Gifts Before Christmas

My husband is awesome and bought me some cool Christmas presents. Every year we try to wait to exchange presents till Christmas or Christmas Eve but we ALWAYS give in and open them early. So-last night we were watching tv and he said "we should open our presents"-I hesitated thinking it would be best if we waited but then said-ok sure. We gave ourselves a 50 dollar limit this year. I got him a piano tuning kit for his new piano he got for free off Craigslist and an Encyclopedia of Motorcycles . He got me these-

4 all natural soaps from my new favorite soap store on etsy.

and also this shirt from another store on etsy.

He also threw in a Starbucks gift card. Pretty awesome. He did very well. I love Etsy!

SUN

Oh how I wish I were at the beach soaking up some sun. The weather isn't bad here today-it's actually quite nice but I am ready for some good ole sunshine on my face.

Sorry

Sorry-I know it's been a while since I last posted. With moving and holidays it's just been a really busy time for us.

To catch you up from my last post- as you all know we have moved cross town. Well to a whole new town really. I am loving Spring Hill,TN. It's a perfect blend of country life with some Super Target thrown in for good measure. I am however missing the conveniences of where we lived before. Our favorite Mexican restaurant was like a hop skip and jump away and now it's like 45 mins. away. We tried out Ponchos here in town but it was pretty mediocre to me. Also, I am missing living like two minutes from the grocery store. I am being forced to plan out my shopping experiences in advance instead of deciding I need something on the spot. But-besides those things my new town has lots to offer. I met a new friend for coffee at Utopia Coffee. It's a really great unique place. I also found some really great craft type stores and an antique mall where I found a bunch of great books for cheap.

Anyways,exploring a new town was just what I needed. I love Nashville and I love our old house but I was just ready for a change and moving here makes me see I really needed one.

House

We finally have a closing date! 11/23 which is not very far away. We started packing this week and now have boxes everywhere around the house.

Wishing I Was On Vacation Here...

God..Is..That..You?

I am a receptionist for a church and I have gotten some really bizarre calls in the past couple of years. One of my favorites went like this-

me:Fellowship Bible Church this is Lindsey how can I help you?

unknown caller: GOD!.......

Me: No,this is Fellowship Bible Church.

unknown caller: Oh,sorry. (hang up)

another memorable one that was not as pleasant went like this-

me: FBC this is Lindsey how can I help you?

caller:Is this Eastland Funeral Home?

me:No,this is FBC.

caller: If I wanted to talk to a church I would have f*#%@@ called a church. (hang up)

AHHHH PEOPLE! You've gotta love them....

Recipe

Earlier in the week I saw The Rachel Ray show and she cooked this recipe.

Straw and Hay Pasta

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fettuccine
1/2 pound spinach fettuccine
Salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/8 inch thick sliced prosciutto or pancetta, finely diced or 1/4 pound package of pre-cubed prosciutto or pancetta, such as Citterio brand
3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or 1 shallot, finely chopped
3-4 sprigs fresh sage, thinly sliced
A few grates fresh nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, a few handfuls

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook fettuccine to al dente. Heads up: Compare the cook times on each box to stagger the addition of pastas if necessary to boiling water and reserve 1 cup starchy cooking liquids just before draining.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the butter and melt, add the prosciutto or pancetta and brown 2-3 minutes. Add the sprouts and sauté 3-4 minutes, add garlic or shallot and sage, and toss 2 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg.
Drain pasta and add reserved cooking liquid to sprouts. Toss with pasta and cheese, adjust seasonings and serve.

I have never cooked brussel sprouts and always had heard since I was little that they are gross so I was surprised that this recipe sounded good to me. I think when she said they were basically mini cabbages it helped me to get over the comments that I have heard through the years. Also, I really like miniature anything so the idea of a mini cabbage sounds exciting! ha ha..

I really liked the meal. I think it needs more cheese and maybe more spices/herbs than what she calls for but that's just me. I also couldn't find prosciutto at my local Kroger so I bought chicken sausage and cut it up in bite size pieces. My husband thought it was bland and so he poured marinara sauce over it and then decided it was good. I love it the way it is and am having left overs for lunch.

If you have a good easy recipe to share with me please do because I am getting tired of mine which is why I tried this one.

Happy Eating!

moving

We are moving to Spring Hill, TN! I am really excited and totally nervous. As most of you know we are selling our house and buying another and doing it all on our own. Meaning we sold For Sale by Owner and we represented our self in buying. We close at the end of November! It's going to be a couple of crazy weeks coming up ,but I can't wait. We love our current house ,but we are ready to move away from the city and I really wanted to live somewhere with two bathrooms. Probably doesn't seem like a big deal to some but it will be a luxury to me.

Yeah for adventures!

Craving

I'm not sure why ,but I am totally craving pumpkin pie. Can't wait till thanksgiving!

Cowl

I say that I am "crafty" but in reality I haven't touched a craft project in quite some time. I go through phases where I over do it on knitting or painting or some other craft and then I take a really long break just to do it all over again.

I tried knitting several years ago and after making a few scarves and attempting a baby blanket I gave up and decided that I liked crocheting better. I don't necessarily think it looks prettier but I can do it way faster than if I knitted.

I came across this blog and saw her pattern for a knitted cowl (aka neck warmer). Something about it motivated me to go out an buy the needles and some new yarn to give it a try. I finished it in two sittings while watching Office reruns on Netflix. I am pretty happy with it. It's really warm and stretchy and was super easy to make. If I really wanted to I could wear it as a hood or pull it down over my shoulders.

sorry for the dark picture...

Halloween

Halloween is tomorrow so in honor of all things creepy and costume-ee...

Have a happy and safe one!

Hemp....Clothing that is

I didn't know that you can make clothing out of hemp ,but apparently you can make all kind of things out of it. Who knew?

Once again while browsing on Esty(Sorry-I know-I am obsessed-promise my next post won't be about Etsy) I came across this store. I LOVE this lady's clothing! It looks so simple and comfortable ,but also really unique. Unfortunately all things "earth friendly" seem to cost an arm and a leg. Which now that I think of it I am not sure why. If something is more natural and simple it seems like it should cost less since you don't have to pay for all the processing. Anyways-maybe her prices are high because she makes everything based off your own personal measurements which is really nice I suppose for a great fit. I am really loving this little jacket/sweater thing and also this skirt. Just wanted to share...

Soap

I love shopping around on Esty. Seeing handmade items really excites me for some reason. Maybe because I also like to create.

I picked up a very small sample of all natural soap from an Amish stand at the Nashville Flea Market awhile ago and loved it. It left my hands feeling so soft. I read up on natural soaps and how if you have sensitive or dry skin they really are the way to go. I love the convenience of shower gel and my little puff ,but I thought I would give the bar soap another try. The flea market only happens once a month so I decided to look on Etsy for some soap.

I was amazed at how many different people sell soap on there so I just picked one at random. I ordered a few items from this person. I bought one regular soap bar that smells like lemon, an orange smelling shampoo bar, and a charcoal facial soap bar(sounds weird but I am really liking it. and it's black which looks kind of cool). I loved everything I got although the shampoo bar wouldn't get all the pomade out of my hair so I used the rest as a regular bar of soap. When I used up all the soap I decided to try another brand for fun. I just received my package from this person on etsy the other day. I bought the 4 pack of soaps which ended up being cheaper than the other store. Anyways-so now I am obsessed with buying this kind of soap because my skin is not nearly as dry as usual and I love trying out new scents.

Actually I love my new soaps so much that I may try to make my own. My husband even made me a special soap mold so all I need now are all the ingredients.

Converse

When I was in middle school and high school I often walked around wearing a pair of Chuck Taylor Converse shoes. I had black, red, and even a high top pair that had the American flag on them. Once I graduated high school I kind of felt like maybe I had grown out of those shoes-as if they were only made for teenagers. The funny thing though is that they seem to be having a comeback because not only do I see young people wearing them I see older people wearing them too. So-as I browsed around the shoe store a couple of days ago I walked up to the display of all the Chucks and let out a sigh and admired all the new colors they now come in. I was drawn to these magenta ones and ended up buying them. I love them! When I look at them I can't help but think of all my friends in 8th grade sitting around the table during wood shop with our Nirvana t-shirts, our flannel shirts, and Chucks. ohhh...memories....

Friday

Fridays are great! I only work 4 hours on Friday's and that makes it extra great. Unfortunately the weather is cold and rainy today ,but perfect for sitting on the couch bundled up in a blanket with a good movie. Speaking of movies I really hope I can make it to see Where The Wild Things Are this weekend.

On another note-I found a tasty recipe I am going to try over the weekend. This one came from The Pioneer Woman's Blog.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

1 14.5 ounce can artichoke hearts (quartered or whole), drained

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken broth, more as needed

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

1 pound thin spaghetti

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped chives or other herbs

Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chopped chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

Hope you have a great weekend!

My Taste Bud's New Best Friend

Sparks

Currently I am reading this

I have read a couple of Nicholas Sparks books. The first one I really enjoyed. I think it was called The Wedding (sequel to the Notebook I think). The second one I can't seem to remember the title. It was good but pretty predictable. Although I am making my way through The Rescue I find myself cringing with each new chapter. I am all for romantic stories and what not but I feel like all the woman characters in his books are all basically the same woman. Has anyone else ever thought this? It's like all the stories are exactly the same with a few minor changes- like the location (except for wait-they all seem to take place in a cozy little NC town), the eye and hair color of the woman (they always are very attractive but don't seem to know it), and the occupation of the love interest. In this book he is a fire fighter.

I don't want to knock Mr.Nicholas but he keeps banging out book after book and and I kind of wish he would slow it down and actually write a story that isn't so cliche. That is jut me though.

Waves

I have been astounded lately by my inconsistent nature. Or maybe I should say inconsistent attitude..or thought life (I guess I don't know what you would call it). One moment I feel so sure that life will work its self out and that I don't need to worry and then the very next moment I worry like nobodies business and can't seem to find any hope. The smallest thing can set me off in either direction. This reminds me exactly of this verse- James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

I am like a wave tossed by the wind and it stinks!

Until I grow in this area I think that is why God gave me my husband. He is solid and dependable. He is not easily shaken or thrown off balance. When I start freaking out all it takes to bring me back to reality is him saying "it will be ok." I probably am gullible but I believe him every time. But the amazing miracle is that in the end everything does seem to work its self out. Maybe not in the way I would have imagined but it does. Which then makes me think of this verse-Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose.

Now that I wrote this I am having one of those peaceful moments where I am reminded that God is in control even when I am not. The peaceful moment is also helped by my Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte. Thanks be to God for peace and Starbucks!

win some lose most of them

I for whatever reason I don't have much luck at winning in things. games, drawings, and radio station giveaways, oh..and now there seems to be people giving away things on their blogs all the time. Don't get any ideas here. I don't have anything exciting to give away unless you want an outdated magazine or a few bananas that probably are on their way to becoming banana bread(which by the way I found a really good recipe for,so maybe I could give you that if you want).
I guess I can't say that I have never won because in fact I did happen to win a coloring contest put on by Giant Eagle grocery store when I was younger. I think I won an Easter basket or a stuffed rabbit or something. I also won a drawing contest put on by the Lion's Club and they "honored" me at a banquet and used my picture in their yearly calendar. But other than those two times the only time I won something when I became an adult was when I was caller 7 or 10(I can't remember) on Lightening 100 radio station here in Nashville for some CD of some band who I had never heard of. I still was excited. I mean..I had won. However I never did get my prize. They told me I had to come to their building downtown to pick it up and I was like-well ok then. So I drove myself down there trying not to have a freak out-cause I hate driving in down town areas. I finally parked (had to pay for it mind you) and made my way into the building only to find that they had closed for the day. What! S0 I decided to come back one more time and guess what?!? they moved to a new location who knows where. I gave up. I mean all this for some band I had never heard of and no offense probably sounds like every other band in Nashville.
This brings me to current day. Well actually yesterday's current day..or something like that. My mom and I went to hear a woman speak and they had an ice breaker thing where there was a prize involved. There were these clues and you had to figure out what candy/chocolate they were talking about. For example-here is an easy one- she has long hair and prefers riding on horses nude. Godiva chocolate! Well The first couple were REALLY easy and I thought I had it made. I must know my candy I thought and then realized oh yes I know it too well hence the weight gain over the past few years. As the phrases kept coming they got way harder and I really only filled in a few more and gave up. I figured there was NO WAY I won..once again. At the end they asked "did anyone get more than 5,6,7,8,9 correct" and as I looked around I was the only one standing. VICTORY! and then they gave me a travel mug. Which I mean I totally needed. Who doesn't need another one right! It's nice and silver and pink which I usually don't like but am starting to appreciate. I am sure it will hold my hot beverages beautifully.
There really is no moral to this story except to say to those who feel like losers -You too could play a game and win. maybe. If you win U2 tickets or a new car I hope You will think of me and and give me a ride in your new car and take me to U2 with you.haha...........
No-seriously. Have you ever won anything really cool? I would Love to hear about it.

PS. One of my favorite blogs is called pioneer woman. Check it out here. This lady gives away some really great things like Kitchen Aid Mixers. I tried winning a few of those but as you can see I didn't win. But you might. And-her blog is really funny and has a bunch of great recipes with picture instructions.

Adventures While Cooking

Yesterday after work I had the urge to cook. So-I flipped through pages of my cook books and looked online. I found a recipe for some kind of Asian baked chicken and I figured I would give it a go. The only problem with the recipe was that it called for a whole chicken which I had ,but it wanted me to cut it up into pieces. This might not be an issue with some folks but I can hardly stand to touch precut skinless chicken breast let alone a big stretchy skinned chicken with all the organs stuffed inside that I have to shake over the trash to release them. I knew that I needed help so I went straight to youtube. Which is where I found this video. The chef makes it look oh so easy with his sharp little knife. So clean, so undiscusting. I thought to myself-I can do this. I got my chicken and plopped it on my cutting board and pulled out my best knife (which by the way is a silver steak knife-I know...I need a good knife..maybe for Christmas). I started the video on my laptop that sat next to me and played the part about cutting the legs and them paused it as I tried it myself. I stuck my knife in and started to cut. Or at least I thought I was cutting but in reality I was just moving the knife up and down and stretching the skin out while gross juices were flying in the air. Gagging... Dull knife-obviously not like the one he had used. So-I got out the kitchen scissors. They seemed to work a lot better. What probably took the chef 2 minutes to attempt took me about an hour. I could not figure out how you are supposed to cut between the bones and by the time I was finished I had the nastiest mangled carcass sitting on my counter top. Thankfully no one else saw it until after It was baked and by them It actually looked pretty nice and tasted even better.

Ahhh...the adventures of cooking!

New Books

I recently discovered Ebay's half.com. I am usually a hard core fan of Amazon when it comes to buying cheap books but I have to say- Half.com seems to be a smidge cheaper and I am all about cheap especially when it comes to books (cause you read them or in my case you often read part of them and then they sit in your nightstand or on your bookshelf for years).

Today I purchased

Fall

I didn't have to be into work until 11:30 today so I forced myself to take a walk around the neighborhood. I believe fall is finally here because I actually had to wear a fleece sweatshirt and a hat to keep my ears from freezing off all while listening to the Beatles.

I know most of my friends will be appalled when I share this secret ,but here it goes.

I Love dreads! I have no hair so don't worry I can't make them ,but I find them so interesting. Being a stylist at heart I was curious as to how someone creates them and maintains them. I would love to attempt them on someone. They take hours by the way to create and a lot of time afterwards is spent maintaining them until they lock into place ,but once they do I think they are so unique. and PS my one friend said they are disgusting and dirty and that is really not true..unless you are the kid that sat in front of me in highschool who was twirling one in his finger when it snapped off and fell on my desk along with a pile of white flakes. ewwwwwww......

blue sky..finally

It's amazing how the weather can affect ones mood. It has been raining here for what seems like weeks. No-seriously! WEEKS! I imagine this is what it feels like to live in Seattle. I am not talking a light drizzle here and there. I'm talking heavy down poor almost 24/7. Yesterday the sun came out and I felt like a snail who has been hiding under a rock experiencing sun for the first time. I walked out in my back yard and threw my arms up and just soaked it all in. It felt amazing!

Today I even feel lighter. An extra spring in my step. Could be the grande mint mocha I am sipping on...but I am enjoying the sunshine never the less.

craft idol

I feel kind of Lame-O that I am excited by this but I can't help it. There is this women, Vickie Howell, who is known for her crafty-ness. She had a craft tv show that I couldn't watch because we don't have cable but I read her blog all the time and she is also an author of knitting and crochet books. She also has killer hair-the stylist in me is obsessed with her hair do's and wears crazy fun platform shoes (which is a plus in my book since I can hardly wear flip flops without my feet hurting).

I became a "friend" of hers on Facebook a while back and today I saw she was on . So-I sent her an instant message after a few minutes of deciding what I should say.

Should I say -
"Hey Vickie-I read your blog everyday and stare at pictures of you to figure out how your hair is cut. I have conversations with my hairstylist friend to try to figure out if your hair colorist uses 7r+6or or 7or+7r. Which is it? Oh and can you give me pointers on how to be like you?" I decided that might be a little creepy (maybe WAY creepy) so I said " Do you ever come to Nashville,TN?"

It sat blank for awhile and then I saw she was actually writing me back. Basically she said she has been to Knoxville but never Nashville on her tours. She would be sure to make sure to visit.

I was like "Cool-Nashville has a lot of great music (duh!) and things to do."

She said "I am giving away a book on my blog today-you should type something in my comment section to try to win it." I did and I am sure I won't win. I never have luck with "give-a-ways".

So-that was it.I was hoping she would give me pointers on how to be her but for now I am content with knowing she will make Nashville a stop on her next tour (I think she just said that to be nice...).

Is there anyone you would like to meet or talk to if you could?

sick :(

All week long I have been feeling kind of yucky in the stomach and yesterday when I finally started feeling better I quickly got a sore throat and major congestion. So, today I feel like poo but I am at work chugging away. Why are you blogging one might ask if I am at work. It's SLOW right now so it's alright.

Hope you all are having a great day!

For Sale

I haven't posted in awhile because it's been an interesting few weeks. Just a lot going on.

We bought our house about 3 years ago and though it's been a great little house we are ready for something different. Not necessarily bigger but just different. There have been many times where we wanted to try and sell it but when it came down to it we weren't ready. So-I am not sure what changed but we are ready and have been working hard to make some improvements before we put it on the market.

The exciting and just as scary part is that we don't really know what we will do if the house does sell. I mean we have a rough idea but we don't really know. Our dream is to buy a small house with more land further away from town. basically an old farm. however as we have been looking online we aren't really seeing much that fits our description. So I guess we will just have to take it one day at a time.

It's strange how God guides you and takes you places you never intended to go. I never in a million years would have thought I would end up in TN or that someday I would actually want to live in the country. But-I am happy that God is in control because if I were solely in control who knows where I would have ended up.

corn dog in a muffin

I found this recipe on here and am trying it out for the first time. It's actually baking in the oven as I write. I think what drew me to it is how simple and fun the idea is. I bet kids would gobble these up.

Makes 18 muffins (I cut the recipe in half)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (8.5 ounce) packages cornbread mix
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 9 hot dogs, cut in half

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease muffin tins.
2. Stir together the cornbread mix and the brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Fold the eggs and cheese into the dry mixture until moistened. Spoon mixture into muffin tins until 2/3 full. Add 1 hot dog half to each muffin.
3. Bake in a preheated oven 14 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

sunshine

Sometimes I like to type random things into flickr's search and see what pops up. It's a bit dreary out so I typed in sunshine and found these by someone named Giagia.

Jeans

What! Is what I said to myself as I scrolled through the rows and rows of jeans for sale on Anthropologie's website. Who fits into those? Or at least the ones in the picture! What are they like a size -5. If your thighs are that small you may actually be a bird. Just a thought...

Health

I have been thinking for a LONG time that I need to get back in shape. When I say back in shape I mean one time long ago when I was in 7th-9th grade I was active in basketball,swimming, and volleyball(not all at the same time-I was not that athletic). Now-I know I am an adult and the routines of life seem to keep one back from really finding the time or the endurance to make it to the gym or live an active lifestyle but I feel like it's time to stop the excuses and get on with it.

What I am realizing is that there are choices to be made when you are an adult. When I was in 7th grade I joined the basketball team and as a result I had to go to all of the practices. My mom would drop me off and I did it. It was like to some degree I didn't have a choice. It was fit into my schedule for me. Nowadays if I don't make the time I don't go and if I don't make the choice to stop eating ice cream and cupcakes everyday because it's not good for me I am bound to get some chunk. Which I have already but it's bound to get worse! and I don't think my clothes can handle worse!

So-I think today will be my day where I make the choice to choose health and eat less crap and be more active. Kind of like a New Year's resolution only not at the beginning of the year. If anyone reads this and wants to join me we can start a club (because everyone wants to be in a club,right?)or something. A walking club, a I promise to stop eating Gi Gi's Cupcakes club. whatever...

I am tempted to post one of those bad "before" shots so that I have something to compare myself to in hopefully a few months but I wouldn't do that to anyone and especially not myself.

me and my mom

can you get any cooler...

I am a moderate No Doubt/Gwen Stafani lover but i just saw this pict. and said to myself "can you get any cooler?seriously."
This lady has got to be well into her 30's at this point with 2 kids and continues to look like a rock star. I can almost predict when i am in my 30's hopefully with a few kids i will be looking more like this.Oh Lord I hope I at least don't wear "mom jeans". Hahaha....