Friday, November 30, 2012

I love lists

If you've gotten more than 6 comments from me ever, you have probably noticed that I have a love affair with numbered lists.  Today, all I can think of are the random things that don't deserve their very own post... so they're going to co-habitate together on one awesomely random list.

1) I am a 5 minutes kind of gal.  When I get to work, or get home, I just want 5 minutes of space.  Even if I have talked to Ammon the entire car ride home, I don't want him to bug me when I walk in the door.  Those few minutes allow me to adjust, to become human, and if it's the morning time, they let me get enough coffee into my system that I can tolerate human interaction. 

My co-workers have children.  They do not understand my need for 5 minutes first thing in the morning, because that doesn't exist in their world.  I'm certain they are doing their very best to help me squelch my baby fever when that attack me first thing in the morning with their cheer and joy.

2)  My phone hates me right now.  It's randomly shutting off, and the battery is going from full to drained in minutes.  I have 6 months before my next free phone.  Eff.

3)  I am not a picture-taker.  I force myself to do it.  Now that my phone is on the fritz, the pictures on this blog might get... interesting.

4)  Finals/School projects.  They suck.  We are buried in them around here.  I'm seriously contemplating taking a vacation day to deal with all of it.

5)  We had Chipotle for dinner last night, and they didn't cook the beans long enough.  This left me feeling like someone could strap a basket to me, then use me as the Goodyear blimp.



6)  I almost always get kids meals when we eat out, because it's lots of food for darn cheap.

7) Kristina wrote a guest post for our wedding blog today.  You should check it out, yo.

Since 7 is a lucky number, I'll leave you there.  I hope you have a fantastic weekend, all!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

How am I neurotic?

How am I neurotic?  Let me count the ways...

1)  I feel the need to be an awesome baker.  All of my family members are very talented bakers, and I have to say, I'm not bad.  But after this weekend's baking experiences, I feel a driving need to be better.
Pretzel buns.  These were... okay, but they deflated when I did the proofing step.

Croissants.  The holy grail of pastry.  While they taste okay, they ended up being a hot mess.  Fail.

Ammon realized right around the time he went for his 4th croissant that my competitive nature mandates that I perfect my french pastry.  He got a dreamy, faraway look on his face as he considered the sheer amount of butter necessary for this.

2)  I want Ammon to go to church with me, but I get freaked out about him going to church with me.

This is the church we've been visiting.  I get freaked out that he's only attending to make me happy, and that I'm somehow making him miserable.  It's not true, but it's the story I keep telling myself.

3)  I HATE sharing my candy canes.  Hate it.  I know Santa is frowning right now, but those are my candy canes... get your own!

And because I'm neurotic, and 3 is my favorite number, we're stopping at 3.  Also, you should head on over to our wedding blog and check out our newest wedding planning post about our slow, yet still forward progress!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

She's Gone

I'm so excited.

I just can't hide it.  Why?



It's book club day.  I love book club day.  And this month, we read a book that's title inspired the teenybopper in me.  When I found out that we were reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, this song started playing in my head.

Fortunately, the book is a little more deep and intriguing than the song.  I say fortunately, because as hot as those boys may have been, the story they tell in their song would not have kept me reading for the duration of an entire book.




That's the cover, in case you were wondering what to look for at the store or library.

The Basis:  It's Nick and Amy's fifth wedding anniversary.  After Nick leaves for work for the day, he gets a call from his neighbor saying the front door is wide open, and the cat is on the lawn.  Amy's gone.  All of a sudden, Nick finds himself the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance.  Watch through both Nick and Amy's eyes as the story unfolds.

My thoughts:  I have to say, this book was intense!  I think I said the same thing last month, but holy heck... it's just entirely accurate.  Again, this book had a dairy-entry style format, though you are living in Nick's point of view for part of it, you also live through Amy's journal.  The POV changes are well-delineated, and clear.  I really enjoyed Flynn's ability to change her writing style so dramatically in order to match the different characters.  It took me a little while to warm up to this book, but once it got rolling, I really enjoyed it.

Okay, I lied.  I really enjoyed it up until the end.  I felt like the author flipped me off at the end of this book.  I think that for the story she wove, the ending sort-of fit, but not really.  You think that there is character development and growth, and in the end... well, no.  I don't tend to like plot twists that come right before the ending.  They leave me feeling incomplete.  It's entirely a personal preference, and I can understand why the author wrote it this way.

I have to commend this author on her word choice, her character development, her ability to bring her world of small-town Missouri to life.  My favorite part of this book had more to do with the fact that she conveyed a lot of information, and provided relevant details that came back again and again.  It was a well-planned plot.

Buy, Borrow, or skip:  This is a complex novel.  I get the feeling that I probably missed 20% of it in my initial reading, and on this basis alone, I would say buy.  I think this is a book I wouldn't mind reading a 2nd time.

Did you read Gone Girl?  I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, so link up with Alyx, Kaylee, and Kim (it's easy, just click on the button!) so that I can go visit you and read your views.  Or if you have something to say about my review, I welcome your thoughts in the comments!

Monday, November 26, 2012

A sweater, and an announcement

If any of you who watched my vlog last week thought I was joking about wearing a holiday sweater on Friday, you were oh so wrong.

This is my least tacky grandma/kindergarten teacher holiday sweater, so naturally it has to be paired with a snowman pin.  Nothing wrong with a little flair.




So, I am aware that there are some people who get more excited about Christmas than others.  I am falling smack dab in the middle this year, and it's the most Christmas cheer I've ever had.  Usually, I only get excited about 2 things.  They are eggnog and cookies.  Lots of cookies.  But this year, the every sassy and lovable Christmas elf Michelle and I decided to host an online Christmas party, and we want YOU to come!  So here are the details:

1) We'll be google chatting it up on Friday, December 7th at 7:30pm Eastern
2)  Because it's a google hangout, we want to keep the attendance small enough that everyone gets to chat.  So for this reason, we're going to limit the space to 10 other friends.  So if you are interested, make sure you email me or Michelle ASAP!  We will be taking alternates if someone can't attend at the last minute, so don't fret if you aren't one of the first 10... you might still be a part of the fun!
3) The best part of an online party is that you don't have to leave home... so come festive, but comfy! 
4) We're wearing our favorite Christmas sweaters, and I'll be drinking some 'nog and noshing on cookies.  Don't hesitate to get your fave beverage and treat too!

Those are the details I can remember... other than Michelle and I REALLY want to party with you guys!

Hope that this Monday isn't too rough... I know we're all coming of of a holiday, and that always sucks.  I'm crossing my fingers that your day is better than great!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Forget Black Friday

I have to admit, that when I woke up this morning and looked at my blog feed, I was less than excited to catch up on blogging.  Blog after blog featuring black Friday deals, and shopping guides.  Since I believe in full disclosure, I want to tell you right now that there are a few types of posts I will skip over 96% of the time:

1) Fashion posts.  I don't give a flip about what most of you think is fashionable.  If Audrey Hepburn would laugh at you if you asked her to wear it, I'm probably going to laugh at you as well.

2) "My must-have" posts.  Truth be told, I've considered doing one of these, because they're easy.  However, they bore me.  I don't need your opinion on every beauty product at Ulta.  Really, I just don't.

3) Shopping guides.  Yup, top 3 for dreaded types of posts.  I am not a good shopper.  I hate it, and thus I don't plan it, I just suck it up and go.  I know that I have a lot of friends who really enjoy Christmas shopping, and planning, and picking the "right" gifts, but that simply is not my style.  I buy my dad the same thing every year.  I almost always get my brother something from Best Buy.  My mom is tricky, but a woman, so as long as it's pretty she usually likes it.  For everyone else, I usually find things here or there, and then have a 50% shot at remembering to wrap and distribute them.  So really, your shopping guides just remind me of what Christmas failure looks like.  Maybe next year I'll try harder.

So instead, I want to talk about an industry that really deserves far more credit this time of year than what it gets.

The toilet paper industry.

If we really stop to think about it, is there really a more important invention at this time of year, except perhaps the flushing toilet?  After a nice big meal yesterday, I remembered to give thanks for the wonderful bounty of soft and strong toilet paper, and the 24 hour stores that sell it.  When I mentioned to my parents that I feel a strong love for the toilet tissue this time of year, my mom suggested black Friday be renamed brown Friday.


...Too mcuh?  I thought it was hilarious.  Because this is what my family jokes about.  We find fake farts hilarious too.  Not real ones, though.  We're 3rd grade style, that way ;-).

Thursday, November 22, 2012

gobble gobble

As I write this, I'm getting excited for what's going to be happening in a few hours... food, family, gratitude.  Today I want to share with you one of our Thanksgiving traditions, wherever you may be.  I hope you enjoy it!

Yes, it IS long.  But it is hilarious.  We listen to this at least once every Thanksgiving, sometimes twice.  And we'll usually find excuses to play it throughout the year too.  But always when we're gobbling it up.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Home stretch to Turkey

Hope Squared

Well hellooooooo ladies. As you can see from the above little button, we're vlogging it up today.  I know that some of you do not watch vlogs, and I can appreciate that.  I can also appreciate any hesitation to do your own vlogs.  They're awkward, and uncensored, and they're more intimate that words on a screen.  I love them, because I can pretend we really know each other, and are conversing intimately.

I love letting YouTube randomly pick an image.  This one is perfect, and probably the most flattering possible cover image from the whole thing.  Bravo, YouTube, you gave me yet another thing to be thankful for today.

Since I want to share the love with everyone, not just vlog lovers, some ecards to start the holiday right:

I do have a sweet little treat for you tomorrow, a Thanksgiving tradition in our family, so come back and share it with us, won't ya?  Have a great last day of work before a mid-week holiday!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Unicorn poops

Yesterday was a no-good, very bad day.

I have it on good authority that I'm not the only one who thought so, either.  But this is my blog, so we're going to talk about my day.  I'm self-centered that way.

The no-good very bad all really started on Sunday.  Ammon and I went to try out a church.  It was our very first time doing anything religious together as a couple, and that was incredibly surreal.  I find worship to be more vulnerable, more intimate, than standing stark naked in front of a person, saying "Here I am, take me as I am!"  This is a big reason why it's hard for me, I have to find the right community, the right place, the right time, to get there.  But that's a side-track, that has absolutely nothing to do with badness.  What does have to do with badness is that we came out of church to a very flat tire.

What makes it worse than that, is that the car rolled off the jack when he took the tire off.  At the time, we thought it only meant that the bumper came out of place.  No big deal.

So Monday morning, I dragged Ammon's grumpy little behind out of bed, and sent him off to the tire shop.  I knew I was paying for it, and I was hoping they could patch the old tire.

Yeah, right.  I am so optimistic sometimes.

Ammon wasn't at the shop for more than 10 minutes when they told him that wasn't going to be possible, and that he needed new tires.  Do you know how much decent all-season tires for an all-wheel drive vehicle cost?  Holy cow, guys.  I agreed to the $500 tires, knowing we would be glad for them in the long run.

And then I got a message to call him.  Urgently.  Shit.

Turns out, when your car rolls off a jack, it can cause undercarriage damage.  Who woulda thunk it?  So we were looking at another $170 for critical repairs that could total our car if we didn't deal with ASAP.

So $752.91 later, I decided that Ammon's new tires must be made of unicorn turds, not just the standard rubber.  When I told Ammon that, he might have snorted in derision.  Turns out, he didn't love Monday either.

On the bright side, I have 4 days off coming up, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  So obviously, we're getting clear of the junk, so that our days off are perfection.  It's happening.  My sparkle will not be dulled.

2 more sleeps before Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Come back tomorrow for an AWESOME vlog about what's in my thankful heart.  I promise to throw something, since I know that's what y'all watch my vlogs for, and I dropped the ball with the last one.  I won't let that happen again.  Don't worry.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Target makes me happy

Yesterday, more than one of us admitted to channeling The Unhappy Woman monster at our loved ones.  I love that all of you were honest enough to share my pain, and laugh with me about our shared neurosis. Thank you.

Today, I want to share some hope with you.  We can deal with this, ladies.  I'm calling it "The Christmas Cheer pain reliever".

Step one:  Grab that man that makes you crazy, and drag his filthy self to the motherland, aka Target.  Make a beeline for the Christmas section.

Step two:  Make him go through every single aisle with you as you ooh and ahh over every single little thing you see.  Maybe even take some pictures of the things that make you happy.

This was our favorite aisle.  We spent 5 minutes considering candy cane flavors.

Pretty, classy ornaments.

Stunning Christmas cards.  I was bummed that they were $15/box.  So instead, we bought a box of 32 cards for $4.  Boom.

Step three:  Walk out happy as a clam that you got target time, and you got to do so with your suffering lover.

Step four:  Walk into your still messy house, and pour yourself a yummy beverage, preferably wine (if you care to partake).  While this glass is red, I recommend white wine.  It doesn't stain as much.

Check out that laundry basket full of clothes.  Classy.
Step five:  Now this part is the big key.  Start figuring out how to hire a housekeeper to come clean the house a couple of times a month.  I'm figuring that to clean our 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment shouldn't take more than 45 minutes for a professional... so maybe $35 per cleaning???  I'm starting to be able to justify that expense at the sake of my continued sanity.

It isn't a permanent cure.  And I'm going to have to repeat many times, but that's what box wine is for.  Ammon's promised me that when I get pregnant, I also get to hire a housekeeper to come in a few times a month (we all know I'm going to need it, since I'm going to be drinking grape juice instead).  I think that's really the cure.  Can we all admit that the best present we could ever get is to have a person hire us a house cleaner?

Hint, hint, boys.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

My anger is radioactive

I am the queen of epic meltdowns over household chores.  Seriously, each and every one of you should be eternally grateful that you do not live with me.  It's like Chernobyl all over again each an every time.  It's a good thing that Ammon is immune to my radioactive nature.  I believe it is in large part due to the copious amounts of Chipotle he consumes, topped by Smoky Chipotle Tobasco sauce.  Noticing a trend with that boy?  Yes, me too.


In all seriousness, coming home to a dirty house immediately increases my stress level.  I know that both of us have had a very busy fall semester, and I work hard to deal with my OCD so that it doesn't ruin our relationship.  But there are the days when I come home to dirty dishes sitting everywhere, candy wrappers strewn everywhere, and a manfriend camped in front of the TV, who has clearly been contributing to the chaos, not corralling in.  And just as the Incredible hulk turns green and is overtaken by rage, I turn into the dreaded and feared Unhappy Woman.  Screaming, stomping, clearing things away in the meanest possible way... oh yes, I am very good at being the angry woman who does not have the time to keep her house neat as a pin, and feels so guilty about it.  Guilt, after all, is the primary fuel for the Unhappy Woman monster.

So as I write these words, I can tell you that my home is substantially cleaner, but at the cost of a lot of stress, anguish, and being the evil future-wife.  So today, this is my confession:  I am not always a decent person to be around.  I seriously need to work on my patience and being slow to anger before we start makin' babies!

Linking up with my friend Alyx for Sunday Confessions.  Will you link up too and share your down and dirty confessions?


Friday, November 16, 2012

When your co-workers raid your blog pictures

After an awfully raw post yesterday, let's get back to something a little more fun, yes?  So, yesterday marked my 2 year anniversary at work.  We have a tradition that we all sign posters for co-workers' anniversaries and birthdays.  Since I've started, they've morphed from being cute and simple to being hilarious masterpieces that reflect the personality of the celebrated.

On Wednesday, my co-workers made me promise to post pictures of my poster.  They were very proud of themselves already.  I knew that something was going on, but I had no choice other than to agree.  Remember this picture?

Everyone seems to love it.  I even like it.  I mean, you have to laugh every time you see it.  It's awesome.  Well, they took that glorious face, and made this.

And since I know you can't get the full effect from that small picture, I took individual pictures of each frame.  I'll also provide explanations for further clarification.

First thing you need to know is that they are fascinated by all of the random, useless knowledge I posses.  It comes from having tried and discarded many hobbies over the years.

#1:  The Vice President.  Kate is always telling me "when you run for political office someday"... I have always maintained the opinion that the best Executive branch position is Vice President, because they do all of the hard work, without having as much scrutiny.

#2:  I lay down the law.  Boom.

#3:  The Kindergarten Teacher.  My wardrobe closely resembles that of an elementary school teacher's.  And I tell a lot of silly stories.

#4:  Buddha.  Emily took to calling me that, again because I know a lot of useless information.  I feel uncomfortable when they compare me to Buddha, but it amuses the girls to no end.

#5:  The Lumberjack.  Your guess is as good as mine.  I think they picked this on the merits of the giant axe.

There you have it... Kristen through the eyes of the people who spend 40-ish hours a week with her.  I hope it made you smile.  Have a wonderful Friday!!!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Who enjoys a good ole' train wreck?

Seriously people, this is by far my most awkward vlog ever.  Mostly because I get very shifty-eyed where talking about feelings.  And I try to make awkward jokes to make myself feel less deep and emotional.

I was, in fact, going to re-record this.  Ammon told me that I should post it, that it "wasn't that bad".  Ringing endorsement if I ever heard one.  But, since I'm about to marry the guy, I'm taking his advice and posting the vlog as it is.  So please don't un-follow me, just be angry with Ammon.



Click here for the link to a post about what I actually do believe, regardless of the title you put on a religion.  Or don't.  You can choose.

And if you're wondering about the "need for certainty", then by golly, watch the TED talk I posted yesterday.  It's even funny, especially the part where Tony Robbins high fives Al Gore, and then blames Al for getting him off topic.  Hilarious.

So, here's the part where I welcome your thoughts, reactions, feelings, etc.  You can even tell me things like "you really need to stop doing these vlogs", or "I don't like it when you get all deep and emotional", or "how awkward was it when you stared your cat in the eye and lost all thought???"  All of these things are acceptable to say, and many more.  So pick your prose, and put it below.

Have a lovely day, lovelies.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I changed my mind

I'm fully aware that I promised you guys a vlog about what's on my heart.  Well, Ammon's taken over the office to work on a major presentation for his Senior Seminar, and I'm currently obsessing over Dancing with the Stars, and The Voice.  Can I just mention that I'm so glad that Kelly and Val are going through to next week?  I officially love them.




Rawr.  I think it's the extra element of drama they add with the entire "are they?" love affair business.  Totally a cheap trick from a soap star, but I just don't care.  It works.

It also reminds me of Cameron Diaz's character from "What to Expect When You're Expecting".


Source: imdb.com via kanna on Pinterest


I wish I could've found a picture of her winning the dancing competition.  Oh well.  Such is life.

So, speaking of pregnancy, I don't think I've mentioned my baby fever over here in a hot minute.  I'm really excited for Alyx to have her baby, so that we can all meet up and go camping and I can hold her baby next summer.  Alyx and I have a mutual love for Custer, SD, and have made a pact to make it there at the same time next summer.  I plan to get as much baby-snuggling time in as she'll let me.  And even better?  If I were already preggers when that trip happens.  Would it surprise you to know that I want to get knocked up like, the DAY after our wedding???  I do.  I'm ready to start the motherhood book in the saga of my life.

...I have no picture to accurately depict all of that nonsense.  Whoops.

Last, I'm leaving you with another TED talk.  I hope you aren't sick of these... there are a few thousand out there, so expect lots of sharing on my part from here on out.  This one has a lot to do with the heavy thoughts I want to talk about in my vlog.  So, if you want to watch my vlog, it would be good to watch this TED talk first, so that I don't have to spend 5 minutes summing things up.  Besides, if you're at all like me, you'll spend at least 20 minutes looking at crazy stuff on the internet today... might as well make it something that is simultaneously informational and educational.


Tony Robbins is pretty incredible, no?  No matter how you feel about some of his language and methods, this guy knows his stuff.

So, perhaps tomorrow I'll spill my heart.  Then again, tomorrow is a Thursday, and we all know how I feel about Thursdays.  I guess we'll see what happens!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Pimped out snowmen

You won't know based on the length of this post today, but I have a lot of things that I would like to talk about.  A lot of really tricky, juicy, emotional things.  Things that I have trouble translating from rambling thoughts into concise, coherent sentences, paragraphs, prose.  It's all come about as a result of a great talk with the most-talented health/life coach, Seth Braun.  I think that soon (maybe tomorrow), I'll do a vlog about some of these thoughts.  For now, I'll give you a sneak peak of what Seth and I talked about:

I don't know how much you can make out of that... but one thing you can tell... my handwriting is not so exemplary.  Sorry.

I have something else to tell you about today.  You see, I am so lucky that I know funny people, and we have some funny conversations.  Yesterday, 2 amazing one-liners came into being, and I feel obligated to share them, so that we can all experience some Tuesday cheer:

1) "Apparently snowmen are effective as birth control.  Who knew?"  Said by me, to the gorgeous Shaylynn

2) "Fear is a bad pimp, Kristen.  It's all, come on baby, you need me."  The man himself, Seth Braun.

Yeah, this is a total cop-out post.  However, I hope you giggled a bit, and I hope I'm enticing you to check in for a longer-than-normal vlog later this week.  Have a fantastic day!

Monday, November 12, 2012

A reason for the season?

Blogland, I'm blaming you for what is about to happen.  You see, when it comes to the Christmas season, I am usually about as eager to participate as the Grinch.  I hate the mandated 4-6 weeks of Christmas music.  I hate the crowds.  I hate the pressure of finding awesome presents for EVERYONE all at once.  And really, the idea of spending an entire year hoarding presents for one day seems just as awful as baring the crowds.



But a funny thing is happening to me this year, still weeks ahead of Thanksgiving, my most favorite of all of the Holidays.  I find my heart growing 3 sizes for that holiday which has been marked by stress and cheesy music for so long. 

Yesterday I found myself shopping eagerly for Christmas ornaments.  Yes, I am participating in an ornament swap.  But these weren't just for that.  These were the "oooooooh, this would look sooooooo cute on our tree" kind of thoughts.  Last year was the first time anyone has talked the grown-up me into a tree.  Ammon becomes as giddy as a little elf the day after Thanksgiving.  That man has as much cheer (after Thanksgiving) as any self-respecting Who.  But even he isn't getting super-stoked yet.  Nope, for that, I'm blaming all of you who have been mentioning Christmas subtly, and not-so-subtly since June.  You know who you are.  And it is all of you who are to blame for this:

Yes... yes that is a child's size XL snowman turtleneck, topped by the sassiest snowman vest this world has ever seen, compliments of the local ARC.  An 80 year old woman complimented it, just as I was snapping a photo to text to my co-worker.  And I knew right then, that this vest was a keeper for certain.  Because as it turns out, one of my biggest reasons for the season is tacky holiday wear.  I have determined this years that I love it dearly.  I may even wear holiday sweaters more than on our requisite "tacky Christmas sweater" day at work, because this was not my only tacky acquisition today.  In fact, the other acquisition might be even better.  But we'll save that other sweater for a rainy day, when we're all needing an extra dose of pick-me-up.

Move over, fashion bloggers.  I have the market on the latest and greatest in gently-used holiday wear.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Hair and Hangers

This has all of the makings of being pathetic and hilarious at the same time.  You see, I'm sick.  Like, the type of sick that has me calling in to work and then sleeping until noon.  The kind of sick that has me unwilling to move, and loathe to being upright.

Thankfully, it isn't messy sick.  Just the far more obnoxious fever, scratchy throat and a migraine tri-fecta.  When it came on Wednesday night, I told Ammon it might keep me home.  Deep down though, I didn't believe it.  As a matter of course, I do my best to avoid calling in sick unless I am losing a limb, exorcising a demon (Linda Blair, much?), or should be admitted to a hospital.  But there's something so debilitating about the migraine that supersedes all other illness and impairment.

Waking up on Thursday morning I was pretty sure that a school bus had driven over my head.  Being stubborn, I decided to get up and shower, with the hopes that it would help.  Oh how wrong I was.  I got out of the shower, and called my boss.  Sorry, I won't make it in.  Then I went back to bed, with wet hair.  So all day, I sported the sexiest look you ever did see:

If this isn't a ringing endorsement for the pixie, I don't know what is.  I had a picture with a normal face, but it looks sad, because it's against my better judgement to smile when I feel ill.  I am absolutely the worst sick person in the world.  I get dramatic, whiny, pathetic, and I want everyone to know I don't feel good.

However, one truly hilarious story came from this out of infirmity.  I was stumbling down the hall to the bathroom, and tripped over a hanger that was laying on the floor.  Ammon asked me to please not die.  I told him that he needed to stop leaving his hangers where they could kill me then, as it was clearly one of the ugly orange hangers that we own, and I refuse to hang up my clothes with ugly orange hangers, so the blame is firmly on his shoulders.

Yup, that happened.  I used logic based on the color of a clothes hanger.

My head is still hating me, so I leave off here.  Hope that you are all having a fantastic Friday!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The habits of highly cranky 75 year olds

How do you write your blog posts?  Do you write, then title, or do you tend to title, then write?  Me?  I'm most definitely a "Title, then write" kind of girl.  I usually know exactly where I'm going, and how I'm going to get there.  This week though, not so much.  In fact, there is no title as of yet to this blog post.  We're going to enjoy the journey together today, folks.

I just said "folks", like I'm 75 or something.  Also, I have a cat in my lap; again like I'm 75 or something.

Our office is still a mess, and I've only minimally started to tackle our hoarding issue.  Oopsie.

I'm not sure why I was making that particular face.  I think because I was trying to get the cat to look at the camera AND simultaneously hide our shame?  Either way, it's probably a good thing it's a lips-down shot.

I got some great presents in the mail from Maggie on Monday.  I was so excited to see the pretties she sent.  Can you believe she was sweet enough to knit me a headband? 



I would really like to learn to knit.  Mostly because I can say "folks", drink tea, complain about noisy children, and knit, all while I have a cat on my lap.  Don't even try to convince Beckham that I am allowed to do anything without him.  He follows me around everywhere, like I'm Mary, and he's my little lamb.

Speaking of me being like Mary, my co-workers call Ammon "Jesus", because his first name is pronounces "A-men"... like the conclusion of a prayer.  As a result, they sometimes call me Mary.  Coincidence?  Perhaps.

Oh, and here's a picture of Ammon, with the homemade calzone I made for dinner Friday night.  I started the pizza dough from scratch on my lunch break, then came home after work and threw these guys together.  They were gooooooooooood


What?  Your man friend doesn't cuddle his food???

I've been trying to make this flow so far, and I think I did pretty well.  Except, I have nowhere to go from cuddling food.  I think I need to figure out a title, and take my little black sheep cat to bed with me.  Hope you are having the best Wednesday yet!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

I am a glutton for running (aka punishment)

As it happens, on this particular Tuesday I have things to say, none of which could possibly be construed as a cohesive blog post.  Thus, I have 2 options:  1) Write an entirely random, non-cohesive post. 2) Leave you with one random thought, a picture, and a few words.

Well, daylight savings is kicking my butt, and I'm exhausted on this Monday night as I write this.  Option 2 it is.

These are the Strawberry Cheesecake pancakes I ordered from IHOP Sunday morning at 2am-ish.  They were freaking delicious.  In order to eat an entire plate guilt-free, one would have to run 10 miles, or bike ride about 20 miles.  And yes, I ate them all.  I wouldn't recommend this as a regular course of action to anyone, ever.  Unless you have the metabolism of a 15 year old boy... in which case, eat up buttercup.

I dare you to not crave these today.

What horrible food decisions do you find yourself making at 2am?

Monday, November 5, 2012

Ich Liebe

There are some days when you just want to cross your fingers, and hope and pray that everything will go smoothly for the upcoming week.  Today, I am certainly feeling that way.  It's going to be a busy week yet again around here!  Ammon and I had an awesome weekend, including dressing up for an extra fun Halloween party.

Oh yeah, we absolutely went as Oktoberfesters!  I was going to let the Bee do its thing again, but when we went to find Ammon a clearance costume on Saturday afternoon, we decided it was totally worth it to match.  So match we did!

And speaking of Germans... Kaylee over at All Things Bright and Beautiful nominated me for another Liebster award!  So first and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to Kaylee for the recognition!




The way it works:
~I tell you 11 random things about myself
~I answer 11 questions that Kaylee was dying to know the answer to
~I nominate up to 11 amazing blogs with 200 or fewer followers
~I ask those incredible bloggers 11 questions

So let's get started, yes?
Random:
1) Whenever I use a paper coffee cup, I have to make sure that the drinking hole on the lid is directly opposite the seam of the paper cup.

2) I sleep on the right side of the bed
3) I hate having my fingernails painted, but I hate when my toenails are not painted
4) I love to read... mostly urban fantasy and science fiction, because it's like a mini vacation from reality.
5) I almost never wear makeup, but I have a whole lot of it
6) I usually feel guilty when I relax
7) I get most of the nerd jokes on "The Big Bang Theory"
8) I love salsa.  I use it like most people use ketchup
9) In high school I was a volunteer skiing instructor for an adaptive skiing program
10) One of my lifelong dreams is to adopt/foster parent children with disabilities
11) We REALLY want to get a dog, but we can't because of our apartment regulations.  We're in negotiations between getting a boxer first, or a chocolate lab.

Kaylee's Q & A:
1) What is your favorite book?  To Kill a Mockingbird.  Scout is Awesome.
2) What is one thing you totally regret?  Not being able to see my family and friends as often as I would like... travel is expensive!
3) What is one thing you never want to forget? The moment that Ammon first told me he loved me.  So magical!
4) Where would you be right now if you could?  Probably visiting family and friends in California
5) What is your happy place?  Bloomington, IN, where I went to college
6) Have you ever cried over spilt milk?  Or anything else equally silly?  I am so unbelievably clumsy, so crying over spilt beverage went out the door a long time ago.  However, I do tend to freak out about some really ridiculous things.
7) Favorite blog and why?  The Coffeehouse.  I love reading about Tiffany's adventures with her Chocolate lab, Sherman.  Oh, and she has a husband with a million hobbies.  And she's hilarious.  I love her.
8) What would you eat for your last meal?  Barbecue.  Specifically, the feast for two from our local barbecue spot.  Yummmmmmmm

9) You're stranded on an island. You can bring one celeb, one food item, one song to listen to and one other random item.... go! oh, and why?   I would bring Mindy Kailing, because she's sweet and hilarious; bulk rice and beans because they don't go bad, they're nutritionally complete, and easy to cook; "Call me Maybe" because that song just makes me so darn happy, and if I'm going to be stranded I need to be happy; and a blanket.  I can not sleep without blankets, no matter what.
10) How long did it take for you to answer the last question?  Two minutes.  Total gut instinct.
11) What movie are you most excited about seeing before the year is over?  "Wreck it Ralph".  I have been obsessed with seeing this now for months!

My nominees (only 6, because 11 is a lot):
1) Elsha at When Mine Became Ours
2) Kristina at Everything Changes
3) Whitney from The Middle of the Street
4) Allie from This & That
5) Maggie from Finding Myself
6) Heather from The Life Unexpected

My Questions:
1) What motivated you to start blogging?
2) If you had to choose between Top Ramen and Kraft Mac and Cheese to eat every day for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
3) What is your favorite memory of 2012 thus far?
4) If you could have any exotic animal as a pet, which one would you choose?
5) What is your favorite family tradition?
6) What is your favorite childhood book?
7) What blog do you make it a point to read every day, even if you don't read anyone else's blog that day?
8) What is your favorite leftover halloween candy?
9) If you had to participate in some sort of long distance iconic event (long bike tour, marathon, sailing around the world) what would you choose and why?
10) If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?
11) Give me three words that you feel sum you up well... no explanations of the words!

Thank you again to Kaylee for honoring me with the Liebster!  Have a great day, all =)

Friday, November 2, 2012

Fall swap!

I need to thank the powers that be, first and foremost for allowing me to make it as far as Friday this week.  It was a stressful week at our house... but we made it, and I'm gazing lovingly at a 3 day weekend now, so I would say that all in all, it was worth it.

A little while back, I decided to participate in a fall swap.  What I loved about this particular swap was that they asked all of us to identify our favorite aspect of fall, and then they paired everyone up based on their answers.  My favorite?  Food.

I  was lucky enough to be paired up with Carrie, the Frugal Foodie Mama!  We were encouraged to email back and forth, and get to know each other better.  Honestly, getting to know new bloggers is half of the fun of swapping for me!  Some of my favorite people in all of the bloggy world I met through one swap or another!  After a little bit of emailing, we sent our boxes off.  I am so thrilled to show you the goodies I got!

She sent me the cutest fall themed package ever, including cute little glittery leaves (totally for decoration, but I loooooove them), pumpkin gingerbread white chocolate biscotti, Carmel Apple Cake flavored coffee, homemade apple butter, fall-themed tissues, and a sweet little cookbook from a local area group!

Can we just talk about that coffee for a minute?   It's like heaven, guys.  So, so, so good.  I think it sat for 2 days in the house before I couldn't stand it and had to dig in.  I'm also excited for the apple butter... I usually only have my mom's, which is a 3rd generation recipe, but it's different than most.  I'm thrilled to try something a little different!

I can't tell you how awesome Carrie and her blog are... you need to experience them for yourself!  She posts some incredible recipes, including her apple butter recipe, and slow cooker apple butter pork chops!  My food pinterest boards get excited whenever I go visit her blog these days... because those boards get full.  Go visit her and fall in love too ;).

Thanks again to Carrie, for being an awesome swap partner.  It was so fun getting to know you, and getting to swap some really fun stuff!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

It's Thursday.

Because it's Thursday, I'm really good at making some astute observations.  We all know how much I hate Thursdays

I have a lot to say, but I'm not spilling the beans here today.  I'm sharing the story of Ammon's and my first date over on our wedding blog.  That story is pretty funny.  You will giggle at my expense.  Everyone does.

Head on over to read how November 1, 2009 forever changed our lives.

If you don't like sweet, funny stories, well, I have a picture for you.  Everyone in my office dressed up yesterday for Halloween, and we documented it on camera.  You're welcome.




Yup, I'm a Bee, I'm a Bee, I'm a I'm a I'm a Bee.

Did you dress up?  Does your work encourage such tomfoolery?

Smile, it's ALMOST Friday... which is the worst statement ever.  Don't smile.  Just duck your head, and pray for Friday to come quickly with me.  If we all do it, maybe time will go faster.