Busy Bee

So I am getting a jump start on my busy 2 week vaca.......yes yes you know it....I already have presents wrapped under the tree!!!!
What are you asking to be under your tree for Christmas???

Uniform?

Ok, so this past Friday night I could not find anything to wear I was in one of those fits where you run around screaming and getting worked up! "I am fat" "I have nothing to wear" "Everything is stupid" and we were getting so late so I put on my stand-by aka "The Uniform" as it was dubbed on Friday!
Here it is...................
It is a trendy/classic/fun/flattering cardigan with Moose in it...yes Moose! I got it years ago at a place called Lucca in Okc! At least I hope it is flattering/trendy/classic or I have been looking like a hot mess alot!

Here I am 3 Christmas's ago when I tried out bangs..............

This was also last year maybe? This time with black pants!

And here we are a few weeks ago in Denver and funny thing is this picture is one of the ones on our Christmas card this year. How perfectly fitting.......

Do you have a go-to outfit?? Do you want to borrow my go-to? HAHA! Well no promises because you are bound to see this one AGAIN!

Hello!!

HI! I just wanted to check in, I am on the hubs laptop!! Yesterday we shopped and then went to a Surprise 30th Birthday for my bestie Melissa! It was a good time! And right now Matt and I are debating on what to do today!! Other than BEDLAM! OU vs OSU is HUGE if you are not from Oklahoma!
Does anybody else notice that there are no good movies out?? Anyone seen anything I should see today?
I hope everyone enjoys this wonderful 4 day weekend!!! Bye guys

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day Friends!! I hope you are surrounded by family and friends!
What am I Thankful for today?
* My family and my brother being home to celebrate with us
* My animals who have blessed my life in so many ways, they have opened my heart more than anyone else could
* My Matty, for being my partner in life
* For change, which is hard even when it is good.....I am thankful I have different opportunities in my life
* For Junior Hospitality Club that helps me become the best version of me and the lifelong friends I have made
* Lastly, I am so Thankful for this blog! I have made SO many new friends all across the country who I just love. I love being able to have my voice heard and I am SO thankful for everyone who reads this...I truly am!

A little crude humor...

Ok, I usually don't post things like this or pass them on in forwards but a friend emailed this to me and I have not laughed that hard in a long long time! Be warned it is a little "crude" and there is a bad word at the end but you MUST watch this!
You can thank me for your gut busting laughs later!

Big Change.....

Ok guys I have some news some things in my life that are changing......I wasn't going to say anything yet but I don't want you all to think I have abandoned you.
So, I turned in my 2 weeks notice at my current J-O-B yesterday! I know, big shock to everyone even my family. Why? A few reasons but mostly because I got a better offer and that is I all I need to say in this post. But today when I came to work I was told today would be my last day, not to finish out my 2 weeks! So I am cleaning up my desk and getting things in order.
When do I start my new job? December 13
What is it? Well, a good friend of mine Natalie (you can see her HERE) suggested I apply at her new company and in 1 weeks time my resume was handed in, I interviewed and I was offered the job. No need to draw out the jest.... I will be working in Land Title. And you know what? After 6 weeks of training with the company I will then be working from HOME! Yes, you heard me....and Yes, the pay is more than I make now.
NO! This is not a gimmick the company has been around for 30 years.
What does that mean for my blog? Well, my laptop is on the fritz so until next Monday when I can get that taken in my posts may slow down for a bit. And they may also slow down when I am training but it wont be long before it will look like nothing has changed.
Change is hard even if it is good (I always tell people that) and I am excited to see what this will bring for me! While I am off of work I am going to get ALL my Christmas shopping done before I start the new JOB!
Well guys looks like I am off to clean out my desk................wish me luck!

Heartfelt Tuesday

Born to be Wild is a new documentary about orphaned wild animals and the people who save them. This documentary is also a look into the wild and the effects we as people have had on these animals. When I watch a trailer like this my heart fills up with so much love I feel as if it could burst. This is so neat because the place featured that takes care of the Elephants is the Sheldrick foundation and the exact place I am asking to "adopt" a elephant for Christmas. Watch...........

You know when I see a place like this or learn about people who devote their lives to these animals I just feel so small. I try.... I try to raise awareness about animals and animal causes, I try to rescue those I can but at the same time I feel like I should be doing more. I feel like a little girl with big hopes and dreams but while I "dream" of doing more some people are actually doing more. !??
I didn't mean to get so serious on everybody on a random Tuesday but it is hard for me to express how I feel in my heart. I feel like a do-er who doesn't do enough.
Sometimes my love for animals scares me, it deepens daily and sometimes I worry I am setting myself up for a future of tears and heartache. Wouldn't it be easier not to care?
Food for thought.
So I think we should all watch the documentary above and let your children watch so they to can grow up with an awareness and respect for God's creatures. Next April 8, 2011 is Earth Day and you know where I will be!

Tuesday Tidbits!

Guess What?? Today is my Friday! I am stoked and I am kicking off the Holiday weekend tonight by volunteering! I am going to help at The Bethel Foundation as they pass out their "Thanksgiving Food" boxes to families in need! It will be nice to start this Thanksgiving by giving back!
So this past weekend Matt and I did all our Christmas decorating so this weekend we can relax and have nothing but fun! Here is our little tree! Let me tell you a story about this tree......
This was my first tree, when I was 21 and living alone I went to a Christmas store and put this tree in lay way and here it is folks, I still use the custom bow I had made on top (which Matt hates by the way)! 9 years later this tree is still doing it's job and when my cat Bella was little she use to crawl up it and live in the tree, it was so cute! One day when we have a bigger home and we are able to get a bigger tree this little guy will still be around too!

Lucky us, we already have a present under the tree!! All our animals practically fight over who gets to lay under the tree! Each year we buy a cheap tree skirt that we can throw away come January.....because trust me they go thru alot at our home!

Uh...so.....Guess What????? My brand new Coach purse that Matt got me for our Anniversary made Oprah's Favorite Things list!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited and I think Matt is quite proud of himself!

So Oprah also had these "blinging" Uggs on her list and I love them!! So help me friends should I ask for a pair for Christmas? If so what color?? I agree they kinda look like space boots but they were so cute on Oprah's models yesterday!! To have or not to have?

I am sad this is Oprah's last year to do her Favorite Things! boohoo.....yes, I love her show and I will be devastated next year when it goes away!

Cooking the day away...

So Sunday I decided to have a mini cooking extravaganza aka Thanksgiving for just Matt and I! Yes yes I am glutton for punishment, after over 3 hours in the kitchen I was poop! To start I did make those Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tart cupcakes and the batter was divine..........

Please don't pay attention to my silly paper plates but I already ran the dishwasher once and we all know how much I loathe doing that. I chopped up the pop-tarts to put in the batter and to place on top to decorate with!

I just pushed each one into the dough.........

I will say this... these are not going to be a favorite dessert of mine, I mean they are good and my dad LOVED them but between you and me I am not sure if I would make them again?!?! To make them for yourself click HERE for the recipe!

So you know what? I brined my first turkey. Here is what I did I read alot of recipes by different Food Network chefs and then for the whole meal I combined things I learned to make the dinner!
In this brine I boiled water, tons of salt, Thyme, Sage, peppercorns and lemons when the salt dissolved I let it cool before sticking the turkey in!

I let the Turkey hang out over night and did I see a difference? Yes, this turkey breast was the juiciest turkey Matt and I have had! Who knew?

I then threw in some root veggies, onions, garlic and Turkey stock to the bottom of the roaster! I also rubbed her down with butter, salt, pepper and thyme! You want any Turkey to be 170' inside when done so I cooked her on 350 for 2 hours checking periodically with a meat thermometer! (It was a 5lb breast)

I made twice baked sweet potatoes.....after roasting the potatoes I scooped out the middle, mashed it with butter, maple syrup then placed it back in and topped with marshmallows. I only had big ones so I cut em up! Then bake for 10 minutes!

Yumm..............green bean casserole (Matt's favorite), sweet potatoes and my homemade gravy was to die for! And to make it easier on me I used stove top stuffing and by added fresh herbs and Parmesan it gave it a home cooked feel! It was all soo good!

My bird!!!!!!!!! Yes 5lb was the smallest I could find at the store!

Funny how 3 hours of slaving away and then in 5minutes we are done?! Would I do it again next year? Sure, never say never!

If anyone wants more specific recipes leave me a comment and include your email address!

Unstoppable

So Matt and I went to see this movie Friday night and it is so good! Yes, it is very stressful but I enjoyed every minute! So if you and your family are looking for a good movie to see over the weekend you should check this one out. It is amazing that it is a true story I think I might do a little research about it today!

Friday Free for All!

It is almost 5 (well not really but closer than it was this morning) I thought I would give you a good dose of randomness!!! To start you will never believe what I had shipped to me (actually you will) on my porch waiting for me when I get home today is Pumpkin Pie Pop-tarts....why? Because I couldn't find them at any store and I am dying to make a new recipe with them!!!

This yummy picture below is called Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tart cupcakes and how fun does that sound?? Oh, yes I ordered them on Amazon they sell everything! To get the recipe for yourself click HERE to jump on over to Cookies and Cups blog!

Next up, I am soo excited about this movie coming out next week.....I mean give me dancing, rhinestones and make-up and I am one happy gal! Anyone else out there looking forward to this?


Lastly, the Glee performance below is one of my favorites so far....the songs are perfect together and the water is amazing! Enjoy!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tis the season

Hi friends first of all HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Today I wanted to talk alittle about Christmas "gifts" let me start by saying of course I have a gift list!!! I want things like a Whoopie Pie Pan, Target gift card, alot of stuff for my kitchen and much more!! But I am also asking for some charitable items as well as helping to adopt a family with some of my JH girlfriends! If you, your family, your office, friends or church is looking for some ways to donate during the holidays I have some ideas for you....
If you live in Oklahoma:
*Adopt a Bethel Foundation Family (this is what I am doing); this is an organization that helps single mothers and I know they are in desperate need for more sponsors. To learn more about them please click HERE! Also feel free to call them and ask for Lynda at 405-286-3700 tell her I sent you...Lynda is a wonderful person with a huge heart and I am so glad I get the chance to work with her as much as I do.
*The City Rescue Mission is another one of my favorite charities I just love everyone over there and all the good they do. They are in need of items to cover the Wish List for the homeless families who live at the Mission. They have made it so easy by creating a registry at Target! All you have to do is click HERE and shop! To learn more about them or ways to volunteer please click HERE!

Ok now some options for everyone or things outside of Oklahoma:
* David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust; this is something I have had on my Christmas list ever since I saw the Oprah special and blogged about it this past summer.....I am adopting a orphan elephant in Africa! I am so excited I can barely stand it! For $50 you can help provide them with food, shelter, rehabilitation to be released into the wild and medical care! To learn more or pick a foster elephant or rhino click HERE!
* Next up World Vision is an amazing world wide organization to help the less fortunate. You can pick from a variety of different ways to help such as for $75 you can buy a family a goat that will help provide them with milk and cheese to eat and then sell. You can also spend as little as $18 to provide a family with 3 ducks that will give them eggs to eat and sell. To find out more and purchase please click HERE!

I hope I have given you some wonderful ideas and that I have made it easy enough so that all you will need to do is click, buy and help! Thanks guys! And please remember this if you or someone you know is thinking of giving a pet as a holiday gift PLEASE adopt from a shelter!!!!!!!

Pumpkin Pie

Hello! I have had a request for my Pumpkin Pie recipe and you know what I always think why mess with tradition?? I literally use the Famous Libby's recipe on the pumpkin can! So why fix it, if it ain't broke?
My secret?? I add 1 tsp. Vanilla extract and a whole lotta LOVE!

Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving. .

Thankful Thursday

Hello! Today will a light hearted addition to Thankful Thursdays!
* First of all I am thankful that both my pumpkin pies turned out so well and that everyone here at my office's Thanksgiving lunch loved them! Between you and me the middle could of been cooked a tad longer but no one noticed!

* Second, this is super silly but I am excited to watch this whole Royal wedding unfold! I think Kate looks so classy and down to earth and I am thankful that this spectacle of a wedding will provide alot of Royal daydreams and entertainment for all us commoners!

* Oh yes, I am so Thankful they picked my other boyfriend (second to Channing Tatum) as the sexiest man alive! I mean can you believe that he is married to Scarlett Johanson? Talk about beautiful couple!

* Lastly, I am very excited that this weekend Matt and I are going to put up Christmas decorations!! For me I love spending Thanksgiving with Holiday stuff up....it is all one fun fest! I will try to get some pictures for you all on Monday...not that it has changed since last year but whatever!

Ellen Hopkins

So I have started to read all the books by Ellen Hopkins, these were suggested to me by Matt's cousins this summer and I have finally gotten around to starting them. These books are so very hard to describe, they are teen books but I will get into that more later. I started off with Crank and here is the jest....

In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree.

What did I think of Crank? Well I couldn't put it down and I needed to know what was happening next!But when I read another book by Ellen called Tricks well this one was a real page turner. Here is what Tricks is about....

Five teens desperately seek to find their way through the darkness in Hopkins's latest epic novel in verse. Eden flees an evangelical household; Cody blocks out a family illness with gambling and sex; Whitney gives up her body in exchange for the love she finds so elusive; Seth struggles to define himself as a homosexual; and Ginger comes to terms with an awful truth about her neglectful mother. Burden after burden piles on the teens' shoulders until they resort to the unthinkable in order to survive

Ok, I could not put Tricks down but I will tell you something this is a "teen" book and it says 9th grade and up...well I would never let anyone I know under the age of say 17 read this. This was soo graphic and I think they should rate "teen" books like a movie PG, PG-13, R and NC-17....I would say this book is R pushing NC-17. It doesn't bother me (that sounds bad) but be warned you will be reading about drug use and very graphic sex.At the same time those "scenes" are vital to the story.....this is a story about the things these teens have to do to survive and the ways people use them. It is sad and dark that is for sure.  Now, with that being said I haven't even begun to tell you the neat thing about all of Ellen's books.......
They are written in verse and the words are even at times written to make shapes. Below is 2 pages so you can see examples......

At first this was a tad confusing but after a few chapters you don't really notice it and I began to really enjoy the pages and how the layout goes with the story!

She has alot more books out such as Glass, Identical, Burned, Impulse and Fallout! Do I plan to read more of her books? Yes, I will for sure! Have you read anything by Ellen Hopkins?

Breakfast Rice

Two recipes in 1 day? Wow! Well, not exactly I don't think you could call this a recipe and you may have your own name for this dish but this is something I love. So today I go home for lunch and you all know how I loathe lunch so I decided to brighten my day with another breakfast! I grew up with this easy dish, my mom use to make this for us at least once a week......
I give you Breakfast Rice!!!!!!!

You can use any rice you like, I used minute rice today and then here is how you serve it....
Mix into the bowl about 1/4 cup Half & Half
2 Tablespoons sugar
A few dashes of Cinnamon
And enjoy!!!!!!! Yum! If you haven't had some version of this before you are missing out and your kiddos will love this too! I know me and my siblings sure did!