Texan Girl

Esther

2011-04-09T09:05:00.001-06:00

Right now we are wrapping up the book of Esther. I think I have enjoyed this book more than any other study I have done. The book is different than any other in the Bible it doesn't say the word Lord. So, one might ask where is God during all this. He is in the background if you look closely. In a nut shell there is this King that is in search of a new Queen b/c the old one wouldn't obey. Esther was a beautiful young woman that the King picked. Then there was this other guy that reported to the King. He was offended by Esther's "father" (I put the quotes b/c he wasn't her real dad but raised her..i think he is an cousin??) He made the King's right hand man mad b/c he wouldn't bow to him. When asked the bad guy found out it was b/c he was a Jew. So, he went to the King to get a decree to kill all Jews. Well the Queen was a Jew. She threw them a two banquets and asked for her life and her people's life. King was mad that this happened and decided to kill his guy. Honestly you should read it.

What did I get out of it? Keep faith. That God has a plan in time. I also really admire how Esther went about things. She seemed very cool and collective.

Found a movie!! Haven't watched all it yet but looks good so far.
http://ebiblemovies.com/watch/queen-esther-movie/online-free/

I also found a movie called One Night With the King
http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi729745177/

Can't wait to watch them!!

Who is Henry Vane.

2011-04-03T19:11:00.002-06:00

The man in the photo for 300.

(1589-1655). To be honest I haven't had enough to to really research the guy behind the photo. I did find out that he has a facebook page. Sounds like quiet a crazy life with castles, wars, quarrels, and yes even taking his own life. I thought I had it crazy but reading about his life makes me thankful that I don't have to go through half of of what went on back then. One of my favorite plays is Romeo and Juliet but I always thought it was a little exaggerated but I can kinda see the time now. Henry was on his way politically. Knighted in 1611, comptroller (1629) and treasurer (1639) of the household and secretary of state (1640). So, what happened you ask?

"Vane's appointment as secretary of state was opposed by the earl of Strafford. In the latter's trial, Vane, with genuine or pretended reluctance, testified that Strafford had advocated the use of the Irish army against Parliament. As a result he lost favor with the king and was dismissed from office."
- education.yahoo.com

But wait it gets even more interesting. How you might ask stay tuned to see how his kid turned out. Oh yeh, here is a pic of the castle in the fam!!

Happy St Patties Day!!

2011-03-18T16:54:00.000-06:00

So, in doing our family history I have realized I have more Irish in my than I thought. Kinda cool b/c I'm fascinated by the Irish. I didn't do much digging this week on that side but I did find a link to this guy, handsome huh? Stay tuned to find out who he is!!

Farmers, Running, & b.i.b.l.e

2011-02-27T14:19:00.000-06:00

Ok, so far all I have found out I have a ton of farmers up one branch. They mostly lived in Georgia and North Carolina going back to the civil war time. I did find a few family photos; one even goes back to 1826.

I think I'm going to use this Family Tree Builder program I found online to keep track of everything I find too.

On a side note: I started to run again last week. Monday felt great I went the full 2 miles I wanted then on Thursday I didn't do so hot and then again on Sat didn't do the best. So, I'm excited of next week.

As for the bible study honestly I haven't opened it since Tuesday. So that is what I'm going to go do now.

Roots Body Soul

2011-02-23T17:24:00.005-06:00

I'm so excited about my new project, Mind Body Soul. Let me explain a little.

I'll start with Roots. I have always been curious about why my ancestors came to America and where I came from. Luckily I have a few great family members that have done tons of research that I can start with. One of them even dates back to 1178. How cool is that?

Body. This one kinda started last year with the 5k training. Those of you who don't know I am not athletic at all. Last summer I was watching Losing It With Jillian and decided it was time to get healthy. And there started my couch to 5k program. This year I'm thinking bigger...half marathon bigger. I was planning on the White Rock but somehow it is sold out. Err. So, not sure which one I'm going to do yet but in the meantime I have a few 5ks in mind.

Soul. Last but not least knowing God. I'm starting with Ezra & Haggai. The church I go to have this amazing womens ministry. We are using the Precepts books which so far I highly recommend. The book of Ezra is about God's people taken out of their Land, temple is destroyed, people return, start rebuilding temple, discouraged by enemys, stop building temple, encouraged by Haggai and God, and the rebuild the temple in a nut shell so far. What I'm getting out of it is to trust God b/c he has a bigger plan than I do.

1/2 Marathon Challenge

2011-02-12T09:33:00.002-06:00

I'm sooo excited about my 1/2 marathon. I have until next Dec. Should be plenty of time.

The program:

http://jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html

The goal:

http://www.runtherock.com/

I'm starting in a few weeks. Stay tuned to a new playlist and how it is going. (If you have an awesome song you like to run to let me know...I'm looking for some new ones.)

Week 8?

2010-08-22T14:19:00.000-06:00

I'm now up to 2.5 miles straight. Can you believe it? If I can do it really anyone can do this plan. I must admit the last few weeks were pretty hard for me mentally and physically. I cheated a few times. This little voice keeps saying I'm done and this is as far as my body will go, but then I go another lap and another lap. I just tell myself my mind is wrong it doesn't know what I can do. It is so hard to stay to the plan and keep going. Excuses like it's 100 degrees, the bugs bit me, my knee hurts, why am I doing this keep popping up too.

Luckily Matt's sister and mom go with me. So, that is a huge factor that keeps me going. Plus I'm getting so close.

I went to the nike outlet the other day and got a bunch of great workout outfits. I highly recommend it to anyone needing stuff.

Thanks to a few seasoned runner playlist and a few of my favorites I have finally picked my playlist. I submitted it to iMix to share but it takes a while to be approved. In the meantime here you go.

Ok that is kinda small. Here is a better list.

Faith, George Michael
T-Shirt, Shontelle
Defying Gravity, Freddy
Trouble, Pink
It Wasn't Me, Shaggy
Murder She Wrote, Chaka Demus & Pliers
In da Club, 50 Cent
You Can Do It, Ice Cube
No Woman No Cry, Bob Marley
Dreams, The Cranberries

New on the Menu

2010-08-22T12:39:00.000-06:00

I'm excited this week I'm going to try 3 new recipes. I guess you could say I'm a little bored.

Sunday - I'm going to try Ina's Tequila Lime Chicken. I have high hopes for this one b/c I adore her recipes.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tequila-lime-chicken-recipe/index.html

Monday - No plans.

Tuesday - Is running day. A few places I have read say that shrimp is great for runners so I'm just going to saute some shrimp with some summer veggies.

Wednesday - MarketStreet Tamales

Thursday - Peanut Chicken Wraps. I'm a little worried about this one. Mostly b/c I'm not a huge fan of Peanut Chicken, but Matt likes it so I'm taking on for the team.
http://www.10buckdinners.com/?p=914

Friday - Spaghetti all Carbonara. I tried this once and it was bad but maybe Tyler has a better way of doing it.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/spaghetti-alla-carbonara-recipe/index.html

Week 5

2010-07-31T08:48:00.001-06:00

I'm now in week 5 of the couch challenge. It keeps getting harder but I'm trusting the plan. We have been going to the track which is nice b/c I know the distance but I feel that my pace is getting slower and slower.It took me about 45 mins to complete today when the plan shows 26 mins. I jogged 1.5 miles and walked .5 miles. Plus a lap for warm up.

Ok, let's break this out. The average walking speed is 20 min per mile. I did 2 miles in 40 mins not including the warm up. So, my jog is an average walking speed. Ahh! Ok. Let's take this one step at a time. I'm going to first work on my distance each week. Then when I reach week 10 I'll start on my pace. The average jog is 10 min per mile.

I look forward to next Monday's time.

Week 1

2010-07-10T07:49:00.001-06:00

Saturday, Exercise 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Today went pretty well for the first day. I had to slow my jog to about turtle speed a few times and had to stop completely once to catch my breath. I was able to do the full 20 minutes plus warm up and cool down walk. I think I went about 2 miles. From my house to the park around the park twice and back home. I feel really soar now but I can't wait for exercise 2. I'm not going to weigh or measure myself until next week b/c I feel I'm putting to much pressure on that. I'm going to try to focus on the task at hand.

Sunday - 6 mile bike ride on the Ray Roberts Greenbelt Trail. Felt pretty good. I did get tired on the last mile. Hopefully I can conquer the whole thing pretty soon.

Monday, Exercise 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Today went better than Sat's jog. I was able to jog the whole time I was suppose to and didn't take any breaks. I'm feeling pretty tired at this point but I hear you gain energy in the long run.

Tuesday, Day of rest

Wednesday, Exercise 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Today I did the reps in a gym. With all this rain we have been having I thought it would be a good idea to plan on the exercise today inside. It is a lot different. The elements aren't a factor. I don't think I worked as hard as I do outside.

Thursday, Walked outside for an hour

Thought maybe it would be a good idea to do something.

Friday, Walked outside for an hour

After stuffing my face at a work lunch I needed something. Strangely a few hours later and I'm feeling a little worn down. I'm having a hard time getting off the couch

I can't wait for next weeks workout. We are taking it up a notch with more jogging. I haven't so much as lost a pound or inch but I am feeling better.

Challenge #2 - The Couch to 5K run.

2010-07-03T08:26:00.001-06:00

So, as most of you know the special k challenge didn't work so great for me. 1 - I didn't lose any weight. 2 - I was not happy with eating cereal. 3 - I feel it was a waste of time.

A few days ago I was watching TV (surprise, surprise) and the Julian show came on. I was so motivated after watching it Matt and I went for a run. It wasn't very pretty. No wonder why I have gained 40 pounds since high school. I'm not afraid to admit it. I was 90 and now I'm 130. Granted I don't want to be 90 again but 120 would be nice. I'm shooting for 110 by Thanksgiving.

My goal is the turkey trout. (http://www.thetrot.org) It is a 5K.

How am I going to get there. A while back I heard about this couch to 5K site. (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml)

Wish me luck. I'm heading out for my first workout.

USVI and BVI

2010-05-26T19:22:00.000-06:00

Well, our trip has come to an end. Here are some pics!

Day 8 Special K

2010-05-02T11:29:00.000-06:00

Well, I still haven't lost a pound and I think my waist is the same. I haven't lost hope yet! I did breakdown and ate two real meals yesterday and popcorn but I'm back on track. Two weeks until St John! I better start doing sit-ups or something else.

Day 5 of Special K

2010-04-28T19:03:00.029-06:00

Ok, I'm on day 5 and I haven't lost a pound. Hopefully it is just because I'm gaining muscles :) I have been bike riding, walking, yoga, and using the wii fit. When I measured myself yesterday I thought I gained an inch but then today I lost half an inch from Saturday. So, who knows if I'm measuring the same each time.

The food is ok. The first few days I was going through some major chip withdraw. Apparently I'm addicted to them. I really like the pretzel bar snack, chocolate shake and berry cereal. I don't like the granola cereal at all. It is just to fat free for me.

This process has been really hard for me. Must be why they call it a challenge. A few things that I hope I can take away are 1) to exercise/do something 30 minutes a day 2) what I snack on 3) what I cook.

Meal tip - divide your plate 1/2 should be salad/veggies, 1/4 lean protein, 1/4 starch. (mine was more like 1/2 fried meat and 1/2 starch)

Snack tip - precut veggies and fruit for a snack throughout the day

Each day seems to get a little better. I'm not as hungry as the day before. Maybe the whole hunger thing was just in my head. I do notice I eat more when I get bored. (like watching tv) I'm going to keep it up until at least this weekend. If I don't see anything change by then I might slowly introduce lunch back.

Weigh In

2010-04-24T08:24:00.000-06:00

Day number one and I am so excited. My first protein shake wasn't bad. I bought the strawberry ones last night so I would have something for breakfast before our weekly shopping. They were on sale so an extra bonus. I was surprised on how much sugar they had but I'm glad it did. I'm not sure how long I can last on just shakes so we are going to the store before lunch!

I know a lot of you don't care/want to know but I was to keep a record of my first weigh in. Plus keep in mind I'm only 5'3''.

133 pounds and 34 1/2 inches

This week I'm going to try special's recipes. Seared Steak Salad, Jamaican Chicken Breast with Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Lemon Pepper Salmon. I'm going to cook a few of my favorites to just so I don't go crazy with new stuff. It can be overwhelming. I'm going to try to post about 3 times a week with my thoughts so bare with me in the next few weeks. I promise the payoff of St John stories will be worth it.

New Appliance Day

2010-04-22T06:29:00.000-06:00

We got 3 out of 4 appliances yesterday.

Real Countdown

2010-04-20T19:06:00.000-06:00

Ok, I am starting a real countdown to our trip. I have decided to do the Special K Challenge. So what if I have never done a diet in my life. I went to specialk.com and it is really simple . Plus the food looks great. I thought it was just going to be a bunch of cereal but it is more than that. I have decided to document this journey to keep myself accountable.

I'm going to start Saturday. Because A - we shop on Saturday for groceries and B - I'm going out to lunch with the girls tomorrow and the office orders lunch on Fridays. I also think it would be easier to start so it will be in sync with my grocery runs.

I'm getting so excited. I'm still looking over their website and I can't wait to try it. I am a little afraid of all the bars last time I went on a bar kick I got pretty sick of them. Good thing they have a lot to pick from. I like that you can also eat veggies and fruit. I might sub a snack for that. I'm going to weigh in Saturday morning. Stay tuned.

I'm debating the whole before and after pic. I think I'm going to skip that part.

Easter!!

2010-04-08T19:04:00.000-06:00

Boy was Easter busy this year. We had so much fun! Saturday we went to the park with Matt's fam. It was so nice to just hang out and have fun. I brought the Chicken Salad of course my fav and Matt's parents brought burgers! Matt and I bought the girls gifts this year and put then in huge eggs. They were soo cool. Then we played a little ball. I had the bright idea to bring Pepper. Seriously maximize the second pic. It is perfect.

Then we went to the Rangers game at the Dr Pepper ballpark. That place was packed! This year they added popcorn and peanuts to the teddy section which is amazing.

The year my fam came over for Easter dinner. We tried the honey baked ham. Honestly I liked the ham we did for new years better. One good thing was you didn't have to put it in the oven at all.

St John Bound

2010-03-31T07:28:00.000-06:00

Seriously hands down my favorite beach spot is St John. We are finally going back this Summer. I'm so excited. Here is a rough draft of my itinerary. We are also going to do a boat day but I need to look more into that one.

Salt Pond Bay Day (All Day)

Drive Centerline stopping to see Catherinburg ruins/overlook - At this fine example of an 18th-century sugar and rum factory, there's a storage vault beneath the windmill. Across the road, look for the round mill, which was later used to hold water. In the 1733 slave revolt Catherineberg served as headquarters for the Amina warriors, a tribe of Africans captured into slavery.

Tourist Trap for lunch.

Explorer Salt Pond - If you're adventurous, this rocky beach on the scenic southeastern coast—next to Coral Bay and rugged Drunk Bay—is worth exploring. It's a short hike down a hill from the parking lot, and the only facilities are an outhouse and a few picnic tables scattered about. Tide pools are filled with all sorts of marine creatures, and the snorkeling is good, particularly along the bay's edges. A short walk takes you to a pond where salt crystals collect around the edges. Hike farther uphill past cactus gardens to Ram Head for see-forever views. Leave nothing valuable in your car, as reports of thefts are common.

Leaf Lobster Dive Site -You could spend a week diving just this spot and still not see the entire reef. Patch reefs, spur and groove formations, and some large ledges camouflage turtles, spotted moray eels, nurse and lemon sharks

Beach Day (All Day)

Visit Trunk Bay and snorkel its famous underwater trail

Enjoy the sun, sand and sea at Cinnamon Bay

Annaberg Day (Half Day)

Annaberg ruins - In the 18th century sugar plantations dotted the steep hills of this island. Slaves and free Danes and Dutchmen toiled to harvest the cane that was used to create sugar, molasses, and rum for export. Built in the 1780s, the partially restored plantation at Leinster Bay was once an important sugar mill. Although there are no official visiting hours, the National Park Service has regular tours, and some well-informed taxi drivers will show you around. Occasionally you may see a living-history demonstration—someone making johnnycake or weaving baskets. For information on tours and cultural events, contact the St. John National Park Service Visitors Center.

Skinny Legs

Cruz Bay Day (Half Day)

Stroll through the quaint and colorful shops of Mongoose Junction and Wharfside Village in Cruz Bay

lunch and drinks at Woody's

Reef Bay Trail (All Day)

Although this is one of the most interesting hikes on St. John, unless you're a rugged individualist who wants a physical challenge (and that describes a lot of people who stay on St. John), you can probably get the most out of the trip if you join a hike led by a Park Service ranger who can identify the trees and plants on the hike down, fill you in on the history of the Reef Bay Plantation, and tell you about the petroglyphs on the rocks at the bottom of the trail. A side trail takes you to the plantation's great house, a gutted but mostly intact structure that maintains vestiges of its former beauty.

Night Life

Fred's at Cruz Bay - There's calypso and reggae on Friday night at Fred's.

St Thomas

St. Peter Mountain Greathouse & Botanical Gardens - Nestled high in the volcanic peaks of St. Thomas, this site was originally part of the 150-acre Plantation St. Peter. Today, the Greathouse displays examples of West Indian architecture and furniture. The lush Botanical Gardens and nature trail feature streaming waterfalls, tropical bird aviaries, fish ponds, more than 20 varieties of orchids and 150 species of Caribbean plants and fruits. (www.greathouse-mountaintop.com)

Blizzard in Texas?

2010-02-14T09:50:00.017-06:00

We had a foot of snow last Thursday. Seriously the coolest thing that has ever happened in Dallas. For those of you that don't know me I am a want a be country nature girl. I see myself as a Paula Deen meets Bear Grylls. Ok, maybe not so dangerous but you get the point. The most extreme I go is rock climbing with a guide. So, back to this snow. Check out our snow man we made after a night of more snow. This winter has been crazy so much for global warming. Happy Vday everyone!

New Lights

2010-02-13T11:50:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited that my new lights have arrived and are installed. I have been wanting new lights forever. We went to the store really only wanting one for the dinning room but we were getting such a great deal we went ahead and did all three. They match our stuff to a T. We kept the old ones just in case we decide to move one day. Now after knowing how long they take to install I'm not sure if we are allowed to move. I'm so excited that this house is starting to take on my personality. There is just so much more to do. Kinda makes me think you should buy a house that you wouldn't change a thing first. Not that this house has anything wrong with it just needs some character. What is left on my list: new appliances for the kitchen, granite in the kitchen, wood floors for the study and dinning room, and the backyard needs trees and shrubs. I have a few small projects in mind too like putting molding around our bathroom mirrors. I saw it on some decor show and loved it. Maybe the way to go is pick a room do it and move to the next. I think our main focus this year will be the kitchen since that is where we spend all our time. Here's to hoping everything sticks to the plan!

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

The The The Grinch @ The Gaylord

2009-11-29T18:16:00.000-06:00

This year we got to go to the ICE exhibit at the Gaylord. Man are some people just talented. It was pretty cool. I really liked the theme this year, The Grinch. If you plan on going maybe try earlier in the day. That place was packed the day after Thanksgiving. In the store after they had the coolest Texas Christmas Lights made out of wait for it shotgun shells. They were so cool. A little pricey, but pretty unique. So I just did a search. They totally marked them up. Matt said hobby lobby has them too:)

Love the pie!

2009-11-10T19:42:00.001-06:00

This weekend was full of love for the pie. We celebrated my sisters birthday on Saturday were my mom made a Lemon Pie. Man do I have a lot of practice before my meringue turns out like hers. Then on Saturday I made an apple pie. By far my favorite pie. This time I tried the pillsbury recipe. Well, one it saves time with the crust and two it is pretty hard not to mess up. I still can't get the pretty flute edges, but honestly it still tasted amazing. I sliced the apples with a thin mandolin. I like my apples nice a thin. So, I think that is key. Has anyone tried apple pie with a slice of cheese on top? It kinda scares me but it kinda sounds good. I usually just have a scoop of ice cream with mine.

Anyways, check out http://www.pillsbury.com/pie for great holiday pie ideas.They even have a tutorial which I totally should have watched first. It shows you just how to flute the edges.

Here's the recipe (http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=11187)

INGREDIENTS
Crust
1    box (15 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Filling*
6    cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium) - i like McIntosh apples
3/4    cup sugar
2    tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4    teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4    teaspoon salt
1/8    teaspoon ground nutmeg
1    tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
1.    Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom.
2.    In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust.
3.    Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T18:44:00.000-06:00

My Make a Wish

2009-10-28T07:39:00.006-06:00

So, last night I was thinking about my ultimate favorite sports people. So, here goes:
1. Nolan Ryan - i grew up loving him; i remember my brother getting his baseball card or autograph (sorry i can't remember the sticken details) and being o so jealous.
2. Troy Aikman - my love for Aikman grew when he endorsed wing stop. i'm obsessed with wing stop so there you go.
3. Steve Nash - loved to watch him play when i was in high school.. come back!
4. Jason Kidd - i'm so glad he is back!
5. Dirk Nowitzki - seems like a cool guy to chill with
6. Lance Armstrong - he is from plano and is a rock star!
7. Mike Modano- well i have to have a stars guy

Dracula

2009-10-25T10:49:00.000-06:00

Last night we went to go see Dracula at the new Opera House in Downtown Dallas. It was a great experience. When we arrived the parking couldn't have been easier. I must admit I'm a little afraid of heights. So, as we walked up the stairs I freaked out a bit. Then our seats were right on the edge which are great b/c there are no distracting heads in front of you but boy was it scary. As the lights dimmed this huge chandelier was taken to the catwalk area. Everyone applaud. When the host came on he said I've never been upstaged by a chandelier before then just stood there and watched it go up up and away. It really set the stage for something magical. Then the musicians came out and the movie began. It was really spectaular. I hadn't seen/read Dracula before let alone the old b&w one which is the one they played. It wasn't to scary; it was even comical at times. The orchestra really made it special and brought a whole dimension to the atmosphere. The guy that composed it was even there. I was expecting a lot of mistakes at the House since the whole Texas Stadium fiasco, but it all ran pretty smoothly. Sorry I forgot to charge my mini camera to take pics. I did wear my cowboy boots again and Matt wore a suit. The attire for the night ran from jeans to cocktail so if you ever go just wear what you like.

Fall

2009-10-24T09:32:00.000-06:00

Our trees are changing fast. Every day they are a new color. Pretty soon they will be naked tress but in the meantime they are gorgeous. I haven't really decorated the house much mostly b/c last years stuff is in the attic still. Honestly I can't even remember what we bought last year. So we are decor less until Christmas.

SweddyBalls

2009-10-22T21:32:00.007-06:00

So, I made sweddish meatball about a month ago from the Cooks Illustrated mag and it was fabulous. I wasn't sure if it was just a fluke but we made them again this week and may I say yummy!

So, Matt started calling them Sweddyball from I guess SNL and it almost ruined them for me. Seriously. How gross but even that couldn't run me off they are that good. I served them with mashed potatoes well b/c I'm obsessed with potatoes.

It was just in time to revive my appetite. Everything all this week has tasted blah. I think I burned my tongue on chili causing everything to taste off. That or I'm getting sick. Off to search for something special for Halloween dinner. Matt and I watch Ghost Hunters all night and hand out candy. Kinda a fun tradition. This year I'm going to make something spooky :)

Pizza

2009-10-14T16:25:00.000-06:00

Check out my mad pizza skills. I have been practicing throwing the dough in the air and catching it. Man I should of had Matt taken a pic of that. This is a simple dough you make and leave in the fridge over night pretty cool really and it taste better than frozen junk. Sorry just frozen pizza makes me sick. So I'm a little mad at them right now. I hear mixed reviews on the pizza stone. I wonder if it is worth a the price and b the space. I got a ravioli cutter for my birthday so that will be my next Italian endeavor.

Boots

2009-10-12T15:05:00.000-06:00

With my birthday money this year I decided to buy my first pair of cowboy boots. I looked some online and found some really cute ones at Sheplers. So, I knew I could find a some there. At first I couldn't really see any I liked and felt a little overwhelmed. Right when I was about to give up a sales lady came and helped me out. She showed me these gorgeous eagle ones that I just feel in love with. I'm so glad that she pointed them out. I missed them. Then she told me me few tips about size and care. I ended up getting one size bigger and I'm glad I did. They are so comfortable.

Then I had to get a dress. We went to Dillards and then again I couldn't find a thing until the sales lady to the rescue. I ended up finding 2 dresses and I would have gotten 3 but they didn't have my size. The prices were pretty good there if anyone is in search.

Check out my aperture on my photo. Maybe I did learn a few things in class!

Sunday Night Pot Roast

2009-09-28T07:31:00.000-06:00

It doesn't get much better than a Sunday night pot roast. I don't know about you but I really struggled with pot roast. It would always turn out dry. Somewhere down the line I tried cooking it the French way with red wine and it turned out well. Not wanting to buy wine every time I must have tried a dozen different ways. The crockpot with cream of mushroom turns out pretty well and you don't have to do much. Last night we went back to the French version from Cooks Illustrated. It is pretty good. The reduction of wine does make me kinda nauseated though. It filled the entire house kinda like when I deep fry fries. It's funny how cooking a full on meal makes me feel better but whenever I'm in a bad mood I won't cook. It is possible for my bad mood to transfer to the food. They always say cook with love and it taste better. Although some recipes can't be helped with all the love in the world.

House Update

2009-09-26T14:09:00.000-06:00

Well our house is complete. We have officially finished furnishing at least. Still needs a few touches like new chandeliers, granite, new appliances, backyard greenery, more goodwill runs, ok we still have work to do, but I think that is just an ongoing project. I don't think I ever updated you guys on the bathroom. We converted the light above the bathroom to a mini chandelier.

We also got a desk for our study. And...Our chairs for the dinning room.

Design - Watch Our Mess

2009-09-25T16:23:00.010-06:00

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the mess. I have decided it is time for a redesign. I will be ending the life of the spicy texan and kristen's photography and just focus on one site one kristen. Through the years I have realized I'm not good at sticking to anything so instead I'm going to just have one site for everything. What does that mean? - Well, cooking, decorating, trips, photography, scrapbooking it is all going to be here. Also, for those of you that follow me remember my whole PC fiasco well....we finally got a new one. No more living off an external hard drive.

un cariñoso saludo,
kristen

Happy Birthday Matt

2009-09-13T18:14:00.000-06:00

Casino Night at the Allcorns! My family and Matt's came over to help celebrate Matt's birthday this weekend. We pulled out the old poker table, had a blackjack table, and even a roulette wheel. We served mini roast beef sandwiches with crab cakes and stuffed mushrooms. I also found these egg rolls in the freezer section at MarketStreet that were pretty good. Well, that was until I burned the last batch. My dad's crab cakes were delish! The mushrooms were ok nothing to write about but the beef was yummy. We just got the Boar's Head kind to cut prep time. Best decision. Matt's mom made his favorite cake...German Chocolate. Tracy was the high winner of the night and both our dad's were the biggest losers. Then we finished up with a good old game of bingo. Laura won bingo. We even had a magic show with my Dad and a cirque du soleil with Matt. All and all it was a fun night.

Dad's Birthday

2009-08-23T18:11:00.002-06:00

It was my Dad's birthday. We had everyone over for and ice cream sunday party. Yumm!

Back to Destin

2009-08-15T19:52:00.029-06:00

Growing up we vacationed in Destin every fall. I was always lucky because it would fall on my birthday. So, my mom would decorate the house and we would hang out at the beach all day. Now that I'm all grown up there is no way I can go there every year but we did get to sneak it in this year. This time we stayed in Seaside. (well really 1 or 2 towns more east but who knows the name there were like only 10 houses there.) Almost my entire side of the family went.

Rough Riders

2009-07-19T13:48:00.002-06:00

Go Rough Riders! This summer we are having a blast at all the games.

Fence

2009-06-11T08:42:00.002-06:00

So, when we got back from NM we had a please stain your fence or else from the HOA. So, last weekend Matt worked all day Saturday on it. So far he has power washed and bleached it. Oh and he replaced a few bad parts. Next weekend is suppose to be stain weekend. Well sure enough last nights storm kicked our fence's butt.

Family/Camping Trip

2009-06-04T07:32:00.016-06:00

We had a blast on our trip last week. Thank you to everyone that let us stay with you!

Our first stop was in Clovis where we stayed w/ Matt's grandparents and got to see some family.

Then we went to Taylor's Graduation party. It was at this really cool wildlife place. We got to see all kinds of animals. My favorite of course was the wolf. After the party Tracy and I hit Mcadees for a green chile burger. Man are those suckers good. I wish our McDonalds served them.

The next morning we had to hit up Wecks. I almost at the whole omelet it was so good. We also had a special show with hot air balloons. One even landed right by us.

Then it was off to Farmington. On the way we took this shot of a cool route 66 sign.

Once we got to Farmington we hung out w/ Matt's other grandparents, Jackie, Rick, Drew, Shelby, and Jacob. We had so much fun. We pulled out Ladder Ball and played all night. Shelby rocked at it and won twice after Drew traded her in for Rick. It was so funny. The next day Jackie got me hooked on Twilight. I read it the while the guys went fishing and golfing.

Then it was off to Mesa Verde to go camping. About halfway there we realized we left the camera so we had to by plastic ones so pardon the blurriness. After we got camp all setup we went to go see the park. We ended up going on this huge hike without knowing it without sunscreen or water. That night we couldn't get the grill hot enough to cook our dinner so off to town. The next day we went on two guided tours full of ladders to climb and holes to squeeze though. I had my first taste of an Indian Taco. Boy was that yummy. I'm going to try to make some flatbread this month to see if I can make it as good.
One day we headed into Durango for a day of adventure of river rafting and rock climbing. It was so much fun. Our guides were amazing if you ever need any. After that we went to a night at the movies by out campsite. The small town theatre was so cute.
After camping we stopped in Farmington to stay the night and ate some awesome Green Chile Soup. Then headed to Albuquerque to help Tracy pack up. We stopped in Clovis for a night and got to see more family.

Good Bye New Mexico/Colorado. Until next time.

Bucket List

2009-06-03T13:00:00.002-06:00

Last week we got to do some really cool stuff that has been on my list to do forever. So, I started to think what else do I want to do. So here it is:

Sports

Skydive
Hot Air Balloon Ride
ATV
Bungee Jump
Zip-line
Run a Marathon

Trips

Yellowstone - again
Grand Canyon - Arizona - again
Eat at The Lady and Sons - Savannah, Georgia
Stay in The Stanley Hotel - Estes Park, Colorado
Hawaii - again
NYC in December
Rome (Colosseum & Pantheon), Venice - Italy
Stonehedge - England & Scotland
Great Barrier Reef, Sydney - Australia
Take a month long trip when I retire

Improve the house

Plant trees/shrubs/flowers in backyard (honeysuckle, trumpet vines, japanese red maple, redbud, monkey grass, lantana)
Get rocking chairs for outside
Replace the mirrors in entry way/dinning room
Replace the chandeliers
Replace the front door
Stain backyard porch
Build a tree fort
Upgrade the kitchen

Hobbies

Update my cookbook
Make a gorgeous cake
Make/Finish scrapbooks for each year
Own a nice camera
Cooking class

Community

Donate blood
Tithe my income

Update

2009-05-16T09:54:00.003-06:00

Bad luck. So, Matt and I have had our share of bad luck lately. First the computer, then sprinklers line, then a busted car tire, then the front door of the car now the kitchen sink. Boy am I glad I'm a saver or I'd be pissed. Hopefully this is it for the year. They all just add up so fast. Yah know. We did find an excellent sprinkler guy if you need one in the Little Elm area.

One more week until our trip. I have planned it down to the second. Super excited. We are going to go rock climbing and rafting. I'll post pics when I get back!

Yard Work

2009-03-10T19:39:00.004-06:00

Last weekend Matt and I worked on the front yard. It looks amazing if I do say so myself. Matt and a few neighbors rented a machines to air-raid the grass. After that we picked up a lot of leaves and old mulch. Matt cut a new bed line. Then we put in new mulch. I love the new lines. Who would have known that would make such a difference. I counted 5 lowes trips in all. Crazy huh? We also got lantana for my bucket in the back. I think I have a plan for parts of the backyard. I am dying to get a redbud for the backyard. So, I'm going to put it on the street side in the corner with monkey grass and flowers. Then between the sidewalk and house I want to plant some green plants and pink flowers.

Ooo, I also got a new bike this weekend that is awesome. I call it my low rider. (It is one of those comfort ones...I swear it is cute). I hate how mountian bikes feel so I thought I'd try this out.

Matt and I are planning a camping trip to the four corners (Mesa Verde) this summer. I can't wait. We are also going to visit his family. Matt's cousins had babies so we finally get to meet them. It is going to be awesome. I can't wait to get out in nature. I wanted to camp in the backyard this weekend but it looks like it is going to rain. So I'm thinking about pulling out my paint brushes again. Maybe try a new crockpot recipe for ckn n dumplins.

We did get our tickets for the Rough Riders this weekend. I'm so excited. It is probably one of my favorite things to do. It's just so relaxing and fun.

Weekend

2009-02-23T08:13:00.003-06:00

Matt and I had a low key weekend. Saturday we went to Babe's with my family. It was fabulous as always. Sunday we went to United early to pick up a roast beef to throw in the crock pot. Then we thought it would be fun to go for a bike ride. It was so much fun. There was a huge hill that totally kicked my butt. I thought I would never make it to the top but I did and I was even able to keep going. We made it to the pond and rode around for a while. It was really nice b/c no one was out yet. There were tons of ducks out. They were so much fun to watch. Then we went back home ate some hot dogs and then off to Hollies to work on the girls bikes. We had a lot of fun just hanging out in the front yard. After that our roast was done. Boy was it good. It just fell apart. We cooked it with mushroom soup this time. It was so easy and I didn't have to mess with making gravy at the end. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Next weekend I decided we are going to have both families over for a BBQ. I'm so excited. I found this cream of corn recipe that is suppose to be to die for. I can't wait to try it out.

Valentines Weekend

2009-02-16T08:28:00.002-06:00

We had a pretty fun weekend. Matt went to a poker night friday while I made some valentine cupcakes with an old friend. They were pretty cute if I do say so myself. My tv recordings have been piling up so Saturday morning I had a mini Jon & Kate marathon. I love that show. Their new house is awesome. Then Matt had me go on a scavenger hunt like our first valentines day. We ended at Abeulos my favorite! It was kinda sad how empty it was. Then we went shopping and played our new wii games we got for vday. For dinner we went to Kobe with matt's family. It was so much fun. I love those places that cook in front of you. I even tried Dragon Rolls. Yummy. I need to go to more Japanese restaurants. Then Sunday Matt made me breakfast and then I went to a movie with my sis and her sis in law. We saw Confessions of a Shopaholic. It was very funny. Almost as good as the book ;) Then I went shopping again. Ok, I never shop..so I was going through a withdraw. I found some pants that I have been wanting. Perfect color, size, and texture. Today I have to work, but tonight we are grilling out with one of Matts buds. I can't wait...yumm steak!! (and more wii)

Boy did the weekend go by fast.

Pepper

2009-02-13T20:22:00.002-06:00

No recent pics; so I thought I'd put an old one up. Wasn't Pepper the cutest puppy ever!

Christmas

2009-01-31T08:44:00.004-06:00

Ok, I know it is way passed Christmas but here it is.

We first had a mini Christmas with Matt's family b/c his sister was going to Okie for the holidays. Look how cute Matt is as a reindeer.

Then Christmas Eve we had Matt's parents and Tracy over for a ham. It was so much fun. We got to use the china and our new dinning room table.

Christmas day we went over to my parents.

Holiday Party

2008-12-07T10:26:00.002-06:00

Matt and I got all dazed up and went out to my office holiday party. The party planning was a lot of work but we had fun. Can you believe I have almost been working there for 3 years? Crazy to think about. Where does the time go?

Christmas Tree

2008-12-04T18:15:00.002-06:00

Here is a pic of our tree!!! All we are missing is a topper, but I can't find any I like.

Thanksgiving Break

2008-12-03T20:14:00.004-06:00

We started the break with an awesome concert with our friend Hodge. Have you ever heard of The Killdares? They are a local Celtic Rock band. They have bagpipes and an amazing fiddle player. Very cool. If you ever have a chance to see them you should. Thursday morning I woke up bright and early to get everything I forget at the store. Then off to cooking. I got done just in time to head over to Matt's parents where we went to the Lodge for lunch. It is a pretty cool place. After that we went to my parents for dinner. Then off to a late showing of Four Christmases. That movie was super cute. If that wasn't enough we went to the outlet mall at midnight. (That was crazy. never again!) Friday morning I woke up bright and early ready to go to Target. Then it got a little blurry, but we got everyone's presents done in time for dinner. Saturday we bought a gorgous Christmas tree and celebrated Matt's Dad's Birthday. Then Sunday we finished the tree and made noodles. Yumm. I'm so glad we got everything done so early this year.

RIP TTU

2008-11-22T20:09:00.000-06:00

So, Matt and I try to make it out to one Tech game each year. Boy did we pick a bad one this year. Better luck next year

Happy B-Day Jen

2008-11-10T08:19:00.002-06:00

This weekend we all went over to my parents house to celebrate Jen's birthday. We had so much fun eating my Dad's yummy lasagna. We even broke out Mall Madness, the best game ever. Here is a pic of us when we were little! I'm so glad you were born sis. Love ya!

Camping

2008-11-10T07:58:00.003-06:00

For Halloween Matt, Pepper and I went camping. It was so much fun. We went to Petit Jean in Arkansas. The leaves were starting to change and the weather was perfect. Pepper even went on a hike with us. It was so funny to watch him explorer. I never knew he would like it so much. We got there just in the nick of time to get all set up and cook fajitas before it got dark. The next day we woke up early made breakfast burritos and headed out to the falls hike. Then we came back for lunch and took the Pepster on the Bear cave hike. After that I was pretty tired so we back to camp and made dinner (ckn jalapeno poppers and grilled potatoes). That night it rained.

Belated Birthday Post

2008-11-08T09:21:00.004-06:00

Matt and Jen throw me a great movie birthday. It was so cool. (Thanks to everyone that made it possible) We had Dickeys BBQ, popcorn, and the coolest popcorn cake ever.

We watch Fever Pitch outside!!

Our State Fair

2008-10-01T18:19:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we went to the State Fair. I tried the fried grilled cheese and Ruth's tamales. Yummy. They served the fried grilled cheese with a mini tomato soup. Freckin genius. I wish I came up with it. We test drove a Hybrid Tahoe. Super nice. Not as cool as the Jeep though. The Jeep people had a rock wall for the kids and an old Army Jeep. I love it! I must have taken 20 pics of the old car. Ooo. I almost forgot. They had a band there called The Killdares. They were amazing. They have a bagpipe! Brought my Scottish side out. Hope everyone gets to check it out.

Balloons

2008-10-01T18:06:00.006-06:00

Few weekends ago we went to the Plano Balloon Festival. I haven't been since I was little bitty. It was a blast to see them all light up at night. It is funny how when you are small you remember things so different. I remembered thousands of balloons in the air on the ground just everywhere. It was still pretty cool. I think Matt and I might check out the NM one soon. The potato things were to die for. They even had ranch to go with it. Yummmmy! I watched them cut the potatoes at the state fair and it looks just like a drill attached to a slicer. I could do that :). J.K. Matt had a really good philly. The meat wasn't dry or veiny. I give the food an A+.

Spicy Texan

2008-09-26T07:19:00.005-06:00

Hey Guys! The Spicy Texan is back up and running with a new face lift. For those of you that don't know about it: Last October I created a cooking blog with techniques, tools, and recipes. Check it out: http://spicytexan.blogspot.com/. Here is a breakout for each day: Tool Monday, Technique Tuesday, With Love Wednesday, No Fuss Thursday, and Date Night Friday. Feel free to post some of your favorite recipes!

The Trendy Mommy

2008-09-17T11:15:00.001-06:00

Hey Guys, Jen (my sis) website went live yesterday!!! Check it out:

Pic of the Day

2008-09-08T19:10:00.005-06:00

How cool is this. I'm so jealous. Can you image the fun you could have with not only this amazing car but the tent in umm I don't know Africa. It would be a dream come true to actually experience something like that. Check out the scuba tube. I'm not sure what kind of job would get you there but sign me up! I would love the adventure. Makes me wonder if I could/will ever do a safari. I guess my Jeep will just have to do in the mean time but it is kinda fun to think what if...

4-Day Weekend

2008-08-31T15:15:00.006-06:00

Matt and I decided to go ahead and just make it a four day weekend. Thursday night we went to a Rough Riders game. They were winning until one of the last innings where the other team scored a million. Err. Oh well. We still had fun. Then Friday we went to the Ft Worth Zoo. Super fun. I highly recommend it. It was really cool b/c we almost had the place to ourselves. I bet Boo at the Zoo is a lot of fun. Then Friday night we hung out with my grands. We even went out for ice cream my memaws favorite. Then Saturday we bought our chairs for our dinning room table. WooHoo! We can now seat 14 officially inside plus a few at the couch. Then off to another Rough Riders game where they wait...lost again. I think I'm seeing a trend. Today was our last day teaching the 3 yr olds.

In Memory of The Great Texas Stadium

2008-08-23T08:04:00.006-06:00

As many of you know a new stadium is being built in Arlington that will take place of Texas Stadium. Not being a real sports fan I really could care less except they are building an outlet mall in its place. Sweetness. PreMatt I probably would never go to a pro football game, but now I have a new found sweet spot for sports. I'm no crazy fan but I enjoy watching the games time to time. Last night we went to the preseason game against the Houston Texans. Boy were the fans rowdy. A huge fight broke out in the section above us. Security came and escorted the entire group of Texan fans out. Seriously like 25 people had to leave. It was crazy. People were throwing cups like in the movies. I wish I got it on film. Cowboys Won! Farewell old stadium we will miss you.

Jamaica Man

2008-08-16T07:53:00.003-06:00

So, Jamaica was pretty cool. We had perfect weather. The all-inclusive idea was new for us. So, the first night we got there we were totally confused. We got there kinda late and a lot of the restaurants were closing. The next day we got it down. The Dunn's Falls was amazing. I have never experienced anything like it. Most waterfalls I have seen have been in Hawaii or Colorado where they fall off a cliff. This one you get to walk up. To get there we took a catamaran. They played one of the dirtiest songs I have ever heard, but it was hilarious. I of course had to download it right when we got home. It is called The Big Bamboo. Warning: Don't listen if you get offended. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogr4g-5FLiY One day we went on a shopping tour. It was kinda cool to see what the inner parts of the island looked like. We bought a wooden head and some Bob Marley shirts. Other than that we just hung out at the resort and ate nachos. Each day they do this pool entertainment and one day was a beer chugging contest. I have never seen a guy drink a beer that fast. Everyone there was extremely friendly. My review: Great place for outgoing people that like the party atmosphere. Not so great for people that like to explorer on their own and chill at night. End result: We had a nice time just going to stick to the rental properties.

Animals of the Jungle

2008-08-07T18:17:00.003-06:00

Ok, not really the jungle but the concrete jungle. So, we had this birds nest outside our front door for a while. Now we have a bunny burrow. Crazyness. I never thought owning a house would bring nature to you. It is kinda cool to watch them grow up and finally leave, but the bunnies are in our backyard where Pepper goes. It is only a matter of time before he finds them. Oh no! So, Papaw told me to put Cayenne Pepper out there. I thought I did but Matt told me Paprika isn't the same. Boy for someone that cooks I should know that one. I don't really use that one much. Anyways Matt's folks are taking Pepper for a few days so maybe the bunnies will be gone by then. Countdown for my 25th: 2 months!!

Ode to the Explorer Sport

2008-07-28T18:42:00.003-06:00

Guess what! Our Explorer Sport made it to 100,000 miles today. I know Ford has a bad rep, but this car has been great. Don't mind the back door not opening or the speakers being stacky or the fact it never can get cold enough or the weird ding in the back that just appeared out of no where. Running wise it works like a champ. The ding in the back is very strange. I've noticed a few other ones with the exact same one. Hummm... We have had some great memories in that car. Going to college, Late night Whataburger runs, Frat parties, Moving back to Dallas, Trip to the Smoky Mountains, Trip to Farmington/Durango, Trips to Houston, and the list goes on. Here is to many more years!

House Update

2008-07-22T18:11:00.003-06:00

Here is a pic of our first plant we planted. We picked a hydrangea and some herbs.

Here is our new pathway in the backyard.
We moved the grill to the side of the house on the pathway.
Pic of our new dinning room table.
Another pic of our new table. Chairs to come.

July 4th Weekend

2008-07-10T20:15:00.002-06:00

July 4th started short. That is I chopped my hair off pretty short ;) So, I loved it until I tried styling it myself. I can't seem to get it as cute as the stylist did. Err.

My parents, Jen, Eric, Ash and I went to the Addison Fireworks Thursday. It was a lot of fun. I have seen their fireworks almost every year, but never in the actual circle. We stayed for the movie, but stupid drunk kids ruined it. Matt didn't go b/c he had a softball game.

Friday I pretty much just chilled at the house until the Rough Riders game. Matt had to work all day. They had everyone stand up that served. The guy in front of us stood up and we noticed his shirt said POW. We were like whoa!

Matt worked Saturday morning. So, I went shopping with my mom and Jen. We had a lot of fun looking at cute clothes and antiques. We ate at this horrible restaurant. My mom's fried chicken was raw. I did find 2 super cute outfits for Jamaica. I can't wait to wear them. Once Matt got home he finished the path. I love it! After that we went to dinner with his parents.

Sunday Matt didn't work! We taught our little 3 yr olds in the morning. After our ritual errands we went to my parents for some ribs and to hang out at the pool.

Sorry I have no pics I forgot my camera the whole weekend.

Music Video

2008-07-02T12:54:00.001-06:00

So, I was looking at random blogs the other day and came across this video. It brightened my day so I'm hoping it will do the same for you. Enjoy!

Jamaica Bound

2008-06-23T13:19:00.003-06:00

Matt and I finally booked our Summer vacation. This year we decided to go to Jamaica. I can't wait. We are staying at an all-inclusive resort. We both have never been there. So, it will be a new experience for both of us. All the reviews sound amazing. I really want to try the Jeep safari, horse back riding, or zipline.

Here is a list of what is next on my list:
1. Italy Tour
2. Canada
3. Hawaii

Cookbook Time

2008-06-18T07:34:00.004-06:00

Alright. I finally finished most of my cookbook on tastebook.com. With still 13 recipes to go I decided to go ahead and print a copy for me and add more later. Right now I'm making sure they are all right. I tend to change them while I'm cooking and not write it down. So, last night we made Chicken and Wild Rice. Boy is that one yummy. I totally changed it though. I hate doing dishes so anything I can condense to one pot the better. I gave myself a Nov deadline for the entire project. Perfect timing for Christmas:) It has some staple recipes from the last cookbook that are a must. So, feel free to give the old one away. Let me know if you want a copy of the new one.

Other than that Matt is working on our backyard. He is putting a path in around the side yard. I can't wait until it is done b/c I'm going to put a flowerbed in next to it. I really want to put a small pool back there or at least a hot tub. The birds in our front tree left the nest. It was kinda cool watching them as they grew.

Last weekend was a lot of fun. We went on a jog Saturday morning. It was very relaxing. I'm going to try to do it every Sat, Tues, Thurs. I missed yesterday already. Opps. After that I worked on my book and Matt worked on the yard. Sat night we went to the Rough Riders game. I love our season tickets. Then Sunday we taught sunday school. They were so funny. One told every Dad that came in Happy Fathers Day. It was so cute. After that we went to my parents for some lemon chicken and pool time.

I hope everyone had a great Fathers Day.

Nerr

2008-05-14T19:09:00.004-06:00

Ok, so here is the thing. I'm super bored. Matt is at a softball game and I can't find anything to do. How sad is that. We built our foundation and now I don't know what to do. I don't want to just wait until I have kids. In Jr high I waited for High School. In High School I waited for College. In College I waited for graduation. Seriously.

Right now we teach Sunday school for 3 year olds. It is the best thing ever. Really. It has been so cool watching them grow up. I highly recommend it. Other than that I don't really do much. Sure I have the cooking thing, but that has been off lately. I hate when I get in a cooking funk. So, it all comes down to I need a new hobby. I am in search of a new passion. Here is a list of potentials:
1. Running
2. Scrapbooking
3. Taking photos
4. Reading Books
5. Humm?

Anywho, we finally got the fire pit I have been eyeing. It is so amazing. We cracked it open with a night of s'mores. Yumm! I can't wait to do it again.

Freddy

2008-04-30T19:30:00.002-06:00

So, I'm hooked on this musician Freddy right now. Check him out:
http://kiddlive.com/freddy/freddy_music.html

I can't wait for him to release a new CD!

Dinner: Impossible

2008-04-17T07:29:00.002-06:00

So, my new favorite show is Dinner: Impossible. It is brilliant! Last night I watched the one where he goes to Pixar. Man was it fun to watch. They did a theme with Cars, Ratatouille, and Finding Nemo. The guy that did the voice of Linguini was even there. It looks like a really cool place to work. The cafeteria even has a brick oven. Next time it is on air:
April 19, 2008 3:00 PM ET/PT
April 23, 2008 1:00 PM ET/PT

Tag

2008-04-16T07:27:00.006-06:00

10 years ago: Humm, it was 1998. So, I was in 7th/8th grade. I think that was the grunge phase of my life. I can't believe I every had a pair of baggy pants.

Things on my to do list today:
Work
Tacos!
Matt's Softball Game

What would I do if I suddenly became a Billionaire:
Oh man. I would buy a vacation home in Savannah, Vail, Destin, and Paris. Ooo, I would open a cute store in each city for people on vacation. It would have cute shirts and local artist stuff. I would also have an amazing restaurant next to it where the profits go to Alzheimer's. The one in Savannah would have southern food maybe I can get Babe's Chicken to go in on this one, the one in Vail would have comfort foods like chili to keep people warm on the slopes, the one in Destin will be fish tacos and stuff like that, and the one in Paris would be French/American with mini food.

Three of my bad habits:
1. I go to bed way to early
2. I go ADD
3. I cut my dead ends at work

Five jobs I have had:
Babysitter
Sales @ Academy
Sales/Operator/Cashier @ Target
Intern @ eStar
Project Coordinator @ US-Analytics

Five things people don't know about me:
1. I have a super nose. I smell everything
2. I don't really like red meat
3. I haven't cut my hair in a year
4. I still watch the Disney channel
5. I love sitting on the porch

Decorating and Chores and Neighbors Oh My

2008-04-10T14:19:00.008-06:00

So, we have been working a lot on the house little by little. We are trying to pick a room each month and go from there.

The Kitchen was done before we moved luckily we had everything for that. The red paint is really a deep red I'm not sure why it looks orange here. Luckily all my cookbooks did fit:) I think I might find a bigger picture for the red wall, but the 6 piece works for now.

The living room was next where we bought bar stools, tv stand, and coffee table. Plus Matt's parents bought us a super cute clock for a house warming present.

The next room was our bedroom. So, we had a queen, but I was dying to upgrade to a King. I love it. Not to soft, but not to hard. We also had to get the dresser, nightstand, and chairs to match. We didn't really have any decor for this room. So, I got to go pick out a lamp, candles, etc. I'm not sure where to put our quilt rack yet.

Our guestrooms are just about done as well. The "kid" one has my old twin with my college bedding and furniture with my dolls and posters. The other guestroom has our old bed. We did upgrade the queen and bought a headboard. So, all we have left is a nightstand.

For the front yard we put a few iron piece out there and added new mulch. Last weekend I had the pleasure of pulling a million weeds. Our neighbor did let us borrow this weed puller that is pretty cool.

Up next is our study and dinning room. Then maybe upgrade the kitchen to granite and stainless. After that the backyard. In the mean time we are working on a new tv for our room, a dyson, nightstand for the guest, a new grill, some work on the jeep. Boy it's going to take all year. I can't wait until it's over, but then what will we do? So, I think I gave up on the house warming party. Is it bad to do one a year late? I really wanted to have one. Oh well.

On other updates: Our neighbors are so nice. Granted they are all at least 6 years older with kids they are pretty cool. This month we have a elmo birthday party to go to, a neighborhood garage sale, a crawfish, and the list goes on. I think I might crack down and get a maid. Chores stink! I don't mind picking up after myself, but boy do I not like mopping, dusting. Plus it eats a whole day. Last night I tried my first King Ranch Chicken. I figured anything with the word Ranch must be good and it was. While there was no Ranch it did have Rotel. I'm going to put it in my next cookbook. (By the way sorry I think I gave up on my cooking blog and just stick to a cookbook a year). So, a few publishers have been calling my about publishing one. I'm not really sure if I'm that serious about it all. Maybe I'll finish this next one and see what yall think. Oooo, I'll add a voting thing on the left!

It's Snowing!

2008-03-06T20:03:00.005-06:00

Can you believe this crazy weather? I thought Spring was just around the corner and bam it started to snow not once but twice! It took Matt and I 3 hours to get home today, but man was it worth it. We made the best snowman ever. It was as tall as me! So, when we started a few of our neighbors where out salting and stuff. On comes over and say man you guys owe me 10 bucks. Well we bought girl scout cookies from him. So I thought that was what it was for, but then he pointed out our driveway was shoveled. Boy are we blind. I was so excited I didn't even notice. Isn't that so nice though. He also put salt on it for us for the morning. Second load of furniture arrives Saturday. I can't wait! I'll post pics later. Ooo, that reminds me this weekend we went the the home and garden show and they had the cutest garden flags. Go to AmberMarieImports.com. They are super cute! Hope everyone stays safe tomorrow. Peace out!

Last 3 Months in a Nut Shell

2008-02-16T10:36:00.008-06:00

Hey Guys! Sorry long time no post:( Let me catch everyone up. Christmas was exciting. It was my first time away from my fam. It was kinda hard, but Matt's fam was so kind and warm. We did get to go skiing at Purgatory/Durango while we were over there. The snow was amazing. We even saw Santa hanging out. Last time we went there I feel in love with some clams. This time I tried the chili and man was it yummy. I also got some great Allcorn fam recipes while I was up there. I still need to get the Sticky Bun one from Matts Aunt. Man were those delicious. Pepper even came with us.
When we got back we had my fam come over for a New Years Day Dinner. We had Pecan Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Black Eyed Peas, and all kind of goodies. I am now all caught up in the chick flick world. I saw 27 Dresses, Fools Gold, and Definitely Maybe. They were all really cute. I think Fools Gold was my fav though. We are super excited it is time for another round of furniture. This time we bought our headboard and mattress for the master, the headboard for the guestroom, and the entry way bench. I can't wait to get everything in. I really think they are going to make a difference. Later this summer I think we are going to get the dinning and then this winter get the study stuff. I'm trying to talk Matt into some rocking chairs for out back or a firepit. I haven't gotten there yet, but maybe next year we can start on the outside. We still need to through a house warming party. Is there a statue of limitation? Maybe this summer after we get the dinning room we will through a bbq or something like that. Happy late Valentines eveyone!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2007-12-11T20:27:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I went up to Minneapolis with my grandparents. Man was it cold. When I woke up Saturday it was 9 below. There was already a foot of snow. When you ask the people that live there if it is cold they say its not to bad. I just got a kick out of it. I went from 80 to below zero. Anyways, here is one pic I took that was kinda cool.

1st Christmas at the New Place

2007-12-10T19:12:00.000-06:00

This year I thought it would be fun to make Matt a stocking. I found two rather cute ones at TJ Maxx and stuffed his with all kinds of wrapped goodies. At first I was hiding them around the house, but he kept on finding them. He made me one too:) I can't wait to open it. Our neighborhood rocks. Almost everyone has lights up. Its really cool to see coming home from work. We put the white tree up again this year. Even found a tree skirt this year.

Family Traditions

2007-12-05T06:17:00.000-06:00

So, I was talking with one of my friends about traditions growing up and decided I should make some for my new family.

Here are some that we do:
1. Eat dinner together at the table
2. Get groceries for the week on Sunday
3. Look at Christmas lights w/ James and Kendall
4. Every other year alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families
5. Allcorn Recipe Cookbook - a place to keep recipes we love

My new plan:
1. Everything above
2. Collect spoons wherever we travel
3. Yearly camping trip
4. Pizza and a Movie/TV Friday
5. Saturday Yummy Breakfast

Where'd Nov Go?

2007-12-03T07:14:00.000-06:00

So, I think I just missed the month of November. Seriously, I don't know where it went. It feels like I blinked and poof it was over. So, I'm going to make everything I can out of December. Our tree and lights are up and look amazing. I have been listening to Sirius Satellite Radio on my way home. There is this guys that has a talk show on the Cosmo channel. I love it. It makes the drive almost pleasant. I think anything after 45 minutes is just crazy. I have been getting to the office 7-7:30 and leave around 4-4:30, but I feel so guilty leaving then. Our office is moving closer to Matt's which will be great. Last weekend we went to the Frisco's town center to check out the light display. It was really cool. They even had reindeer.

Note: LOL, just noticed my sis and I have the exact same topic for this post. Pretty funny.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-20T14:18:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Don't forget to watch Charlie Brown tonight ;)

Here is a list of what I'm thankful for this year:

1. Matt's accident wasn't worse
2. Our families support system
3. A house
4. A sweet Jeep
5. Caring friends

2 Loads To Go!

2007-11-07T12:37:00.000-06:00

We have 2 more loads to go. One from my sisters and one from my parents. The kitchen is pretty much done a few things here and there. I never realized how much stuff we have. Oh my gosh. Seriously I need to do a good will run. Anyone know of anyone that wants a huge broken tv. I think the tube is out. Were trying to get someone to take it. I promise to put pics up this weekend of the new pad.

I'm listening to lite fm right now and heard my first Christmas song. It makes me want to go shopping so bad. I must admit I'm having a little anxiety attack. Thank god Matt is going to have a two week vacation coming up.

Wedding Photos

2007-10-28T07:36:00.000-06:00

I finally got my wedding photos. Let me know if you want me to email some to you. There are a million. So, I might just put them on a photo site for you guys. I made a mini slide show to give you guys a taste. We just went to our last wedding of our college couple friends last night. The food was so yummy. They had the beef on a stick thing with some kind of sauce that was delicious and great egg rolls. The rehearsal dinner was at this fabulous Italian restaurant. I will have to go back.

More Pics

2007-10-23T10:28:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd add a few more pics of our new place. Hope you guys enjoy. We have our final walk through on Halloween. Hopefully we won't find anything spooky:P Closing is on the first and Move in Date is the third. We are about half way packed and if you know me its killing me we aren't 100% done. As long as we are all packed by Halloween I will be happy. Some of our good Tech friends are getting married this weekend. I'm so excited for them. Especially because it give me a chance to dress up two nights. Anyways, I'll post some moving pics in a few weeks.

16 Day Countdown to Moving Day

2007-10-18T09:24:00.000-06:00

I am so excited only 16 more days until we move. Last night we had the chance to go in it again. I know I have seen it like 20 times already. All we have left is packing and few lose ends. Cross your fingers that we have nice moving weather. Matt recruited a lot of great help so it will go fast. Boy is the time flying. It will be here before we know it.

Movies in the Park

2007-10-13T09:41:00.000-06:00

Last night Matt and I went to the movies in the park to see Charlotte's Web. It was a really cute movie, but I am terrified of spiders. Every time she was on screen I had to turn away. By the end of the movie I was just sure spiders were crawling all over me. Well we started to walk to the car and I took a sip from my drink and guess what there was a spider right on my mug. I flipped out. I kid you not. It was the funnest thing. The movies in the park was one of the coolest things I've been to in Plano. I was suprised on how many couples our age that were there. Next time I'm going to have to stop by Weirs to grab some popcorn.

Cooking Blog

2007-10-08T11:58:00.000-06:00

Hey Guys! I now have a new cooking blog. Here is the site so far: http://spicytexan.blogspot.com/

Some great content to come:
Gadget Monday
Technique Tuesday
With Love Wednesday
No Fuss Thursday
Date Night Friday

Long Time, no blog part 2

2007-10-06T17:56:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I'm an awful blogger apparently. Everything is finally getting back in place. Let me get everything caught up:

First, Matt was in a small accident. He is doing well. Had a few cuts, but they are healing with the thanks to coco butter. His car on the other hand not so much. It was totalled. We were planning on buying a new car in a year. So, it kinda worked out nice b/c we received more money than if we would have traded it in. Last night we bought our first car. We decided on the four door Jeep Wrangler. I adore it. I'm so nervous to drive it. It feels so cool to pick out the exact car you want and buy it with your own money. A since of pride comes over ya. The four wheel drive will come in handy when we go to New Mexico and Colorado. Two of my favorite places. Some day I hope to have enough saved where I can ski every winter there. I'm not a granola eating kind of nature person, but I do love granola and nature. It's nice to get out of the city every now and then.We do have a nature preserve here. It's really cool. My sis, Ash, and I went there twice last week. A few weeks ago I tried the bike trail I did when I was a kid. Man was that crazy.

So, update on the house stuff. We decide not to buy my grandmas. Instead we are buying a home more north. Closing is on Nov 1st and I can't wait to move. The area we are moving to is really booming right now. I'm so excited about finally having space to have people over. Here are some pics:

Long Time, No Blog

2007-06-29T10:36:00.000-06:00

So, it has taken me way to long to blog again. It's even hard to just take a minute to breath lately. I have no idea how we became so busy. I don't even have time to get groceries, my favorite part of the week. I do like having thing to do though. I get so bored watching tv.

Let me catch you up. We had a lovely trip in St. John. Matt and I went to a Jazz place one night. That was a lot of fun. We also went on a million mile hike. We got to see all kinds of ruins. They were gorgeous. Hope you enjoy the slideshow. I wish we took more pictures. Good thing my bro did.

As for the house hunting we are now looking at buying my grandma's house. She recently moved to an assisted living community. We are still looking at a move date in Nov. 124 Days! I am so excited. The house is two neighborhoods down from my parents and three from my sis. It is so ideal. It even has a movie room. So our house will be smelling like popcorn in no time. The house has a lot of work to be done from the foundation to the door knobs. We will have it just in time for football season for parties.

I don't see anything in our life slowing down right now. Last weekend we had my Mom's big birthday bash and a company picnic. This weekend we have Ash's 1st birthday party and then a rough riders game. For the 4th there will be some much needed walking and hanging out. I have gained 7 pounds since I got married. AGHH! I haven't even changed anything. I blame it on stress. I tend to do that for no reason. Anyways, I will have to post some pics later. Tell then.

St. John Bound

2007-03-07T09:10:00.000-06:00

I am so excited we booked our flight to St. John. (Well really St. Thomas then a boat to St John.) I adore the Virgin Islands. Everything is so beautiful there. The people that are going with us are my mom, dad, brother, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. My parents were kind enough to get us all a gorgeous house that is right on the beach for the week. I can't wait. We might even check out a few other islands if my passport gets here on time. I haven't changed my name on it yet. We are staying on the other side of the island this time. Which is just as beautiful.

Here is a photo of where we will be staying. I got it off the owner's website. Gorgeous huh? I plan on checking out the National Park for sure. I found this pretty cool site that lists what the island has to offer: http://www.usvitourism.vi/ I think we went to the cane place last time. Isn't that horrible I can't remember and it was what three years ago. I do remember how the trees were so green, flowers so pink, and ocean so blue. I'll have to post some of my fav photos from that trip. This is where I found the weird obsession of taking photos of what I think are sweet cars. (Really old Jeep looking ones)

The Hunt

2007-03-01T12:53:00.000-06:00

After living in an apartment for 5 months it is time to get our own pad. So, the hunt is on.

Starting last February we started checking neighborhoods out. Last weekend my mom and grandparents were kind enough to check a few out with us. There are so many out there. Thanks guys!

While the hunt is still on, we have narrowed it down to a really cute one story. The only bad thing is that we will be moving farther away from my family, but they seem to understand. We plan on starting the build at the end of this month or next. This weekend we are going to check out the design center and a few other neighborhoods near by.

Looking at houses takes a lot of time. We usually start around 1 and stop around 5. I've started to check out the furniture stores around just for pricing :). I like Weirs, Hemispheres, and Rooms To Go. If you go to http://www.bassettfurniture.com/ you can tell them the dimensions of you room and place your furniture in it. It's really cool. The house we like has 3 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, a dining room, a office, a kitchen, a breakfast nook, and a game/movie room. I'm really excited about the movie room. Movies and games are some of our favorite things to do. So, I know we are going to have fun in there.

Catch Up

2007-03-01T12:51:00.000-06:00

Go Tech!
A girl down the hall from me asked if I wanted to go hang out with her and her friends. New at school I jumped on the opportunity to meet people. I never knew I was going to meet my husband that night. We didn't do much of anything really, but I started to hang out with them more and more. Matt and I became inseparable. Then we got a mascot, Pepper. He goes everywhere with me.

Engaged
Before we knew it Matt graduated and had a job in Dallas and I was on my last semester. We got engaged and the planning started.

The Big Day
Finally the big day arrived and we got married.

Paris!

We got to go to Paris for our Honeymoon. We had an amazing time! It is in my top ten list of the best cities. Along with Dallas (of course), NYC, Destin, Boston, Breckenridge, San Antonio, Keystone, Las Vegas, and Orlando.

I love to travel. If only I could make money doing that.

About Me

2007-01-01T08:00:00.005-06:00

I am a born and raised Texan. Both my parents grew up in the Dallas Metro. They met, they fell in love, they got married, and they had babies...3 of them. I'm the middle child. I have an older sister, Jen and a younger brother, Michael. Don't worry I don't have middle child syndrome to bad..ok maybe a little but that isn't my parents fault...they have gone over and beyond making sure I know they love me.

Not wanting to be predicable or just not trying in high school I went to Texas Tech. I really didn't know much about it just that my dad went there for a semester. I ended up with a fiance and a management information systems degree. Not really knowing much about the business world I ended up in well...a secretary role really at a consulting firm. I got to dabble here and there with websites and project plans but didn't really dive into my "career" right away. I got to work with some cool people and things were always changing (which I liked b/c well let's face it I like change). Then my boss came across a new offering for the company and it was a perfect fit for me. So, I'm now a consultant in the BI space and loving it.

My hobbies have included cooking, painting, photography, scrapbooking, blogging, planning financials (ok that one is more like a sick obsession), decorating, pretty much anything that can't pay the bills and no one really cares about. Recently I have started to run. I really enjoy pushing myself to the limit to see how far I can go. I think it is important to set goals so this time it is a 5K.

Hopefully in writing this blog I will be able to find myself whatever that means. I am still pretty young and while most people think I have it all figured out I don't. I'm told God gives gifts to everyone...He just hasn't told me what mine is yet. So, in the meantime I'm going to keep on moving.