him sing in full voice, as they say. 

Smarter? Him him him. He's a walking calculator and fact checker. He enjoys trivia and those "brain challenges."  He just absorbs everything he ever reads or hears. I'm constantly asking him questions and clarification on stuff. The only subject I am "smarter" in would be grammar, as he constantly accuses me of being the "grammar police." ;)

Laundry? That'd be me. I made the mistake early on in our marriage of saying, "Oh I enjoy doing laundry!" Pffft. What was I thinking? I still don't really MIND but it's not as fun as it once was. I do enjoy the smell of detergent, dryer sheets and bleach so I guess that's one perk. :)

Paying Bills? HIM. Again, the man's math skills outweigh mine significantly.  It just makes sense for him to handle that stuff.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does. Never really dissected that...I don't remember how it was decided.

Mows the lawn? HIM. Though he probably wouldn't mind if I took that job away from him. Bleh.

Cooks more? Well, define cook. I "put dinner together" more but it doesn't consist of any hardcore cooking. He's such a picky eater that making anything more than meat'n'potatoes would be a waste of time and too much for me to eat alone.

The first to admit they're wrong?  Early in our relationship that would definitely have been me. I hate confrontation and arguing, so I would admit to about anything  to get back to happy-happy-joy-joy. But as the years have past I've learned that, ya know what? It ISN'T always my fault and sometimes HE needs to approach ME with an apology. So there! ;) And he's taken to that role quite nicely...so now I'd say it's 50/50.

Who kissed first? I seem to remember it was mutual, but he probably did initiate it. :)

Who wears the pants?  I'd say he does. I'm so laid back that I usually don't have much of an opinion. We do make a lot of decisions together, though. He never bulldozes me...I'm fortunate that he is so considerate of my feelings. 

That was kinda fun! And now I'm supposed to tag three more lucky ladies to dish about their hubbies! So I think I'll tag:

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

All I Have to Do is Dream...

Does anyone else ever wish they could record their dreams to watch them back later?  I will often wake up from a dream and while it's fresh in my mind I reflect on the details and "characters," but then the next morning they're almost completely wiped away! It's sad that something my imagination works so hard creating can be forgotten so easily. *haha*

Last night I had two particularly "memorable" dreams that I wish I could see once more. One of them was more like a movie than a dream...but of course I ended up as a main character. Isn't that how it always works? :)  I would like to go back and take a look at the other people in the dream. Do you ever wonder HOW your imagination can just make people up from scratch?  Or maybe you only dream about people you know? I constantly am dreaming of people I've never seen before...and I'd love to be able to study them more closely and figure out if I'm morphing multiple real-life faces together or if my imagination is just that awesome. ;)

The other dream from last night was particularly humorous. Jeremy and I were at some public place waiting on something, maybe an airport or a bus station? We left our belongings unattended (which as you know you're NEVER supposed to do) and when we came back I went to use my laptop and it WAS NOT my laptop! This one was old and nasty and scratched up all over, and of course mine is still quite new. Well, I was able to immediately make the logical leap that someone must have switched their old awful laptop for mine!! What a crime! *hahaha* I also somehow figured out who had done it and he said, "Ok fine, here's your laptop back." But that one wasn't my laptop either! I think I remember this going on a few times until I was so aggravated, I restrained the fella (all by myself...where did Jeremy go? *haha*) and called the cops! Over the phone they told me there was nothing they could do until I paid a hefty fee (Is this really what my subconscious thinks of our legal system?) so I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I started to interrogate him, aka - beat the SNOT out of the guy! It's hilarious to think back on, but in my dream I remember feeling so angry and just letting it rip! I'd shake him by the neck and scream, "WHERE IS MY LAPTOP?!?!?" *hahaha* As if he were holding on to some national security secret or something. All this and I didn't even watch last season of 24. Think of how much worse this could have been? ;) I don't remember if I ever got my stupid laptop back or not, but when I woke up I felt pretty ashamed of myself. Even though I didn't actually beat anyone up, the fact that I felt this passionately about a hunk of metal is ridiculous. 

This afternoon I went to my eye doctor to see their Optometrist. She adjusted my frames and I'm seeing much better now.  She told me that these new frames had much more of a curve to them and that's why I felt like I was looking through a fishbowl. I still don't feel like I"m seeing perfectly but it's MUCH better. She wants me to wear them till Friday and if I'm not happy with them by then we'll look at the prescription again. 

Before I go I have to mention - have you ever tried Pringle's Stix? 

I just picked up some pizza flavored ones at Target with Jeremy in mind, but decided I'd try some for an afternoon snack. They're REALLY good!! Crunchy and flavorful and even low cal. I had a pack with a cheese stick and it was a nice little treat! :) I think I'll try the honey ones next time.  Yum!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A-Shopping We Did Go!

Our clothing budget for Fall/Winter is now totally blown. As you know I went on a mini shopping spree not too long ago. Well yesterday Jeremy and I went shopping for HIM. He was in worse need of clothes than even I was. When we went through his side of the closet, we were finding t-shirts that he wore when we first met...almost 10 years ago! Most were faded, stretched out, or too snug. The man just needed clothes. So we hit the sales at Sears and JC Penney and now he's set for the seasons ahead.

And naturally I couldn't be in the mall without picking up something for myself! Back when I was employed *sigh* I was setting aside a little money each week in a New York fund. I didn't know then what I would end up using it for, but recently I decided I wanted to get a dress or something fairly formal to wear to the theater or out to a nice dinner.  (I've read that most places in the city have relaxed their dress codes, but it's still part of the experience that I wanted to have, y'know?) Well I tried on a bunch of dresses yesterday and none of them were...how do I put this...forgiving? Clingy, drapey fabrics just really reveal every flaw in every spot. I was getting depressed, but then I found this "little black dress" on the clearance rack. It was a size smaller than I've been wearing recently but I grabbed it up with a handful of others just to try.  And it ended up fitting PERFECTLY!! I was amazed. It's extremely flattering and much, much more forgiving than the other dresses I'd tried on. Actually, it follows "the rules" I'm sure Stacy and Clinton would have given me...it's kind of an empire waist with beading and then a v-neckline to elongate the neck. I was unsure of the neck at first, actually. It's lower than anything I've ever owned. But it's still very modest and Jeremy approved...and I know for sure he wouldn't let me leave the house looking like a hoochie. *haha*

Well owning a fancier dress than I've ever owned called for something else I didn't have...heels. I have never owned a pair of heels. I know, how can I even call myself a woman, right? But here's the deal. I started dating Jeremy when I was only 16...and I kind of swore off heels and other high shoes at that point because I didn't want to tower over him. That's the excuse I've used, anyway. They're just really not that comfortable and you know it! 

So I went to Payless since they always kindly accommodate my wide feet. :) This is the first pair I tried on: 


and like I dummy I tried it on my right foot first and almost fell over in pain. I don't know why I didn't think about it sooner but my ankle still hurts when I point my foot. And what does a high heel make you do? DUH! These were just too extreme. So after trying on a few others that hurt like the dickens, I found these:

The heel isn't as skinny or as high...and I know it's not a pointed toe so Stacy and Clinton wouldn't approve (*haha* I can't tell you how tired Jeremy got of my What Not To Wear references yesterday) but they're HEELS and I figure they're a good starting point! Now I need to start wearing them around the house so I can get used to them. So if you come over some afternoon and I'm cleaning the windows in jammies and heels, you'll know why. *haha* 

Oh, so my dress was on clearance and reduced beyond that because it was missing a few beads (anyone wanna help me with that? *hint hint*) and my heels were on sale too, so I got my whole fancy-shmancy little outfit and STILL have stash money leftover. I love bargains. :)

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Blindness, Broadway and Low-cal Cuppycakes

I picked up my new glasses from Wal-Mart yesterday afternoon and while I think they're absolutely PERFECT (seriously cute, classy and a teensy bit retro - they're FAB!), I can't see worth a darn. I walked around Wal-Mart for a few minutes before I went back to the lady in the Vision Center. I asked her to double check the prescription to make sure they'd copied it down right and that the glasses matched too. Everything was correct, except my vision! Things aren't blurry, but I feel a little like I'm wearing 3-D goggles...as if I'm seeing in layers. It's hard to explain, but I feel like my eyes are straining really bad too. The woman said that my eyes are probably just adjusting, but if I'm not seeing better by Monday I'm calling my optometrist. Meanwhile I've got a constant headache.

My vision has unfortunately affected my plans for the weekend. Last night I went to a crop with Jenny at her church and managed to get a layout done but it wasn't easy. Then today I was supposed to crop with Mary and I just couldn't. I went and gabbed for a couple of hours, which was fun, but didn't bother with my scrap crap. My head is just hurting too much.

Yesterday I did make some AMAZING cupcakes for the crop night with Jenny. "Cupcakes?" you ask. "But Sarah, I thought you were on a diet!" Well I am! The cupcake recipe came from my Hungry Girl cookbook. They were chocolatey and fluffy and DELICIOUS! I was amazed at how wonderful they turned out because:
a. I baked them.
and b. They only have 108 calories each! 
Yes you read right! Too good to be true, but why would I lie about something like that? *haha* They're so yummy that even the "non-dieters" at the crop gobbled them up. Some even had two! In place of frosting, which is a high-calorie item, I put a blop of marshmallow cream on top of each cupcake. (That was a struggle. Marshmallow cream is NOT easy to work with, especially on the top of a moist cupcake.) Anywho, I'm looking forward to trying some other recipes after discovering how great these were. 

Jeremy and I went to Old Navy last night to look at coats since they're all 50% off right now. I tried on every coat in the store and couldn't find one I liked. A lot of the ones they've got right now have really high necks and I felt like I was choking. Jeremy had more luck than I did, he found this coat and it fit him to a T. 
I'm totally psyched about it. He looks really cute in it...and it's not something he would typically go for. I think he'll look purdy hot with this over a sweater walking around New York City.  (Jeremy? In a sweater AND a coat? He would be literally HOT! *hahaha*)

Speaking of New York....only 23 days left! (Which you already knew, thanks to that handy dandy counter I added to my page recently.)  The other day our Phantom of the Opera tickets came in the mail and I just about wet my pants! I was waving them in the air, dancing around the kitchen, acting like a total goofball. Jeremy looked a little panicked...like, "If this is what she does when she sees the tickets, what will she do when we get to the theater?" Scary. *haha* If I could have my way, we would be doing Broadway every single night we were there. Wicked, Mary Poppins, White Christmas, Chicago, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mama Mia....oh and don't forget the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Oh wait, that's more nights than we're even going to be there, isn't it? Well dang. ;) 

This week Jeremy and I are going to sit down and make up a day-by-day itinerary. This goes against much of our usual travel philosophy. We're big on "winging it," usually making a loose plan but leaving lot's of room for spontaneity. As I've been gathering info for NYC, however, I've realized that there is just far too much to do for us to wing it. We need to make a plan of attack, separating things by "boroughs" so we can be as efficient as possible. It's so overwhelming! The only things that are set in stone so far are:
Wednesday night: Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
Thursday night: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA! *squeal*
Friday night: Museum of Modern Art (which has free admission on Friday nights)
 
Then I have a monstrous list of restaurants, shops and landmarks I want to hit. I don't think there's any possible way for us to do everything...guess I should just be grateful we'll be there at all! :)

Thursday, November 6, 2008

To Dream the Impossible Dream...again

I feel like I am too young to consider the struggle with my weight a "never ending battle." Yet in reality, there have been so many times I've tried, succeeded, then failed at the diet game that I'm beginning to lose count.

But even with all of that failure in my past, here I go again. I've been eating right for about a month now and I've lost 7 pounds. Not exactly an exciting number, but at least it's something. 

I haven't been back to the gym since I sprained my ankle (well, that makes it sound like I was going the whole time up until I fell...a bit misleading isn't it? *haha*). I can walk normally and have been trying to take the dogs on an outing every day. But there have been several times that I've stepped off a curb or some uneven pavement and had shooting pains through that ankle and foot. Scary. And it's still extremely stiff and painful when I first stand up in the morning or after sitting for a long period of time. And I still can't squat or kneel very easily. Can't, can't, can't. I've got lot's of excuses, don't I? I know I'm leaning on them pretty heavily and if I really WANTED to exercise I wouldn't be letting my ankle stand in my way. But alas, I don't wanna, so I'm still milkin' the ankle. :^P

My Mom turned me on to the Hungry Girl website a while back and I've been getting a lot of tips there recently. If you're not familiar with it, you should really check it out. Lot's of PRACTICAL information for eating healthier and forming better habits. She has recommendations for the best low-cal snacks on the market and exposes the horrifying calorie counts in a lot of the things we eat without even thinking!! Frightening stuff. (400 calories in a SMALL popcorn at the movies - not including extra butter! Yikes!) Then I also picked up the recipe book this morning at Wal-Mart and I'm super excited about it. As you all know, I am NO chef. Cooking is not my skill and actually scares me a little. But I like the way this book is written. Very Sarah-friendly. :) It's written conversationally, which makes me feel more comfortable. Like, for example, this one cupcake recipe tells you:
"Evenly spoon batter (which will be thin, 
but don't worry-your cupcakes will puff up!) into the pan."
I love that! Cause I can tell you that I would be thinking that EXACT thought! "Why is my batter so thin? Did I do something wrong? Should I add something else? Oh my gosh! What do I do?" and then I would call my Mom. *haha* I just don't have the confidence (and therefore lack the experience) to wing it. So yeah, I'll let you know how my experiments in the kitchen go in the near future. :)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Better late than never!


In the afternoon I headed up to my Dad's office with practically the whole family (Jeremy didn't come...he was sleeping.). They did a trick-or-treat thing for the kids where everyone passed out candy from their offices and cubicles. Livvie got such a kick out of it. By the end she had memorized the whole routine.
"Trick or Treat!" - take a piece of candy...or two or three if no one stopped her
"Thank you!" (as I've said before, you WILL NOT find a more polite 3 yr old)
"Happy Halloween!" as we walked away to the next office.
It was bittersweet watching Olivia collect the candy, carefully picking out which piece she would add to her collection. She can't eat any of it, remember, because of her allergies. Lauren, being the brilliant supermom she is, brought some "Livvie-safe" candy and treats along and switched them out when she wasn't paying attention. This is probably the only time that routine will work, however, as next year I imagine her saying, "Hey! Where's that pack of Skittles I picked up?" or "Wasn't there a purple lollipop in here?" But it certainly worked this year. She got the experience of trick-or-treating and enjoyed snacking on her treats that won't make her sick.
And Jackson...well he was just as smiley as always. No candy for him this year, but someone was passing out rubber duckies and that kept him occupied the whole time.
Poor li'l guy...he was dressed for REAL Halloween weather, not the 75 degree day we had. He was sweatin' up a storm in that cuddly lion costume. But he sure looked cute, didn't he?
For those of you who are thinking that Livvie is just your run-of-the-mill, everyday clown, you're mistaken! She's JoJo the Clown from the Disney chennel! And JoJo has a pet lion named Goliath...and that's what Jack was dressed up as! See? Pretty cute!
And just a few more pictures...cause if you can't tell I kinda like these kids. *haha*
That last one is my favorite! Isn't it great? I told Lauren it looks like she had posed him that way, like he's saying, "What a HUGE pumpkin!" *haha*

Then that evening I went to our church's Festival and Trunk or Treat event. Every year our Young Married's group hosts a trunk, and this year we did an 80's theme. It was fun to shop for the costume and apply gobs and gobs of makeup.
I look amazing, yes? Well wait till you see the pants. *haha*
Steve and Sonna Ludlow came as some 80's pop culture icons. Can you guess what they are? (By the way, I have no idea why this text is being underlined and I can't make it stop!! *grrrr*)
Angie was another 80's fashion victim, like myself, but Casey wanted to go all out and come as Beetlejuice. The suit was so clever...just a black suit with white duct tape on it! BRILLIANT! :)
Angie is a talented gal, and she painted this huge TV screen/Atari/Bean-bag game for the kids to play. It was a hit! None of the kids understood what it was or why we were dressed the way we were, but all the parents got a kick out of it!
Pretty amazing, I know. Oh, and here you can see my pants a little better...what no one could see was that they went almost up to my armpits. Nice pants! *haha*

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Missin' my boy...and other musings

Jeremy is gone on a four day backpacking trip with a friend, doing manly, sleep outside and hike long distances kinds of things. I don't begrudge his adventure, but I do miss him. I know from the time he did this previously that he probably won't have cell phone coverage the entire time he's gone. This STINKS. It's not even that I need a 20 minute conversation....I just would like to be able to text him to make sure he's alive. Y'know?  Like this:
Me: "Hey babe, how's it going?"
Him: "Good, how are things there?"
Me: "Fine. I miss you lot's and love you bunches."
Him: "I love you too."

I'm fairly low maintenance. I just need contact, that's all!! He's coming back Tuesday, so I guess I'll have to wait till he's driving home to get a call or text.

~Subject Changer!~

Have I ever mentioned Etsy on here? I love's it. It's amazing. I could spend hours just browsing around and gawking at how talented other people are. If you're not familiar with it, Etsy is a website for people to sell their handcrafted items. That could mean anything from scarves or handbags to paintings or jewelry. It's fascinating!! I've yet to order something but from what I've read on the site it's really easy. It seems like a great way for artists and other such crafty people to sell their stuff and be appreciated for their talents!!  Just yesterday I discovered these amazing die cuts from this seller:



And I have found MULTIPLE purses I would be glad to carry...



That last one is my favorite. Doesn't it just LOOK like it needs to be dangling from my arm? I think it would look awfully cute while I'm wearing my hot pink coat with a bright scarf as I'm walking the streets of New York City in December. Hmmmm.... :)

SPEAKING of NYC, look what I also found on Etsy! They're buttons! (Don't know why but Blogger won't let me add the actual picture. Naughty Bloggers!) Aren't they darling? I definitely need them for my scrapbook...or for  something. I just need them, ok?

Speaking of needs, I've been needing for months to get my hands on a copy of "Penelope."
Well yesterday I was at Blockbuster picking up some movies to help pass my lonely husbandless nights (*hehe*) and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a copy on the "Previously Viewed: 3 for $20" rack!! If I had been with someone who cared, rather than all alone, I would have squealed with glee and danced a happy jig. Instead I just snatched it up as if someone else might take it (even though there were probably 6 copies sitting there) and admired it like a long lost favorite toy. It really is such a wonderful little movie. I think it will end up one of those DVD's that I pop in frequently while scrapbooking. The colors, sets, costumes and overall feel of the movie are so whimsical and inspiring. *sigh* I can't wait to watch it again!

Then I had the task of finding two other movies to buy in order to take advantage of the 3 for $20 deal. I don't know if you've watched any movies recently, but the pickin's of something I actually wanted to OWN were slim. I seriously considered just buying something I hadn't seen, since it would almost be the same price as a rental. In the end I purchased "Cloverfield," which I enjoyed in the theater because it was so unique but wouldn't have purchased otherwise since I'm not sure how it will fare on the smaller screen...and "High School Musical 2." The worst of the "trilogy," in my opinion, but I needed a third movie people!

Oh yeah, on that note, I guess I have a confession to make. I went to see "High School Musical 3" yesterday afternoon. Not much of a confession, except that I am 25 and I went by myself. It's sort of pathetic. But I knew Jeremy would never go with me and there were no children in sight to borrow...it seemed like an acceptable thing to do on afternoon to myself. 

I also confess, I enjoyed it. Other than some unbearably cheesy dance scenes involving mainly Zac Efron (sorry, but if I see him jump up and land in a squat with his fists clenched one more time...) I thought it was really well done. You could definitely tell their budget increased A LOT and the production value was just so much higher. There were also some scenes that reminded me of old Gene Kelly movies where they were dancing around unashamedly FAKE look scenery but it was so charming it made me smile. I loves me a musical, folks.