Starting My Snuggle Blanket

Do You Remember This.....



I found this pattern at Annie's Attic. It was the free pattern of the day. And I LOVE it! I even blogged about it the day I found it. I just like it because it screams warm and cozy to me. And since I saw the pattern, I have wanted to make Double Trouble.

I figured it would be a nice blanket to keep in the den. A snuggle blanket to use when you are laying on the couch watching TV or reading a book. My hubby even liked it. He told me it reminded him of the ones that his grandma made. And like the ones his aunt makes now.

Today, we had to go to Wally World for some things. As my hubby was looking at the automotive department, I went to go look at the yarn. I picked up yarn for THIS PATTERN! Yes, I had the pattern in my purse! I am in no hurry to make the blanket. I just feel like this is one of those projects that I can work on for a while. Like when we are watching TV. I am so excited to get started! :)

I LOVE Kandee!

Where has Kandee been my entire life? Honestly. Her videos are so good. And with someone like me, you know, the makeup challenged...these are perfect! Kandee is just the sweetest! And I have to admit it, I stayed up the other night, watching all of Kandee's videos. I've learned so much about makeup. A lot of people will tell me, about time! To them, I say, I never had a teacher like Kandee. :)

This Week's Updates

Here are the updates in our house for the week.....

1. Our mail system here is for the birds. Lola put her mail on hold. We have done this before. And the rest of us get mail. Not this time. Forget the whole package fiasco, we cannot even talk to anyone about it at the post office. Lola has to, she won't be back until the middle of next week. We PROMISE our apron packages are going to be mailed out again.....SOON!!!

2. My husband and I's mailbox for our home, it is one of those group mailbox things at the end of the street. Well, we get some mail sent there, nothing important. The mailbox was broken into last night! We don't think it is a safe system.

3. It is still raining here. I just wish that it would rain really hard for a day or so. Then stop for a while. Instead, it is so hot during the day. Then the crazy winds come in the afternoon, and it rains off and on all night!

4. I finally finished our den. Yeah, everything is in it's place. At least for now. We have painters coming in June. :(

5. Lola is still gone working in NC. I miss her! Probably more than normally because Enzo is here visiting.

6. I thought the USPS was bad around here. I went grocery shopping this morning. I came home to find a notice from the city that they shut off our gas due to maintenance reasons. The note had a phone number to call so the service could be turned back on. I called. They are behind schedule and can't get back until late Monday or early Tuesday. What???

7. About an hour ago, we didn't have water either. But about 5 minutes ago, it came back. Now it is coming out brown. We have BROWN WATER!!! What is going on around here?

8. We have a gas stove, so I don't know how I am supposed to cook until Tuesday.

9. I did it, I bought 2 pairs of shoes this week!!! I didn't "need them," but they did make me happy. My hubby also got something.....a new saddle. He has been needing one.

10. My tio and tia are still on their vacation. But my tio got sick. Now I think they are coming home sometime this weekend.

11. My parents are coming to visit us next weekend!!! I am so excited!!! Mom I can't wait! You and I are going to have some fun. :)

12. I miss my best friend. I really do. We haven't talked in days. If this is how it is going to be if she moves to NC, well she can't!!! I am joking. But seriously, we haven't talked in a week or so. Because she dropped her briefcase in a puddle somewhere in NC. And both her laptop and cellphone are no more. :(

13. Enzo decided to stay here (well not here, but in the state) until after next weekend. His cousin is having an important cumpleanos. He decided to go to it. I guess that means more "Guy Time." :)

14. I miss my girls too!!! That was just a tease that they came last weekend. We had such a good time. Come back soon Jelly, Sam, and Sara!!!

15. I am still doing my workout DVDs and I have lost another 2lbs. I am so HAPPY about that!!! :)

That's all I can think of right now. I need to figure out what we are going to do for dinner. And I really want to do some crafting tonight. I am feeling really inspired and creative. :)

Bug Plug

AKA Riddex Plus Digital Pest Repeller

My husband and I have been talking about this bug plug for a while now. He is absolutely positive that we should get one to prevent any future problems. Why you ask? We live in the desert, but this place, this town, has a lot of pests. I sure do miss our hometown. Sure bears came out from the nearby mountains, but we lived on the other side of town. Our biggest problems were red ants and wasps.

The first time I came to visit my hubby here, we decided to go to lunch at the mall. Which by the way, is the size of most cities' regular shopping strip mall things. It is small. Well, we walked into the mall, and the janitor was sweeping up things. I didn't realize it at the time, but they were roaches. Yes, dead cockroaches. Hundreds of them!!! They are everywhere. That is why when we lived in our campus apartment, we lived upstairs. It was a pretty good workout, but definitely worth it. Why did I move here again? Unfortunately, we weren't so lucky when we moved into our campus house. But with cans of Raid and those Combat poison container things, we quickly rid our house of unwanted guests. Although, our neighbors were pigs, and from time to time you would see a couple crawling over from their house. :(

You don't believe me about the Borderland pest problem? If you go downtown in the nearby larger city, don't go at night. Cockroaches run all over the sidewalks. So much so, you can hear them crunching under your feet. I never, ever believed Lola until one night when we went to a wedding downtown. She was playing for it, and my hubby and I were just attending. I have also never run so fast in my life. Girl, I get it now. Hike up the skirt and run!!!

Speaking of Lola, she has one of these gadgets. Because she is not afraid of a lot, but she is in fear of roaches. That is probably why her house is so clean and you can literally eat off the floor in her house. But she completely endorses this gadget. She has one and says she has no kind of pest problems. Which is true, I have never seen anything there. On a side note.....she actually bought her house because there were no pests in it when she looked at it. Not kidding at all. When she was looking at houses, no matter how perfect it was, if it had any signs of pests, she was walking out looking for another house.

Even Enzo endorses this thing. He told us about when he first moved to Boston and would fight the bugs. Can you tell? Not a single one of us is a fan of insects. But Enzo got one, and it also helped in the winter when the mice came out. He didn't have any. Now M, our other friend who lives in Boston, he had issues. They lived next door to each other and M could not understand why Enzo didn't have any problems. Then he showed him the gadget Lola had sent him. Problem solved!!!

Well, if you are like my hubby, Lola, or Enzo and you feel like you just HAVE to have one right now, you will find them here for $15, plus shipping and handling. You can also read some reviews about the product. I am not completely convinced about them, but I rather have one before we find a reason to get one. Always be prepared.....isn't that what the boy scouts say?

A Little Sassy

Ladies just LOOK at these!

I think I am in LOVE all over again!

I have just been cleaning up my mess from yesterday. Which is going rather well. And I decided to take a lunch break. After a turkey and avocado sandwich, I decided to take a looksy at Forever 21. And I found these gems. They are $28.80. Yup!!! They are definitely not something that I am usually drawn to. But they are sassy, and a little edgy. I might actually have to buy these. Who said we need throw pillows for the sofa? :)

He Didn't Expect It

He Needed a Pair of These.....

My poor hubby. He works hard all day today, from 4AM-6PM. It was a tough one from what I hear. Enzo being back, well it always adds to the pressure and work load. We love our dear friend, but he expects perfection. Which is a good thing, it keeps the business growing. But the hubby was tired. And when he came home, he didn't expect to find what he did. In fact, he asked me for a pair of glasses so he could see things straight. Poor man!

What exactly did he find? I should start at the beginning. Everyone was gone. My tia and tio are still on this mysterious getaway of theirs. Lola is stuck somewhere in North Carolina because their gigs were postponed due to weather. Sara, Jason, Rems, Cam, Sam, Jelly, and everyone else.....have left town. Some time after GH ended and I finished cleaning the kitchen, I had a great idea.....

Some great idea, huh? I decided that I would finally move everything around in our den. You see, we moved quickly, almost unexpectedly. And it wasn't the 1st time we have done that. When we moved from our campus apartment to our campus house, it was done in hours. My hubby and the guys had planned a trip to go hunting. The day before they were leaving, we got a call from housing. We had to move, and now. Or we would lose the house.

Lola, Sam, Amaya, Gabi (yup, I have a friend named Gabi too!), Maggie, and I packed. Literally I called them at 8AM, they were at the house in the matter of a half an hour. Then all of our friends who have trucks, came over and moved us. By 9PM, we had a house full of boxes and furniture. We didn't have that much stuff, and we only moved across campus. The guys left at 2AM the next day. Lola, she helped me during the next 2 days, to get our house in order. Yup, during the weekend while the guys were gone, we fixed up our little campus house. I think my hubby was happy when he got home Monday morning and found that the bed made it from the living room into the bedroom, and that our sofa was in the living room, not the kitchen. :)

In this instance, well it happened even more quickly. My hubby and I went to look at houses. Just to look at them. When we found our house, another couple was also looking at it. Wanting the house we just loved, and trying to beat them to it, we immediately made an offer. We were moving just days later. In the middle of the most hectic points of the semester for me. Right before exams. We moved, and just put things wherever. Figuring we would organize things later.

We haven't been here long. But I feel like things are still not "in their place." Heck, we still haven't bought most of our furniture. Mostly, because Lola and I can't schedule a few hours to go shopping. Yup, I am waiting for that. She has amazing taste, and I could use a lot of help in the decorating department. My hubby has his "Big 'Ol Desk" and a leather sofa in his office. We bought our bedroom furniture, a kitchen set, and 2 sofas for the den. The rest of the house, well it is in shambles.

I shouldn't say shambles. But things are not really in a "living order." We gave away most of our "College Furniture" because well, it wasn't something we wanted to be pulling along with us. That was furniture we "inherited" from people who would have probably just have thrown it away. Somehow our den became the "everything room." With absolutely no real order or flow to the room. It reminds me of a "frat house." My hubby and I stashed a good amount of money aside to furnish our new home.....and Enzo gave us a nice wedding present.....a "gift card" sort of thing at our favorite furniture store. We just haven't done anything yet!

We have electronics, that is the one thing we didn't give away. My hubby is really into his electronics. Big TVs, stereos, DVD/DVR, etc.....check. But the rest, not so well. Rems and Cam also gave us a game table. The kind you play cards on. And we have tons of paint samples. Even those paper ones taped to the walls.

Some time after 3PM, I decided to tackle the den. Actually, most of our furniture is in there. Yup, the yard and the den are looking good. I began taking the electronics apart. Attempting to move the shelving unit we have everything on. It meant taking everything down. And I mean everything. Then went the card table and everything that is associated with it. Some time during my moving of things, I lost track of time. Forgot about cooking dinner. A dinner I had invited Enzo to. And I got completely lost in the task at hand.

When my hubby and Enzo wandered in at 6:30PM, I was almost as shocked as they were. I was sitting in sea of things. Furniture covered in trinkets, pictures, and what not. Honestly, there was not even a path to walk through the room. And all I heard was my hubby say, "Looks like you have.....been.....busy??? Gabs do you have a pair of glasses for me? I don't think I am seeing straight." Enzo was laughing hysterically.

Let's just say, we reached a mutual agreement. We would order pizza, and the guys would get the living room to watch some game or something tonight. Me? Well, I am sitting on the floor of the dining room surfing the net. My hubby wasn't mad. He just wondered if a tornado hit our den. Maybe I should have started my project at 8AM instead of late in the afternoon. Actually, some time during our 5-star dinner, my hubby offered to help me move furniture around tomorrow afternoon. How can I not love him? :)

Memorial Day

Today is one of those days that I am both grateful and proud to be an American. It is the kind of day that we can be proud of those who have come before us and for those who defend our freedoms. Take some time to remember our service men and women. I know I am very proud to say that I personally have family members and friends who serve our country proudly in the armed services. Take the time to say a prayer for their safety. And while you are enjoying the day off, eating your BBQ and drinking a cold beer, remember all that they do for you and me. :)

For any service members who may "stumble upon my blog," Thank you. It means the world to me that you serve our country proudly. As a proud American, I am so grateful for people like you.

Happy Memorial Day!!!

Racing Sunday

Let's start with the Indy 500

Helio Castroneves won it!!! It was his 3rd Indy 500 win.

How cool is that? I think it is incredible. especially after the month he has had. But the race overall, was pretty boring. The beginning 25+ laps were interesting. Heck, the 1st lap was packed full of emotion. The rest, not so much. At least not until the last 25 or so laps.

Now folks, let's talk about the Coca-Cola 600

This picture was from the opening ceremonies. NASCAR really does know how to celebrate our armed forces, troops, and veterans. We literally went from ABC's coverage of the Indy 500 to FOX's coverage of the Coca-Cola 600. Sara and Little M wanted nothing, and I mean not a thing to do with the indy race. The 2 of them sat and watched coverage of NASCAR in the living room while the rest of us were in the den.

Apparently, this is a weekly thing for the both of them. S did not seemed alarmed that her 3 yr old princess was decked out in her #88 firesuit, glued to the TV, waiting for just a glimpse of her boyfriend. Sara.....she was waiting for that same glimpse.....apparently for some of the same reasons. I just think, she likes to look at that man in his suit. :) Jason just thinks she is crazy.....but he is still crazy in love with his woman!

The opening ceremonies were great.....then the rain came. And did it ever. Lola, are you out there? How about J? Possibly Manders? You guys need a boat? You see, my friends are in NC, and they seem to be getting drenched. The race went into a rain delay for hours. Which apparently, is something that was going to last forever. Some 3-4 hours into the delay, the race was finally postponed. :(

Tomorrow morning (12PM ET) we are going to watch the race.....hopefully. :) Let's see what happens. Little M was just miserable that FOX interviewed everyone.....but her boyfriend. How dare they. She just cracks me up. Wasn't it bad enough that the race on Saturday night was called due to rain. Let's just say Little M is not a big fan of the rain.

Do not fret people. We had a great time hanging out with all of our friends. It was so nice to have so many people visiting. And the food.....oh the food. Is it OK that I cheated today and ate some good party food today? I hope so, because it was good! :)

This racing thing is just not my hubby and I's thing. We are more into baseball, even football. But it was nice to watch something new. And to see how other sports do "their thing." But tomorrow, hopefully we will get to watch this NASCAR race that I have been hearing so much about. Little M is so excited for it!

I am leaving you with a picture of Dale Jr. He seems to be the favorite amongst our group. I don't really know much about NASCAR, but he seems like a good guy to cheer for. After all, Little M, Sara, and Lola are his fans. :) My husband did have this to say though, "Do you think he glows in the dark? He is looking rather pale. Something fierce like Lola's legs. :)

Dale Jr. practicing for the Coca-Cola 600

Made Me Laugh!

I got this picture in an email today. My hubby tells me, "See women torture us from the beginning." Really? Torture? Hmmm...

So I'm not sure about his wording. Or what's going on in this picture. But I find it hilarious. Because to me, it looks like a little girl, telling a little boy a secret. And like most men, he doesn't want to hear it. Or feels "cornered" into not repeating it.

What do you think?

I Stopped in My Tracks

When I Saw These Gems

Cam walked in wearing these gems last night. Apparently, she and Lola bought them a few weeks ago. Lola went clothes shopping for these gigs her and the band are doing right now. And she stumbled on these. They are winners. Cam fell in love, and they both left Bakers with a pair.

Are you SERIOUS??? I am in LOVE!!! They come in black and tan. But the tan pair are so much fun. They have all these fun summery colored beads. We don't have a Bakers here, so I checked out their website. Right now, they are on sale for $65. That is kind of pricey and I don't have a clothing budget for work like Lola. She is a performer, I am, well being a stay-at-home-wifey this summer. But a girl can dream, can't she?

Updates

Updates for the day. I know it is early, but there are a bunch. :)


1. It is still raining. It has been raining for days, and it is supposed to rain well into next week. If you didn't know, I am not a HUGE fan of the rain. I like the snow so much more. Sorry Lola, you can have all the rain you want.

2. Lola isn't answering her phone. She actually called about an hour ago. To tell me that she dropped her cell phone in a puddle while running to a gig in the rain. Apparently, she is stuck in the rain too. But Lola and the band are in North Carolina. They have gigs until Tuesday. But she did give me a list of numbers that I can call if I need to reach her. She also is having issues with her laptop, so I am guessing we won't be seeing any updates either!

3. Enzo, my husband's best friend came for a visit. He lives in Boston and is a neurosurgeon. But my hubby and him are working on some big work deal. He will be here for a week.

4. Sam is coming back from Las Vegas for the weekend. She is bringing Jelly. I haven't seen Jelly since New Years!!!

5. Sara and Jason are coming for a visit too! They moved their wedding date again. Because Sara refuses to get married during the NASCAR season and both of them won't get married until the World Series is over. :) She is hilarious!

6. Rems and Cam are also making the trip from our hometown. They should be here by dinner time tonight. Rems is Enzo's cousin. He and Cam are the most hilarious couple that I know.

7. The police department wouldn't let me have what is left of our "apron packages." Something about Lola is the one who filed the police reports and they will only let her have the "evidence" when she goes in and signs for it. How aggravating is that! I guess I just have to wait until Lola calls again so we can talk about it. Because if I call the hotel now, she won't be there. And she called me before I talked to the lady at the police department. :(

8. My neck is killing me. My hubby and I fell asleep in our hammock after dinner last night. Note to self, my hubby does not make the best of pillows whilst sleeping in the hammock.

9. My tia and tio are still on their mysterious trip. They never go on vacation, so it is nice that they were able to get away for a couple of weeks. I am just wondering where they went.

10. We are watching the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. Are you serious? That is like 12 hours of racing. But we are.

11. Selena and David invited us all over on Sunday. We are going to watch the races and BBQ. I just love spending time with their daughters. :)

12. I am still working out. And watching what I eat. I have lost 3lbs so far! :)

Oh Dream

Double Trouble

I was doing a search for a gift.....a baby shower gift. Actually, for a pattern to make a gift. My friends are having twins. This came up.....Double Trouble. When I opened it, I was surprised.

1: It doesn't look like something I would make for a baby shower.

2: I really like it for my house.

3: It is the free pattern of the day at Annie's Attic.

Don't you like it? I am not really good at crochet. If I start now, maybe by Christmas I could have it finished. And I am being hopeful there. But I like it. Something about it reminds me of warm, old-fashioned nights by the fire. If you want the pattern, go to Annie's Attic. It is free today, May 21. :)

How Many???

I just got back from the post office. And I have a stack of mail. Literally, a stack. I am not even sure where it all came from. But they handed me a stack.

I went to go check on our apron fiasco mail. Lola is stuck at work, literally stuck at work. They had some kind of "one of a kind surgery" that happens very rarely. She was part of it, and now, she doesn't know when she will get out of work. So she sent me a text to go check on the mail. Well, nothing happened. I still couldn't pick it up. :( Do you know how mad that makes me?

Back to my mail.....I got 4 weddings, 2 birthdays, 3 wedding showers, 6 baby showers, 4 graduation, 3 First Communion, and 2 "Just Because" invitations. Yup, all between next weekend and the middle of summer. Is it just me, or is everyone getting married and having kids right now?

Getting in Shape

I decided that it is time to get healthy. About a month ago, I was visiting Lola. She has the LARGEST COLLECTION of workout DVDs that I have ever seen! Ever!!! Along with just about every book about nutrition and diets. Before you go thinking she is crazy, or obssessed with dieting, she's not. She is a nutrition student. And she has to study all of these things.

I was telling her how I so BADLY want to get into shape. Not be pencil thin, just healthy. We talked for a LONG time. And she gave me all these tips and tricks to try. Nothing like what I did to fit into my wedding dress a few months ago. I was pretty much just starving myself. Not good at all. But Lola was patient and we talked. Then she told me that I could use any of the DVDs, books, or systems that she had. I thought for a long time, and picked up "Walk Away the Pounds." Turns out, it is one of Sam's favorites too!

To be honest, I was orginally wanting to get a gym membership, perhaps a trainer like Lola. But it is EXPENSIVE. And unlike her, it is not a requirement for my degree. I look healthy, but I really don't feel it. I want to get better stamina. My friends, they can go running for miles, heck, Sam and Lola go hiking all the time. Me, not so much. And those DVDs, they were still sitting on top of our bookshelf.

My hubby and I want to get more adventureous this summer. You know, going hiking, camping, and the such. He is in such good shape. But working out with him, did not sound very appealing. Something tells me, it would turn into him yelling at me to run faster, and me getting fustrated and just stopping in the middle of the road. He is a lot like Lola. They go run for miles and miles. And they go alone. I think it is therapeutic for them. So I didn't want to intrude on his "alone time."

Today, I FINALLY did my first workout with the DVDs. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! I am so excited to do this! I am thinking, I will do the DVDs 5 days a week. With Lola's tips, and some of her healthier recipes, I am on my way to being healthy! :)

Her Boyfriend

Tonight, it was a typical Tuesday night. One were my hubby and I go to mass, we go twice a week in the evenings, Tuesday and Thursday. We meet up with some friends and family. Afterward, we either go out to dinner together or meet at someone's house to cook. This night was no exception.

Little Marissa and I were sitting and talking. She is 3 and 1/2 years old. I was told that the 1/2 was very, VERY IMPORTANT. :) We sat and chatted for a long time. Because the guys told us gals, we had the night off. Yup, they cooked, we chatted. Marissa's mom was tending to Maribel and Naribel was talking with her Nino. That left me and Marissa to have some good, hard core, girl talk.

And what did Marissa and I talk about? Her boyfriend.....Dale Earnhardt Jr. Are you serious? Little Marissa is IN LOVE with a man that I guess is in his 30s? Yes she is. So much so, this little princess who has a Barbie collection that would make any little girl jealous, has a HUGE poster of him hanging over her bed. Yup, so when she lays down to sleep, she can look up at her "boyfriend."



This is a picture of him. I did a search on the internet when I got home. Because to be very honest, I had no clue who he was. Beyond the 3 hours of facts, stories, and such that I learned from Little Marissa, I have no clue who Dale Jr is. I am guessing, Dirty Mo Acres is his property.

Lola, where are you when I need to learn about NASCAR.....at work. Anyway, I don't know much about NASCAR. I know Lola likes to watch it, Little Marissa is in love with "Jr," and Sara cannot get enough since Lola made her watch a race a few years back. Sara's favorite driver is also Jr. I watched part of a race, once, and really can't remember much. I know more about Indy car racing, because a father-son duo is from my hometown. There is a large street named after them. That's it, I don't know anything else.



This right here, is JR Motorsports, a place that Jr owns. Go me, I found something out on my own. It looks like a cool place. It is the place that Little Marissa wants so badly to visit, she told her Dad that she would trade all of her dolls and 1 pair of her dancing shoes to get to go. And she is serious about her folklorico dancing.



She also was very excited when she talked about "Mr. H." I later learned, Mr. Rick Hendrick. Who is Dale Jr's boss. He owns Hendrick Motorsports, which is the top team in NASCAR. That's him on the right.

This is a picture of Dale Jr all dressed up. It is the one that Marissa made her Dad use as wallpaper on their family computer. Marissa will boot the computer just to look at her boyfriend. :) I will admit, he is an attractive man. In a picture that Marissa has, he has the most striking blue eyes. Yup, the kind that you can easily get lost in. But for a 3 year old to fall so completely in love with the man, I cannot believe it. She really is head over heels for him.

I had heard from Lola, Selena, and A that she saves up her TV time all week, to watch NASCAR practice, races, and whatever else she can find on TV. Isn't that cute? I just think it is sweet. Trade in Saturday morning cartoons for a little NASCAR racing.

Little Marissa convinced Lola to make her a dress out of National Guard 88 (the car he drives) fabric last year. She wore it literally until the fabric began to wear out. Now, she is on the hunt for some more fabric. Marissa also wears her little firesuit on race day. Chente (her dog) also wears his little shirt. And they sit in front of the TV on race day to watch their idol. Don't even think of talking to Marissa, she doesn't even take time to eat.

This just made me think, do all kids get role models like this? The kind that you really, deep down inside think the sun rises and sets on them? I think so. I looked up to Chente (aka Vicente Fernandez) when I was little. I would convince my parents into going to see him in concert. His tapes (yes I had lots of cassettes) and later his CDs were on the top of my wishlist. So I can understand.

Our girl talk was hilarious at best. But I loved the way that she was so excited about her idol. Little Marissa has this collection of 88 collectable cars in her room. Yup, sitting right next to her porcelain dolls. She has her little T-shirts and even a hat to wear. This is a little girl who makes her dad vote for him every single day. Because he is the "Most Popular Driver."

I have to say, my girl got me a little interested in NASCAR and Dale Jr. 3 hours of talking, will do that to you. When we got home tonight, I googled, flickr'ed, and eventually landed at his website. I have to say, he sounds like a "down to earth" kind of guy. Someone who you could share a burger and beer with. I can see why she likes him. I can see why Lola likes NASCAR too!

In the end, I am going to leave you with one more piece of "Eye Candy." And some thoughts. Only in America can an average guy turn into one of the most popular and most successful NASCAR drivers. Only in America, can a 3 year old little girl say her boyfriend is Dale Jr. And only in America can a 3 year old Marissa convince me to spend my Sunday Night watching a race that I really don't know anything about. I will be watching the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night.

Really?

I just got back from the grocery store. We ran out of BBQ sauce the night before last, and we need some for dinner tonight. My husband made me a list before he left for work this morning. Because he is making dinner tonight. I take it, we are having BBQ chicken with all the fixings.

That is not what disturbed me. I went to look through the BBQ section, and I was a little overwhelmed. There are only 100 different BBQ sauces available. No, I don't make my own sauce. My husband does occasionally when we have time on the weekend. But on the top of his list, was BBQ sauce. We usually buy it at Costco, so I was struggling to find the brand he wanted.

Then I saw this.....



Doesn't that just disturb you? I can't imagine putting Dr. Pepper flavored BBQ sauce on my chicken. Or marinating a steak with 7UP marinade. What do you think? Would you use these?

Let's Talk Mirrors Here

For a while now, I have been longing for the Magnolia Elan Mirror. I first seen it at my friend Cam's house. She has it in her guest room. Everyday, I visit it on Target's website. But I just can't bring myself to buy it. It is $70 and is only available online. That means I would also have to pay for shipping.



The mirror is just gorgeous in person. It is 24" in diameter. I can just imagine it hanging over my makeup table. I am going to continue to lust for it. Maybe, just maybe, I will convince myself to spend the money. :)

Shopping Therapy

For a while now, I have been longing for a new bikini. And because of this issue with the post office and swaps.....I have just not been in the mood to do any shopping. Well, not for myself. But my hubby convinced me to go with him to Target with him this evening. I frequently search Target for fun buys. But I really don't go to the actually store very often.



I seen this bikini a while back, and it has been in the back of my mind for a while now. A long while. It has a ruffled top and is aqua...one of my favorite colors. But I just haven't bought it. My husband and I were looking around the store, buying our essentials for the week. And the opposite side of the store was just begging me to go and look. Low and behold, they had it in my size. Needless to say, I finally bought my bikini.....just in time for summer! :)

Day 2 and They are Far From Finished

It's Not Looking Good

Lola went back to the post office today. She had her folder with receipts and other things to claim our packages. To make matters worse, when the problem was initially beginning, it was Lola's birthday. There are lots of things she has to claim that were sent to her for that. Making a hard situation, even tougher. Because she has to contact all the people who sent her things and have them send some sort of proof to the post office. Then my aunt just had her birthday, so there are that many more items to claim. Sam is gone working, and my uncle took my aunt on a trip to celebrate her birthday.

On a better note, Lola and I went shopping last night. She was exhausted, but she knew it had to be done. We bought fabric, trims, and some other stuff. We spent about 2 hours cutting out aprons last night. Today, I made 2. My sewing machine just was not wanting to work. I am hopeful that tomorrow is more productive.

There is also a downside, the stuff that was collected at the home of these people, we cannot get back. Well, not right now. It became evidence. Our list of aprons to make, just got longer. I know, huh? And if that is just not enough, Lola almost forgot she had a gig in NC. My hubby dropped her off at the airport a short time ago. Can you believe she packed fabric and pins to cut out some of these aprons? She did. I will also sew up a few things over the weekend. We are hopeful to get everything back on Monday or Tuesday. Then Lola and I will make the 1 hour trip to send them from the larger city near us.

I can only pray that the packages will make it to their rightful owners. But for the immediate time, I need to get to sewing. The aprons that I have been making for my partners, I have made them so many times that I don't need the instructions any more. :)

Bless Her So

She Needs a Minute of Peace and Quiet

Who? Lola. She has been hard at work sorting through stuff at the post office. I guess we were all under the impression that it would be a quick trip to the post office to collect our packages. But it wasn't in fact, she and M (the neighbor that has an Ebay shop) have to go through 6 crates of opened packages to figure out who's is who's.

Lola called me about an hour ago to see if I could take them some lunch. I made a quick stop at Subway, picked up a couple of turkey subs, and walked into their nightmare. Lola and M have to sort through all of that. Then they have to fill out claim slips, make a police report, then wait on the police to release everything.

On a better note, we at least know exactly what items were sold. Between Lola and I, we are going to remake these items. Hopefully, those are all the aprons we have to remake.....there are 5 so far. Lola and I have also decided to go shopping tonight to buy some extras to send on with our packages (tea, kitchen towels, candy, etc.)

If I could just repackage this flower and a little bit of peace and quiet, I would. She deserves a medal for everything she is going through to try and correct the mail issue.

Polymer Clay

What do you think of these? They are made out of polymer clay. I have been looking at the little bundles of clay at JoAnn's for a long time. And I really want to learn this craft.



After much researching, I found that this book has the most positive recommendations. Do you know anything about polymer clay? I would love to learn some of the tricks. But I think I am going to order this book for myself. Probably buy some fun colors of polymer clay and set about trying to learn a new craft.



In the end, I want to make some fun things like these. I really want to make a few cupcake charms. But with the endless supply of pictures like these, all I can be is inspired.

A Special Day

There is a very special lady that is having a birthday today. She knows who she is and how much I love her. Have the happiest of days! You are the best! :) And I am making some cupcakes for you to enjoy. Happy Birthday!!!!!


PS I forgot to tell you to head over to The Apronista Blog. There are lots of links to people's blogs about their Apron Day Tales from yesterday. I forgot to link my blog, so I am heading there to do it! :)

Day of Aprons

Aprons.....are very quickly becoming one of my favorite things in the world. Lola sent us gals an email last week to remind us all that today was Apron Day. I marked it on the calendar and washed my favorite apron. This morning, bright and early, I put my apron on to make my husband breakfast. I was definitely a sight to be seen. :) PJs, apron, and eyes barely open. My husband just had to laugh. By the way, the eggs didn't survive. One day, I will learn how to fry an egg!

All day, I have proudly sported my apron. Even on my trip to the grocery store. I met an elderly woman in line. She told me that she was so happy to see someone of my generation wearing an apron. It made me smile. I had never realized how big of a part the apron plays in our life. And just how traditional an apron is.

My close friend, turned cousin, made me an apron for my wedding shower. Actually she gave me the most amazing basket filled with handmade goodies. Everything I could dream of for my house. I could not even begin to imagine that this would lead to my new collection.....aprons.

I had never really thought of them before. My grandma wears one when she cooks, cleans, and bakes. My mom would wear one when she bakes. Lola, well Lola wears one all the time. She has those ones to cook in, bake in, clean in, garden in, even craft in. She loves them. Now I know why. I got the bug.....and I have never been so happy about collecting aprons! :)

Happy Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day, I for one, am very excited. This is a day to celebrate the amazing women in my life. My mom is more than my mom. As an adult, she has become one of my best friends. I look up to her and aspire to be like her. If in my lifetime, I become half the woman she is, I am very lucky.

My other mom (mother-in-law) is just as amazing. She completely wrapped me up into her family. It's the welcoming arms that I have come to love. She completely embraced me as one of her kids. It's very easy to love someone like her.

My aunt is another one of those women that I Thank god for. She has become one of my corner stones. In all actuallity, she is my husband's aunt, but she loves me like I am one of her kids. I learn so much from her on a daily basis. She doesn't laugh when I plant tulip bulbs upside down, forget to take the laundry down before the sprinklers go on, or dunk the biscochitos in the sugar before I bake them.

Last, is my grandma. I owe so much to her. She has shaped my life, and those of the other women in my family. I cannot even imagine what life would be like without her. I just smile when I think of her warm smile, generous heart and the courage woman that she is.

I am a very lucky woman. Today, will be about celebrating all of these phenomenial women in my life. One day, I hope to join the ranks of Motherhood. But until then, I just enjoy the company of such amazing moms.

Time to go have fun with my family! :)

Lazy Saturday

Farmers' Market Finds

It's Saturday, around here, that means Farmers' Market Day. The Hubby and I like to go and just "mito" about. I am a very lucky woman.....I will admit that much. My Hubby got up this morning and made us migas for breakfast. After a shower, I was ready for some adventures.



We smelled the bread before we got out of the car. We were definitely on a mission. Once we found it, we just couldn't decide on one loaf. :)



Next came the berries. We were trolly about looking for some good produce for the week. The Hubby was carrying roughly 5lbs of various vegetables, waiting on the stand owner to give us a total. He was having a chat with an elderly woman about the warm weather. I looked over at the other side of the cart and saw berries. I just couldn't resist!



We picked up a lot today. Actually, I am really excited about dinner tonight. :) I am also trying to put some finishing touches on our Mom's Day gifts. When I found this arrangement, I just couldn't resist "sharing" it with you. :)



*NOTE: These are not our actually buys. The strawberries didn't make it home, we ate them while walking around. The entire crate! And the bread, we just ate lunch. Paninis made with our bread. But I found these pictures that look similar to the food we bought today. :)

Where or Where Did All My Posts Go?

I am just wondering where everything went. The hubby and I just got in from doing some yard work. My mom called and was asking me about my new blog. I don't think she believes I actually write anything. Where did it all go? I know that it was here this morning, the hubby was reading it before he left. I guess I will try to figure it out. First, I need a shower. I am covered in dirt. :)

A Longing for Ballet Flats

For a few days now, I have been watching the commercials for Payless shoes. They must show their commercial 10x's between 8-10pm. Payless is also having a 40% off sale.

This morning I was reading Lola's Blog and saw her post on her favorite shoes. I decided to take a look at Payless. I have been wanting some fun ballet flats for the summer. And I found 3 fun pairs.

These are $19.99

I LOVE the red detail! And they are just fun enough to pair with jeans and a t-shirt or even a fun summer dress.

On sale for $14.99

I really like the simplicity of these. They have just enough detail to make me smile and feel girly.

And my favorites are $15.99

I just LOVE them! What can I say? These were also Lola's pick. :)

Now that finals are over and I have some more time, I think I am going to take a trip to Payless. I really want a pair of ballet flats for summer. And now that Payless is having a 40% off sale, I can't think of a better time to go shopping. :)

One of My Favorites

I thought I would share something with you. I absolutely LOVE makeup. I think I am just a typical woman. Whether I buy it at Wal-Mart or at Sephora.....I LOVE to play with all things makeup! I have a LOVE for shoes, makeup, and all things girly!

Today, while I was shopping, I remembered I needed a new tube of mascara. At Target, I want to say that it is $10 a tube. I had a $2 coupon from the newspaper. So I thought it was a pretty good deal.

Some things about Lash Blast, it has a rubber wand.....the wand it HUGE! It took me a little while to learn how to properly use it. After some girl talk with Lola and Manders, I have it down. Having a real makeup artist as a friend is so amazing. The formula is amazing, and it easily goes on. I prefer the waterproof formula. And it stays put until you want it off. Then I use Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover and it easily comes off.

What are some of your favorite beauty products? Do you generally buy drugstore makeup.....or do you sometimes splurge on department store products? :)

Looking for Gifts

I have been looking high and low for gifts. Mother's Day is on Sunday. Yes, this Sunday. I want the gifts to be special, one of a kind. My Hubby is pretty much leaving the shopping up to me.....for both my Mom and his. :)

Lola and I spent some time talking about this Tuesday evening. Our Moms are very special, and we need to find that one of a kind gift. In her case, she has decided to make her mom something. I think it is a sweet gift. But she also has to find something for her Mom's birthday, which is 2 days later. We agreed to do some shopping together. But quickly realized we don't have the time. It's finals week. Our schedules are the most insane things you could imagine!

That leaves me to search online, get the wheels turning in my crafty brain, and take to the streets tonight. I am thinking about a trip to Target, maybe Hallmark, and definitely a trip to the Farmers' Market Saturday morning. Do you have any suggestions or thoughts? What are you getting your Mom for Mother's Day?

Sewing with Nancy

Does anyone watch Sewing with Nancy? I used to really like this PBS show. Our local PBS station stopped showing it about a month ago. It makes me sad. Nancy always had a variety of people on the show. And there was always something new to learn. I have to admit that it didn't come out at the most convenient time.....Wednesday afternoon at 2pm. But I would record it and watch it later.

Do you have a favorite sewing show that you watch?

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I don't know about you, but I never really used to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Until I met Lola. Not only is she one of my best friends, she is also mariachi player. She usually is working some kind of fun party for Cinco. Thus, began our celebrations. This year is no different. We are invited to a party for some friends of hers. The little girls are going to dance folklorico style, Lola and her friends will play mariachi music, and Mems makes mouth watering food. It should be a nice evening. This heat is a little much for me, but I am anxious. To be very honest, I am just looking forward to some chicharrones, guacamole, and fresh tortillas.

Homemaking and Learning to Garden

This entire homemaking thing is fun. OK, it is challenging at times. But my Hubby and I are having fun with learning the ropes. Minus the mess we had when the washing machine overflowed. Even the couple of times when I have burnt part of our dinner, we are having fun. The Hubby is especially taking a liking to me trying to make him fried eggs for breakfast. Because as hard as I try, it just doesn't happen. The yolk always breaks, or they get stuck in the pan.

Our newest adventure however, is landscaping our backyard. We have plans. Actually, we spent December-March making lots of plans. Finally settling on our "action plan" the day before we began. An area for entertaining with a nice BBQ grill and good seating, a small garden, green grass, some flowers, and a fountain. Eventually, we would like to put in an outside projector.

But we started a few weeks ago. My Hubby and his cousins demolished concrete walls and dividers. Our backyard left lots to be desired. We figured we would level things out and begin from scratch. Demolition happened one week. The following week, they poured a new cement area for entertainment and cooking. They set the grill in there and my Hubby also set up an outside sink. I am still not completely sure how that happened. But his uncle and aunt had an old sink they were getting rid of. He brought it, and they made a countertop to lay the sink in. He used some piping to run it from the water pipe where the water hose is, to the sink. Now we have cool, running water. We even managed to treat/paint the concrete to look like a nice floor. And they tiled a countertop and the sink. It was looking really cool. Who would have thought we could accomplish all of this? I didn't even know the guys knew how to do these things.

2 weeks ago, we started landscapping. The guys started with laying a simple sprinkler system. Nothing fancy, but it will get the job done. Then Sunday after church, we met for breakfast. My fingers were crossed that we would lay sod. Sure enough, after breakfast, we picked up our sod and spent the entire rest of the day laying it. It was exhausting, almost too unbearable. But it looked nice. We all enjoyed some pizza and beer looking at our accomplishments of the day.

This leads me to this past weekend. Saturday morning we went to the local Farmers' Market. We bought 3 plants and some veggies for the week. But mostly we just looked around. Sunday we made more of an effort at Lowe's and came home with a few bushes. And lots of those brick things. I really have no clue what they are called. My aunt, she gave me some small bushes from her gorgeous plants, and some irises. Her garden is amazing. I had so many questions for her, and she tried to explain everything in great detail.

Then Lola, called me, I think Monday. We were talking about the packets of seeds and such that she had sent me. So here comes my question.....Do you really start out seeds in small containers and then once they are small plants, plant them in the yard? Lola told me she uses old egg cartons or those aluminum pans to start the seeds out. As I take it, she fills up the containers with potting soil and then soaks them. Once all of the soil is saturated, she plants the seeds, then keeps them near a sunny area. Actually, she leaves them on her table in her screened in porch. Lola told me to keep them moist and in about 2 weeks, you will have some plants. She leaves them growing until they are about 3 inches tall.

Do you do that? Or do you just plant them in the ground? I am just wondering. Once I asked Lola about it, she told me she does this because the birds that live in her trees, eat the seeds out of the ground. She learned the hard way. Years ago, she bought tons of seeds for flowers and vegetable plants. They never grew. The next year she tried again, and happened to watch the birds picking at the gound. After asking a few people, she realized she needed to start out the plants in containers first. Maybe I am trying to skip a step here. But I am just curious.

I think I will probably tackle the seed planting this weekend. I will ask my aunt what she does. Because she has given me many tips. Although, I have a feeling, in the end, I will probably follow in Lola's steps.

Red and Aqua Kitchen Ideas

I should be studying for a final exam. But I needed a break. So I decided to do some searching for some red and aqua things for our kitchen. I found this picture as I was surfing the net. What an inspiration! :)

Our kitchen is slowly taking shape. As wedding gifts, we received many small red appliances, such as a toaster, blender, coffee pot, etc. But I have been searching for things like an apron, kitchen towels, knick-knacks, accessories, bowls, etc.

Have you seen anything that would fit into that category? I have been searching high and low. But I keep coming up empty handed. The lady at the local Thrift Store thinks I am nuts. I probably go "hunting" 2-3x's a week. If you have any ideas of where I could go, please leave me a message. :) I need to get back to studying.

Peony

These are amazing flowers. My neighbor has them lining her driveway. I just love the color of them. My question is, how hard are they to grow? I am still not a very good gardener. Peony look like such delicate flowers to grow. So before I go and invest money into a bunch of plants, I am just wondering if they are delicate little creatures. I would love to plant some under our bedroom window.

My New Love

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Who would have thought? Lola e-mailed me this recipe a while back. But I have to admit, I hadn't tried it yet. Am I crazy? I could be. But something just told me I had to bake them when I got up this morning. It was still cool outside. Here's the recipe.....and some pictures. They aren't mine, since we lost our camera. But I found some pictures on the web that I am posting. :)





Yield: 2 dozen
Bake time: 20 minutes
Temperature: 350


Ingredients:

1 1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c softened butter
1/4c sugar
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c mini chocolate chips
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/3c water
1/3c canola oil
3 eggs


Directions:

1. Cream together butter and sugars. Once combined add 1 egg and vanilla extract.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to the creamed butter mixture until just combined.

3. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Make Tbsp-sized balls and freeze until firm. About 2 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F and line 2 cupcake pans with liners.

5. Prepare the yellow cake mix to directions on the box. Fill the liners 2/3 full and place 1 frozen dough ball in the center.

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for at least10 minutes. Then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

*For frosting, I combined a container of whipped chocolate frosting and cool whip. Then I used a large frosting tip to swirl it on top of the cupcakes. My Hubby helped by sprinkling them with chocolate sprinkles when he got home. I didn't have any at home, so he bought some on his way home from work. :)

A New Beginning

After much time, I have decided to join the blog world. I am not sure what to expect or even what people will think of my little blog. But I thought I would use this to keep track of my life outside of school. I will write about the tales of married life.....lived by my Hubby and me. I guess this will be a place to gather my thoughts on being a homemaker, wife, and fun loving woman. You might see a recipe or even a craft post from time to time. I am not an expert on life, but I am having fun trying to learn the ways. And I am sure I will have more than enough hilarious stories about how I stumble through some of life's simple tasks.