Lins on the GO!

Thursday Thoughts

2012-01-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

Here is what is going on in this ole brain of mine...scary, I know!

The hubs and I started watching Breaking Bad this week....WHOA...that show is pretty intense. Interesting premise but way too much blood for me. I definitely end up closing my eyes a lot....ha!
I got some REALLY good grapefruit from the Dekalb Farmers Market last week. They are red, juicy, make me want to move to FL and I wish I'd bought more! If you live in ATL go to this Farmers Market. It's a little to far for me to go regularly but it's the COOLEST place. Veggie/Fruits/Spices/Meats/Cheese (the list goes on and on) from all over the world and VERY good prices. I highly recommend it but just so you know, you can't take pictures there....very interesting!
Please keep a friend of mine in Charleston in your prayers. She lost her husband last week in a car accident. Drew and I performed in several shows with them over the years. He was a wonderful man and is going to be missed. My heart aches for our friend in the loss of her husband.
My hubs is in a show right now called My Way. It's a Frank Sinatra revue and it only has 4 people in it. Kind of cool b/c he gets to sing a lot. I got to see his opening (makes up for missing his last show's opening) and I'm going again tonight with some of my closest ATL gal pals. So excited to see him shine!
Lately, every time I see palm trees on a tv show or in a pic it makes me want to move to FL or Cali....Maybe I just need to plant some in my backyard.
A family I used to babysit for moved to Seattle in Dec. They gave us their house plants so they wouldn't have to move w/ them. I was excited to grow our greenery in the house. I think it was a BIG mistake for three reasons: 1. The cats keep eating and barfing them up, 2. The ficus tree has become a new litter box (thanks Artie and Harpo), and 3. The hubs thinks they are screwing up his allergies. Well, POOP! I so liked having them.
The weather in Atlanta has been SO bipolar lately. It's driving me NUTS.
I saw New Year's Eve last weekend w/ my girl Denise. It was a great chick flick movie. I was glad I saw it and now I want to see the Valentine's Day one...anyone see it? Jane Fonda was going to HUGO at the same theater we were at. She was right in front of me but I was so annoyed that she was SLOW that I wasn't even paying attention. My friend pointed it out to me...I started laughing. I told her how I was annoyed w/ the old lady who was dressed up like she was a movie star or something....HA...seriously! Explains a lot ; )

Hope you guys have a GREAT Friday!

When Hunger strikes...

2012-01-25T19:56:00.000-05:00

This is what HUNGER looks like in our house when you are supposed to meet people for dinner at 6:45 or 7 and they push it to 8pm...and then 8:15pm.

Please ignore the VERY messy bookshelf (see organization post from last night).

I asked the hubs what he was going to look like if he didn't eat soon. I was hoping for a funny look.

This is what I got.

He said "I'm gonna grab a burrito from Trader Joes and throw it in the microwave."

Whatta a wise guy!

It's 7:54...I'm going to eat my hand if we don't meet them soon...will update you if said hand is missing!

Pipe Dreams

2012-01-24T20:48:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try to be organized and stay organized, you just can't? Today is one of those days for me. I feel like I need a week or ~~two~~ ten just to get our life really organized. Of course it takes two to tango so, I know it's not all on me. For some reason I feel like it is.

I bet if I had this I'd feel more organized.

Or This one....

But to tell you the truth, I'd rather just not worry or think about it all and just escape to here...

ANYONE WITH ME?

Soups ON!

2012-01-18T18:22:00.000-05:00

Man-"What's the soup de jour?"
Waiter-"It's the soup of the day."
Man-"Mmmm...That sounds good. I will have some of that!"

Can you name that movie??? Anyway, I ramble, I love me some HOT soup on a COLD day. I've recently tried some new recipes that I wanted to share. Here are two very different recipes to wet your palate.

What I liked about this first one is that it was creamy...but not w/ cream so it made it healthier and not so heavy.

Creamy Broccoli Soup (Real Simple)
1 tbls olive oil
1 med onion chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups low-sodium veggie broth
1 bunch broccoli, florets roughly chopped and stems peels and sliced (about 7 cups)
l large russet potato (about 8 oz) peeled and cut into 1/2inch pieces
salt and pepper
2 oz shredded cheese (we used parmesan)
bagel chips for serving

-Heat the oil in a large saucepan over med heat. Ad the onion and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.
-Add the broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp of black pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until the vegetables are very tender, 18-20 mins.
-In a blender, working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency w/ water as necessary. Top w/ cheese and bagel chips (we didn't use bagel chips).

This next one has definitely got a kick to it. The hubs loved it and I did too. I will say the recipe in the book looks more like a stew and I adjusted to be more soupy. I will explain as I go.

Chicken Fiesta Soup (Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Bible)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used 3)
1 can (14oz) stewed tomatoes, drained (I used ones w/ chilis in them and didn't drain )
2 cans (4oz) green chilis (I used one b/c I forgot to buy two...uh oh)
1 can (28oz) enchilada sauce
14 &1/2oz chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin (I doubled)
1 tsp chili powder (I doubled)
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 cup frozen corn ( I used one can)
1 yellow squash diced
1 zucchini diced
(I also added a cup or 2 of water).

Add all to the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hrs. Top w/ tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, sour cream...really whatever you like. Supposedly serves 8...we've been noshing on for days : ).

ENJOY my friends!

5 Things I'm digging today (and one I'm not)

2012-01-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

1. My hubs is in a new show (a Frank Sinatra review called My Way) that opens this week. Yep, that's right, I had him home from rehearsal for one week before he jumped into another show. That's ok though! It's a great show for him and I will get him back a couple nights a week once the show opens. B/c of this free time I've been searching for a new tv show to catch up on. Netflix has been giving me some gems lately. The most recent is Samantha Who? This show is hilarious...why OH why did they cancel it after two seasons...I'm not going to tell you that I started it on Saturday night and am already on Season 2. I'm NOT a loser...I think (gulp). What have you caught up with on Netflix?

2. I've made two new soups in the past week and they are definitely winners. Will try to post them tomorrow. One was a creamy broccoli soup (w/ no cream so it's actually healthy) and the other was a Fiesta chicken soup.

3. FB has been annoying me a little bit lately. I love a good update from people and seeing pics of events, fams, and fun...but I don't enjoy the dirty laundry people feel like leaving on the interwebs. There is a fine balance on what you post. I guess that's the beauty of not having to read it : ).

4. I've been making homemade sourdough bread lately. My mama Deb gave me some starter in Nov. My first batch was good but I had LOTS of trouble getting it to rise. This has been my first foray into breadmaking. I am happy to say I'm getting better!! I'm finding my technique, the right blend of ingredients and my kneading is getting rock solid. Nothing like warm bread right out of the oven.

5. Body Butter-I got some Almond body butter from the Body Shop a couple of weeks ago and I LOVE it. Not only does my skin feel great but it smells SO good too. I also love that their products are environmentally safe (and I got to spin the wheel and got 40% off...love a deal)!

6. Artie and Harpo-Our cats have been SO lovey and cuddley lately. They just make me so happy. I don't know if it's the colder weather...but I love it!

Goals for 2012

2012-01-14T23:07:00.000-05:00

I normally don't really have resolutions in the new year. Of course I do love the new beginning feel a new year has. I am definitely trying to work-out more and eat better (like everyone and their brother). The new LA Fitness less then one min from our house helps! But here are some goals I'd like to set for the new year and see how they go throughout the year.

1. Volunteer-I'd like to do something for someone else or a group this year that absolutely has no benefit to me. Of course my friend reminded me of the Friends episode where Joey said that no one does anything w/out ANY benefit to them. But I'd like the goal of my volunteering to not be for ME...if that makes sense. Now to find how I want to do this.

2. Babies-The hubs and I have been dealing w/ infertility for a while now. I've mentioned wanting a baby on here...but not really gone into much of our story. I've tried to not focus on it all too much as I know God has a plan and purpose for us and any stress would not help the cause. The hubs and I are ready to move ahead in our quest for Baby A. This is a goal in that I'd like more answers towards what's going on so we can make some decisions on routes to take. Thanks for any thoughts and prayers.

3. Stay Fit-not only would I like to keep my gym/work-outs solid, but I'd like to not loose the momentum I have right now!

4. Organization-Keep working on organizing our house. I'm trying to keep the ways that work and start new methods to allow my husband and myself an easier time in STAYING organized. I love to clean and get it all organized...it's the staying that's an issue.

5. Bible-I'd like to read my bible...daily...not just think about it...but actually DO it.

6. Learn a new skill or do something I've never done-It's always good to challenge yourself. Let's see what I can get my hands in : ).

7. Chronicle-I'd like to take more pictures of our life. We have a decent camera and I'd like to learn to use it better and remember to use it.

8. House-Continue updating and painting and creating. This seems silly but I'd like to use wisdom and do this as economically as possible.

9. Dates-I'd like to have more date nights with the hubs. They don't have to be crazy special or anything. But I'd love to have some creative and new date nights or date days. Even if they are stay at home nights...but I'd like to make an effort so that the time we do have together (where one of us isn't in a show) is spent not always in front of the boob tube ; ).

10. Better blogger-Kind of goes along w/ the pictures but I want to write more. I really enjoy keeping this blog for some reason. I'd love to update, write and grow more this year.

Did you set any goals for yourself this year? How are you keeping them in check through the year?

A glance at our Holidays

2012-01-13T17:45:00.001-05:00

I realized I never shared the few pics I did take over the holidays. Here ya go.

Our Tree at night

Our amazing stockings made by our Mama Janson

My adorable Hubs and Artie

My dear friend Trey from high school who now lives in Chicago. We did theatre together and in our last show he was Joe Hardy and I was Lola in Damn Yankees.

Tree during the day

Our nativity and the Christmas trees I made (from pinterest...I made over 14 as gifts...never again, ha!)

Christmas morning at Drew's folks house

Their lovely tree and mantle...I love the big family!

Our niece Mia w/ her new kitty

Jack, our nephew, was so adorable to watch. He would get SO excited.

Drew and Lindsey Christmas 2011

New Year's with my dear friend Denise

Welcoming a new year and new adventures

And finally I leave you with the best Christmas/belated birthday gift EVER : )

Recipes-I'm a Pepper, You're a Pepper

2012-01-11T10:38:00.001-05:00

For all of you bell pepper lovers, here are 2 yummo recipes that I tried this week, thanks to Real Simple. Both were excellent and received the Hubs seal of approval. I don't have any pics...will try to remember to do that.

Couscous-Stuffed Peppers
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup of couscous
4 scallions
1 cup feta
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (I omitted b/c I didn't have any)
4 bell peppers (color of your choice)

Brown 1/2 lb lean ground beef. Cook 1/2 cup of couscous according to the package directions. Mix beef, couscous, scallions, feta, apricots and season w/ salt and pepper. I used Garlic salt. Stuff 4 hollowed out bell peppers (I used Red b/c I don't like green) and bake at 400 F, covered, until tender 45-50 min. We served w/ a salad.

Tortellini w/ Eggplant and Peppers
2 tbls EVOO
1 med eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used one red and one yellow)
4 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 lb tortellini-fresh or frozen. (it called for cheese tortellini but I used spinach tortellini from Trader Joes)
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup parsley chopped (i didn't use this)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the eggplant, bell peppers, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to soften, 6 to 8 min. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add the broth & tortellini. Cover and simmer over med heat, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, 12 to 15 min. Fold in parsley and 1/4 cup of parm. Spoon into bowls and add more parm. I skipped this and just added Parm on top after I put in bowls. Regardless it was great and we added, once again, a salad to finish our meal.

Bye-Bye-Bye 2011

2012-01-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about 2011. About how it was a hard, great, challenging, fun, and crazy year. So in honor of my deep thoughts I will do a re-cap of 2011 for the Archers. I didn't blog about a lot of this but I'm sharing it anyway.

January- Nothing really crazy happened for us this month. We rang the new year in Charleston w/ my college best friends and their spouses. It was a great way to start the new year.

February-Drew opened The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and it was one of my FAVORITE roles and shows of his. He was really good and funny as usual : ). We also traveled to Arizona on a whirlwind trip. We both enjoyed our mini visit w/ Aunt Jean.

March-Drew started directing Tom Sawyer at one theater in town and I opened Farragut North (which is the play that the movie Ides of March is based on) at another theater. We were very busy as we were also in rehearsals together for Xanadu. We also celebrated Christmas in March.

April- We welcomed the spring w/ more Xanadu, a trip to NYC for yours truly, lots of friends having babies a big announcement about our future move to Atlanta.

May-was pretty busy and I was a horrible blogger...but I did tell you about the month in one blog post.

June-We took a mini beach trip with Drew's family to Hilton Head Island, SC. It was great to have no alarm clocks. We celebrated our 9th anniversary and I shared some facts about my amazing hubs. The big move also happened at the end of the month. It was a hard, great, sad, happy, grumpy, silly time for us!

July-We took the first vacation together in a very long time to Los Angeles. It was one of the most relaxing trips and times for us. It was a great trip. It took me months to blog about it but here are the posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. I also headed back to Charleston to work for 3 more weeks.

August-I said "SAY LA VEE" to Charleston for real this time and really started the new life in ATL. I'm not going to lie, it was a difficult month. But change is going to have ups and downs...and you just go with the flow. Drew was able to enjoy lots of Braves games which is always good. We also got to spend a lot of great time with our friends David and Brance, both live in NYC, who were working at a theatre in ATL.

September-This was our first full month back in Atlanta together. I started to get into a groove with my new job in Atlanta. I also tried lots of new recipes and several fall-centeric ones.

October-Always a favorite month of mine full of Pumpkins galore, Birthdays including the hubs and my own, lots of house renovations and craigslist finds, and lots of great time w/ family and friends.

November-The month of thankfulness was a sweet, sweet time for us. We were able to get to know some more people in our new church,we were able to travel to NC and visit my dad for Thanksgiving and it was nice. I shared some of the things (small, random, & special) that make me a thankful lassie : ).

December-The most wonderful time of the year and it was WILD for me this year. I got to watch my favorite movies, Drew was in a wonderful show, we got to spend Christmas w/ most of our loved ones. The week after Christmas my mom got to come back to ATL and spend time with us. It was pretty great!

1940's Radio Hour

2011-12-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

So, the hubs is performing in a show this month. In fact, he just left to do his Christmas Eve matinee performance. The show is 1940's RADIO HOUR. I LOVE this show! It's very near and dear to my heart.

I first saw the show in 1996 at a summer stock theatre. It was cute, sweet and a great picture of the 1940's, which is one of my favorite times! The music and the clothes were awesome in the 40's. I fell in love with the show then, little did I know I would do the show 4 times and Drew would do it 5.

Our first foray into the show was Nov/Dec 2002. He played Wally, delivery boy, and I played Ginger, the ditzy blonde. It was our first Christmas as a married couple and just a great experience. We did it a theater in Macon, GA and Drew's dad was actually in the ensemble with us. Just a great, fun and special show.

Fast forward to 2005. We were in Michigan working and Drew had been cast down in Atlanta at Theatre in the Square in the show as Wally for the 24th anniversary of the show. He left MI early and started rehearsals. I came down to ATL once our show in MI was over. Well the closer they got to opening it became apparent the chica in the role of Ginger was going through something and needed to be replaced. So 24 hours before they opened they called me into the role. I rehearsed on Saturday and Sunday and went on Sunday night. We ran the show All of Nov and Dec. It was a crazy, fun, beautiful experience. We made some great friends and had a blast. The Theatre asked us back the following year, 2006, for the 25th and final year. It again was a great experience and special to do the show again.

Ginger 2006

The following year, 2007, another theater in ATL was doing the show and cast Drew as BJ and me as Connie. They are the late teenagers on the radio show who are in love with each other. He played an older role and I played a younger role. It was fun to play opposite of each other, which doesn't happen a lot. Not really my favorite version of the show, but it was a fun cast : ).
Connie and BJ 2007

So here we are in 2011, back in Atlanta, and Theatre in the Square has revived the show for their 30th season. And Drew is back as Wally, the 16 yr old delivery boy. I had the opportunity to see him last Sunday. I love watching my husband perform...it's one of those "makes me fall in love even more with him moments". He looks just as young as he did 5 years ago. Love getting to see him perform and great to actually see the show again! If you ever get a chance to see this show..do it! You won't be sorry.
Ginger and Ann 2007

Wally and Ann-2007

WOWSER!!

2011-12-22T21:44:00.001-05:00

December has totally kicked my bootie. I'm so behind in my reading and writing. Sorry guys!! Some of the reasons I've not been able to write.

1. Our home laptop hit a bad wall right after Thanksgiving....like almost died and the hamsters inside were running REALLy slow. It was torture to use it.

2. Dec is crazy at work. Lots of final class performances, holiday camps and planning for next spring and Yes, summer camps.

3. The hubs has been in rehearsal for his Christmas show which opens this Sat...So excited to see him. Will post more on this soon. (it actually opened Dec 17)

4. I've been working on Christmas projects/presents...and it's sucking every minute of free time. I'm kind of honestly tire of doing them, but very close to the end!

I actually started this post on Dec 14 and am just now finishing it. I will post it and attempt to truly write again soon. Hope everyone is having great Holidays!

Friday Five-Favorite Christmas Movies

2011-12-02T22:40:00.000-05:00

This is seriously my favorite time of year. And nothing says Christmas better then a CHRISTMAS movie. I am seriously obsessed : ). One year I complained that there were no good movies on tv that year...the next year for my birthday the hubs got me all Christmas movies :). It's really hard to pick but here are of my faves.

1. White Christmas-Well, duh, of course a holiday musical is going to make my list. I love all of the classic songs, the great story and the cast! I could watch this over and over again. "Sisters...Sisters...there were never such devoted sisters :)"

2. Muppets Christmas Carol- Classic story w/ a great cast. Love me some muppets (which by the way you need to see the new movie...superb)! There are some silly songs in this too and the muppet banter always makes me laugh.

3.Home Alone-I know this makes me a big goob, but I love the original movie. It has great Christmas music and a fun plot. Drew and I also quote this one...I know, we are dorks!

4. Scrooged-A great mixed up version of A Christmas Carol from the 80s w/ Bill Murray. Carol Kane as the ghost of Christmas Past is Hi-larious!

5. Elf-This is probably my favorite Christmas flick. Some of my favorite lines come from this and Drew and I quote them year round. Will Ferrell is great as Buddy the Elf and Zoey Deschanel is great side kick. Love seeing NYC at Christmastime in this too.

Runner ups: Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, Holiday Inn, Love Actually, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Miracle of 34th St (original), It's a Wonderful Life

Drew's Faves: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Gremlins(i don't count this one...but he does...lol).

Happy Thanksgiving My friends

2011-11-24T20:16:00.000-05:00

On this great day of family, food and gratitude I will share 5 more things I am thankful for. I hope you have all had a blessed day and were with your loved ones or got to talk to them.

1. Wonderful cooks-I've been blessed w/ 3 fabu moms (Mom, Mama Deb and mom in law Iris) who are all great cooks. They each do things a little different and it's all special and yummy! I am thankful for the love of cooking and skills they gave me.

2. Crafts-I really enjoy making things for people and it's been great to find new ideas (thx pinterest) for Christmas. I've been a crafting fool and it's perfect during football season!!

3. Travel-I am grateful for the experiences Drew and I have had and love for adventure we share. I look forward to the new experiences we have ahead.

4. Blogs-I have upped my blogging this year and it's been a good time. I've made some new interwebs friends, learned a lot, found some great recipes and seen some great pics. I'm grateful for the memories preserved.

5. My marriage-I've said how thankful for my husband but I am forever grateful for this relationship. We have forged ahead in this journey together through good times and bad, learned and grew, laughed and cried, hugged and loved. This relationship is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I am thankful for this union : ).

Hammer Time

2011-11-23T21:51:00.000-05:00

As you might be able to tell from other posts we are doing some minor changes in the house. Painting, installing new doors, updating here and there etc. Well...our house looks and feels like a mess right now b/c we, like big ole goobers, started 3 or 4 projects all at once. This past Friday the hubs got a little hammer happy. The story goes a little something like this. Warning there is a TMI in this story.

I drove to Augusta (about 2 1/2-3 hours away) to pick up my niece, Chelsea, for my sis-in-law, Lynn. The plan was that I would grab Drew once we got back to ATL and we all would meet Lynn and my bro for dinner. I called him about 20 min away and told him we were near and he sounded a little funny. He called 5 min later to tell me that we had a slight problem and that he'd accidentally hit a pipe and had to fix it. See, we are restoring our guest bathroom (new vanity, tile, and putting in new sheetrock). Well, he decided that Friday night, right before dinner, was the time to take out the old sheetrock. He was being careful...but hammer time got a little too exciting...and he hit a pipe...and it broke. wanh wanh!

Long story short...he worked on it until 12:30-1am and couldn't fix it b/c he needed a part from Home Depot. So we went to bed w/ no water in the house. And the tmi here is that the dinner I had was great going down...but not so much later that evening. SO plumbing problems were abound in our house! And I teach on Saturday mornings....and we had no water....hmmm. When he finally gave up on the plumping that night/early morning he told me he'd wake up at 7 and turn on the water so I could brush my teeth/wash my face before classs.

Fast forward to 5am...my adorable cats decided to find a bag of catnip and play with it...under our bed...for 2 hours...I was so mad. Sat morning mommy was a major cranky pants! No shower and no sleep...at least my hubs did make coffee when he turned the water on. The other good news is that I got a text about 10am that he was able to fix it after he got the part at Home depot. YAY! The hubs made a boo-boo but at least he figured out how to fix it. I got a shower after class and our cats were in a fog all day and covered in catnip. Drew offered them some cheetos ;)

Oh what a night! Thanks for letting me share.

Things I'm Thankful for part 3

2011-11-23T20:38:00.000-05:00

Hi Folks, here are my Tues and Wed thankful additions.

1. Music-I will always be grateful for music. It stirs my soul and constantly makes me happy. I love all types of music and my memories always have a song or type of music tied into them. I am thankful for those musicians who didn't give up their piano/music lessons as kids! Keep rocking out you music makers!

2. Brance/David/Justin-these 3 guys are super special friends to us both. They were a big part of our college and NYC adventures. They all are uber talented, God-loving, southern bred, hilarious guys who love us unconditionally. They are all going to be on Broadway one day...so watch out!! We are so proud to have our Sunnyside/Astoria buds in our life. Our kids are going to have great uncles : ).

3. Christy/Denise-I don't have many close friends in atl...but these two girls are very special to me. I feel like I'm repeating what I just said about the boys, but they are both super talented, loving, caring and hilarious! I am thankful for more time with them in the ATL.

4. Theatre-this crazy career we both have has brought us so many friends and family. I am thankful for the amazing people we've met on this journey, the shows and theatres that brought us together, the talent that taught me, and the art we created together.

5. Books-I love to read and am so thankful for imaginations and life stories that take me on adventures. A good book and r & r make for one happy Lins.

6. The essentials-I just feel so blessed to have a roof over my head that has running water and heat/ac, clothes on my back and food in my belly. Not everyone has those things...and I don't want to take them for granted.

7. The Journeys-I am thankful that God has allowed me the opportunity to see my loved ones through some of life's ups and downs. These times stunk going through them...but the other side is a beautiful picture!

8. Family time-Being w/ our family makes me so happy. The memories made on each visit are special and I pray I always remember these times. The food, games, travel, holidays...it's just all plain special.

9. Washer/Dryer-I have lived without them and I LOVE having one in our house and not having to scrounge for quarters : )

10. Musicals-If my life were a musical and everyone sang and danced all of the time I would be one happy camper. Bursting out in song is an everyday event for me and I love watching musicals on tv or live where people do this ALL of the time. Again...thanks all of you talented folks for creating!

What I'm Thankful For...continued

2011-11-22T00:06:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been nuts. Here are my 5 Sat, 5 Sunday and 5 Monday thankful statements.

1. Forgiveness-This sounds so silly...but I am thankful that I can ask for it when I make a mistake...and thankful I can give it to someone in return. I am human...and make LOTS of mistakes...ha! Appreciate the chance to right my wrongs.

2. Coffee- This wonderful beverage from a magical bean has taken over a special place in my life. NYC made it an everyday desire...I've given it up for Lent...but it's back in my life.

3. My HS BF Brandy-Brandy is a wonderful friend who has been in my life since 1992. We've been through silly hormonal teenage times, college disasters, summer love, worked together, been through weddings and babies together. Love her dearly and constantly reminded of her amazing presence in my life.

4. My college gals-Amy, Maggie, Kate, Andrea and Angie. These girls are my life and I am so thankful for them during the good times, the crazy times and SO glad we can all support during the rough times. I am thankful for our sisterhood of the travelling journal...now where is that thing?

5. Being in Atlanta-I am learning to love being back. We are getting into a groove and it's nice. I appreciate a lot that I've forgotten about.

6. Publix/Trader Joe's/Target-I love a good grocery store...I'm a big snob when it comes to my groceries. It's really nice having a plethora of options in the city.

7. A church-It's nice to finally feel like we have found the place we are supposed to worship. It's a HUGE part of our life and it's been refreshing to feel peace about this now.

8. My health-I'm very thankful that I'm pretty much a healthy person. I appreciate that I love veggies and try to eat well (most of the time) and attempt to work out.

9. Future babies-I am thankful that our day is coming when we will add to our brood.

10. New babies-All of the new kiddos in my friends lives this year are amazing little miracles and so glad I've been able to share in the happiness.

11. Cheese-I am thankful for this goodness that makes me have to work-out more!

12. Bonding time-hubs and I have had a great amount of fall bonding time...and it's been a blessing.

13. Litter boxes-I am thankful that Artie and Harpo like using them in Atl. Wasn't always the case in NYC and Charleston. Also thankful my husband cleans them for me!!

14. Running water-after the weekend we had (post to come soon) I am thankful we have running water again!

15. Pumpkin-I am thankful a simple pleasure brings me so much happiness.

Friday Five- What I'm Thankful for

2011-11-18T10:48:00.000-05:00

I've not been blogging this week due to this week being NUTSO. Also, my heart has been heavy w/ the loss of a friend and some other things I will share in a later post. I have been pondering all the things that make me thankful...and I could go on and on with this list...and maybe I will add some each day until Thanksgiving day. So here are five of the things I'm thankful for, in no particular order.

1. My Hubs- I'm thankful for a best friend who loves me inside and out, with the good, bad, and ugly. He has helped me to grow and change in so many ways. He puts up w/ all of my weird quirks, my silly made up songs that I sing at the top of my lungs at random times, my love for bad (and awesome) tv, my love of cheese and Ricky Martin. He knows when to offer an ear, hug, or go the extra mile. His relationship and love for Christ is awe-inspiring and drew me to him in college. He is a kind, funny, loving, hottie hubs and he is going to make a fantastic father one day.

2. My family- I have been blessed w/ a great, wonderful, large, wild, yours,mine and ours family. God blessed me w/ a wonderful Mom and Dad and a special Mama Deb too. I was blessed w/ half and step brothers and sisters who I love dearly. My aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas, and cousins have all been a special part of my life. If that wasn't enough, I was blessed w/ the BEST in-law family. My extra mom, dad, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and always welcomed and loved on me from day 1. I seriously love EVERY single member of my family!! I do have to say the nieces and nephews have been the best icing on the cake!!
My Dad and Mama Deb

Drew's folks visiting us in NYC

My sis and Mom

Drew's siblings and spouses

3. My Faith-I am so thankful for a relationship with an Amazing Lord who continues to love me and teach me daily. I am grateful that I can pray daily, as many times as I want, and I live in a place that my religious beliefs are not dictated by a government. I am thankful when I feel down or low that there is always a peace that passes all understanding. In times of death and unanswered questions...I am even more thankful for a relationship with my Savior that allows me comfort. I am thankful today for Grace and mercy!

4. My Furbabies-My annoying, meowing, loving, carpet scratching, cuddling furballs bring me so much happiness. They give me much joy and laughter. I am thankful for these little cats and their distinctive personalities and quirks. I am also thankful that they are rescue kitties...and we were able to give them a home.

These first and last pic is Harpo and the middle one is Artie. Love her passed out look w/ her tongue hanging out.

5. My Job-I love teaching kiddos and the fact that I get to teach musical theatre, dance and acting gives me so much joy. There are days that I want to pull my hair out and days when my heartstrings are tugged on so greatly. I always love to be able to challenge the older kids and see them get it. I love the looks on the 2 and 3 yr old faces when they get to put on a costume and be a princess or ballerina. I am especially thankful that as I patiently wait for the day I can be a mommy, that I am surrounded w/ loving kiddos!

Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup

2011-11-13T23:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, this recipe seriously rocked!! Day 2 was even better.

Recipe is courtesy of Real Simple

1 tbls EVOO
1 onion chopped
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (4cups-ish)
1 tbls fresh thyme (I used dry b/c I forgot to buy fresh)
salt and pepper
2 15oz cans of cannellini beans, rinsed (I didn't rinse mine)
1 bunch of spinach (4 cups)

Heat oil in pot over med-high heat and add onion and cook. I also added garlic. Stir often until soft, 5 to 6 min. Add tomatoes (i had fire roasted toms) and add their juices and cook for 3 min.

Stir in squash, thyme, 5 cups of water (i did 1/2 chicken stock and 1/2 water), 1 1/2 ts salt and 1/4 ts of pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 min. Stir in beans and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted and beans are heated (2 to 3 mins).

We had multigrain (trader joes mix) biscuits w/ it and was a hit. The hubs was a fan. This is a keeper in the Archer casa. Enjoy!!

Friday Five-What I love about Fall

2011-11-11T16:43:00.000-05:00

We are seriously in my favorite season right now. I know we've been it in for a while but I've just been basking in the glow of it : ). I love it for many reasons.

1. The Fall Foliage-My husband might disagree b/c he is the one who rakes the yard but I love all of the leaves. I forgot how beautiful the trees in our yard are. Also, driving around ATL I've seeing some really pretty fall scenes. I get to take a lot of back roads to work on Thursdays and there are some gorgeous views on my way there. We've travelled a lot and I've been able to see fall in other places in the US. Michigan by far had the most beautiful fall. It surprised me how gorgeous their trees were.

2. Pumpkin everything-I am sure I drive you nuts w/ my love for pumpkin but it makes me happy. I love the decorations, the coffees, the breads, the schmears, the actual fruits (or is it a veggie?), everything!!!

3. Soups-I love the chill in the air b/c I can start experimenting w/ new soup recipes. It's always fun to try new ones or make the tried and true recipes we love. We made a new butternut squash and white bean soup last night that was a winner. I will share recipe later today. Riddle me this....why does soup always taste better the next day. There is a restaurant in Vinings (cute part of atl) that serves all of their soups a day old b/c they are always better once everything melds.

4. Fireplaces-I was at my brother's house a couple of weeks ago and they had the fireplace going...it was So nice and cozy. I almost dozed off in the chair I was in, now that would have been embarrassing...what am I 80? Anyway, we have one in our house and I am inspired to start using...of course we have no furniture in the room that it's in but we will have a picnic one night and enjoy our open room w/ the fireplace...ha!

5. Good tv-all the good tv comes back. We watch way too many shows but I don't care. It's research for our craft...yeah, that's right ;). This season we are watching How I Met Your Mother, Chuck, Dexter, Community, Modern Family, Up all Night, Parks and Rec, Office and I am sure there is something else I'm missing. I am really ready for 30 rock to come back.

Do you like Fall? What do you like about it?

Don't forget to link up your FF w/ Kat from Living Like the Kings. She has a great one today about Thankfulness!

Not so Deep thoughts-2nd week of Nov

2011-11-10T15:49:00.000-05:00

Here's what is going on in my life and crazy head this week...

1. Had a really rough teaching experience today. I mean like almost in tears and even the moms felt bad for me. I KNOW my text class will be better bc it can only go up!

2. If you remember my post about craigslist you will know we are fans. My hubs (and his amazing craigslist searching skills) has nabbed us a vanity for our guest bathroom for uber cheap and it looks nice...score for the Hubs!
3. We painted our guest bedroom over the weekend...and I'm still in love with the color...good thing, right?

4. I am making a new soup from a real simple recipe tonight. It it's good I will share.

5. I am going to a baby shower this weekend for my good friend Jenn. She and her hubby adopted a little girl from China. Jenn and I met in 2006 when we started teaching together and they were starting the process then. They just got her in October. I've already met her and she is such a sweetie. They named her Sarah Grace and she is getting lots of loving from her brothers Andrew-2 and Joshua-What a blessing!!

6. The cinnamon broom in our house is rocking my world. I don't know why I resisted getting one all of these years.
7. Running a business is really hard work...I am thankful for a great boss and a loving husband.

8. The weather has been in the 70's this week and today it got colder...I'm ok with that.

9. The hubs and his buddy Tim are going to install some french doors in our den. Say prayers for them! I'm excited to see how it looks when they are done.

10. Tomorrow is going to be a very hard day for my sister for various reasons that I won't share on the interwebs. Please keep her in your prayers!

11. I have no motivation to go to the gym lately...I desperately need to find it.
12. My roller skates came in last Friday! I'm ready to rock and ROLL ;)

I heart my Furbabies

2011-11-09T18:30:00.000-05:00

I just got home from work and jumped on the computer to do a couple of work related things and my boy Harpo jumped into my lap for some loving. I decided to capture our time with this really awesome shot!

Another winner!

He's winking at you guys ;)

I decided I'd go find his sister, Artie. She was sleeping on our bed. She was not happy with me for waking her up or really not into the photo shoot I wanted to do.

She wouldn't even look me in the eye.

She started to take a bath to ignore me some more...thanks Artie!

She looks like a little bear

Something disturbed her bath. It was her brother Harpo joining us.

She went right back to sleep.

Harpo was just confused at why I was taking pics. My brother and friend Brance think that the Dragon from "How to Train a Dragon" looks like Harpo....what do you think?

I love my furbabies!!

Yay for Friends!

2011-11-07T17:18:00.000-05:00

The past two weekends have been just awesome. Interaction w/ fellow Atlantans has been great : ). On Friday my gal Brandy came to visit w/ her daughter Lynsey.

Brandy and I have been friends since 1992 and have been inseparable since then. We got to visit and all went to lunch together. Lynsey is almost 11 months old an incredibly adorable.

She is the happiest baby and I was so thankful for this special visit with them.

Friday night we had our dinner w/ church peeps and it was super yum. The chili was seriously ah-mazing and the fellowship was great. Saturday I taught and had a great trip to Trader Joes. I finally got a cinnamon broom and let me tell you our place smells GREAT! Then I hosted a mini craft afternoon w/ a couple of friends. Nothing like girl talk and crafts...lol. Saturday evening we joined our friends Tim and Denise for dinner. After dinner we hit this brewery with great views of the city. I of course forgot to take pics of the views but I will say that it was a great reminder of another reason why I love living here. I did manage to get pictures of everyone w/ their funky brews.

Tim got a brew called Thor. It made him strong : )

Denise got a Manhattan w/ an aged, oak barrelled bourbon.

The hubs got an oktoberfest brew.

This pic quality stinks but you can see that I got the shaft w/ my drink. Just kidding, I sampled a pumpkin beer that was awful and then got a saison beer that was great.

This was called 5 seasons brewery and I highly recommend. Their menu looked great and it was all organic and local stuff (we had eaten at another good place called Six feet Under beforehand).

Sunday we had a great church service, I made us blueberry chicken sausage and french toast and then we did house stuff. We finally chose some colors and we painted our guest bedroom a pretty, lavenderish gray. I will take a picture soon. I am really happy with the color, as is the hubs.

Today I got to meet up w/ another BFF, Andrea, for coffee and window shopping. We had a great time visiting each other and catching up. We did deal w/ one of those pesky mall mart vendors...he was very rude but we didn't let it ruin our fun!! Andrea and I are buds from college and she and her hubs and their adorable son live in the ATL area. If you know something about ATL is that the 'burbs are huge. We are about 40 min apart which is not terrible, but we definitely aren't able to get together as much as we like. It was a great treat : ) An interesting fact about Andrea is she is a runner and doing a BIG one Thanksgiving...whoo hoo Andie!

We probably should have taken this turned around...oh well!

Tonight I am heading to an Arbonne party. Have you ever used their products? I haven't but am interested to learn more. Will let you know if I find any interesting products. Hope you guys have a great week!

Friday Five-Actresses I adore

2011-11-05T14:20:00.000-04:00

First I want to say that I am a BIG dork and just found my drafts that I had been loosing...there were 15 in there...ughh...I need a computer brain! Also, I started this on Friday and then ran out of time. So we will pretend I posted this on Friday : )

My Friday Five is in honor of living actresses I adore. There are definitely others I like but these ladies were on my mind today.

1. Kerry Butler-She is mostly a theatre actress but has had some guest appearances on tv shows such as 30 Rock and Lipstick Jungle. I got the opportunity to see her in XANADU back in 2007 and she was phenomenal. She has also been in Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, currently in Catch Me if You Can as well as lots of other shows. Her hubby is a puppeteer for Sesame Street and they adopted a baby from Africa several years ago. She is UBER talented and just great to watch and listen to.

2. Reese Witherspoon-I first fell in love with her back in the early ninties w/ such movies as The Man on the Moon and Wallflower. She was just adorable and a great actress. She quickly grew into one of my favorites with such classics like Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama. Also, the fact that she did her own singing in Walk the Line definitely gained her some points in my book. I think the fact that she was a southern actress who seems pretty down to earth always made her endearing to me. She also lived on Sullivans Island (Charleston) for a while so I think she has good taste in southern, coastal towns : ).

3. Keri Russell-Of course I loved her on Felicity and even the MMC, but the movie Waitress really sealed the deal for me. She is brilliant in the movie! She also seems to not get wrapped up in the whole Hollywood thing. I can respect an actress who does her job and stays LOW on the drama!

4. Bebe Neuwirth-Another multi-talented actress who I first knew as Frasier's ex-wife on the tv show Cheers. Once I realized she did theatre I fell in love with her. She has also been in some of my favorites shows (Damn Yankees and Chicago). She is an amazing dancer and a great singer. You might recognize her from How to Lose a Guy in 10 days!

5. Lauren Graham-I of course know her originally from Gilmore Girls but she is also on Parenthood and has done several movies. Have you ever seen her in an interview? She is hilarious and quirky! I also give her props for doing theatre too, even though she got panned in Guys and Dolls I still support her. I adore her and would love to work with her one day!

Apple Betty recipe

2011-11-03T23:55:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I showed you my plan for the day in pics. The day was a success.

The chili hit the spot.

The cornbread wasn't bad either.

My crafts are turning out pretty cute (one is a semi bust but still working on it) but you have to wait for pics on those. I couldn't decide what to watch out of my dvds so I decided a little Ally McBeal on netflix would fit into my plan perfectly.

The icing on the cake was dessert. APPLE BETTY...my stepmom, Mama Deb, used to make this all of the time when I was a kid and I LOVED it. I decided w/ our apples from our recent trip I would make some. The recipe was easy and simple and the Drewster was pretty happy too.

Apple Betty
2 cups of apples chopped (I used 3 apples so probably close to 3 cups)
1/2 c. sugar (I used a 1/3 or 1/4 a cup, can't remember but it was just right for us)
1 tsp. cinnamon ( I threw a little extra in and added 1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg)
3/4 c. quick cooking oatmeal
3/4 c. self-rising flour (I also used a healthier flour)
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. melted butter

Mix apples, sugar and cinnamon and place in a greased 9x9 inch casserole dish.

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar and butter.

Crumble over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Voila! A warm, easy success on a cold night.

October flashback in pics

2011-11-03T23:43:00.000-04:00

I never got a chance to blog about these little adventures and share many pics from October.

We headed up to the Apple Festival in Ellijay, GA in the middle of Oct with my brother and sis in law. It was a great day adventure full of food, family, trashy crafts, some neat crafts and lots of apples.
Our first stop at the festival, after the long trip in the car, were these classy bathrooms :(. It was awful but when you gotta go, you gotta go.

After our pit stop we started looking at the sights. We were very disturbed by these dolls.

And confused!!

The German dude was a bit random too.

I got oddly excited about the pony rides...I didn't go on one.

After we shopped a little, I got a neat pottery spoonrest for the kitchen and cool bird feeder for my mama Deb, we decided to eat some treats.

We waited in line for these apple dumplings and let me tell you is was SO good. In fact it was so good I couldn't take a picture...hubs and I inhaled ours. We also got a bag of granny smith apples to take home. SO good!! After the Apple Festival we headed to Woodstock to have some tacos in honor of Drew's birthday. I didn't get pics of those either but they were good.

Several days later we headed down to Decatur to celebrate Drew's birthday with our friends Denise and Tim. We went to a really cool restaurant called Leon's. Jonah Hill happened to be dining there while we were. He totally wanted to be a part of our group : ). Denise wanted to surprise Drew with a dessert...she got him this AWESOME treat of bacon w/ a side of peanut butter. Sound weird? It was AMAZING. Seriously, the best bacon I've ever had and the PB was natural and yummo.

Drew's Birthday Bacon

He's so happy : )

Our buds, Tim and Denise

Several days later my mother in law was in town on her way to TN and she brought me a birthday pie. It was SO good...we didn't have any candles. Tea light anyone?

Not So Deep Thoughts-1st week of NOV

2011-11-03T12:55:00.001-04:00

My not so deep thoughts for the week are going to be separated into boos and YAYS this week. I don't really like to have boos...but let's face it they happen. So I will start w/ boos and end on the HIGH of the yays : ). (sorry for those of you annoyed by emoticons...I love them).

BOOS

Teaching kids cracked out on candy is not for me!
I got pulled over yesterday for a non-existent break light. What sucks is Drew checked it last week and it worked...I say BOO! I only got a warning
Slow week for business and lost another tapper due to an interest in volleyball :(
I love my cats but last night they were creating a sauna by sleeping on me...leading to little sleep b.c I am too nice to disrupt them. Tonight they will be disrupted.
I am searching for a new face wash b/c I just read this article about cetaphil. Did you know that? Also still searching for a good day time moisturizer. It's hard to find something right for your skin that's good for your body and the environment.
No one has suggested any work out songs for me....come on people ;)
I am playing with my blog design...not sure that I like it...don't really have the money to hire someone...but I will figure out a way.

YAYS

We had dinner with our pastors and their families last night. It was really nice. They are so down to earth, real and full of God's love.
OPI-has a new line of nail polishes inspired by my close friends, THE MUPPETS : )
I'm having a craft day at my house on Saturday. So excited!
We are going to our first "8 @ 8" tomorrow night. Once every 4 months our church has a night where 8 people (4 couples or 8 singles) get together for a meal at 8pm and fellowship. We are bringing dessert so I am taking my pumpkin pie crumble cake.
My roller skates should arrive tomorrow...so pumped.
This past weekend was phenomenal. Got to spend time w/ my niece and her friend, go shopping, have dinner w/ folks, had brunch w/ our mutual BFF David who ran his first marathon on Sunday, craft, make chili, cornbread and apple betty.
I finally got a new purse and I love it : ).
We are getting our air ducts and carpets cleaned today at our house!
We are picking out paint colors and painting on Sunday (I hope).
My high school BFF is possibly coming for a visit tomorrow and bringing her baby, Lynsey. I can't wait!
I'm thinking of having my first giveaway on my blog.

About to go teach some more cracked out, Halloween candy eating, kiddos. I am going to try to post some pics tonight from OCT.

November Guest Blog-Katy's Neverending Story

2011-11-01T09:48:00.000-04:00

November brings my first ever guest blogger. I am so excited to introduce you to Katy of Katy's Neverending Story . Katy and I have been friends long before either of us ever started blogging and I am thrilled to have her write for Lins on the Go. Katy's blog is so funny and honest as she shares the ups and downs of being a newlywed in the city. Katy is a multi-talented gal who constantly amazes me. I am so thankful for her friendship and was honored to be a bridesmaid in her beautiful wedding last year. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do : ).

Katy and I on the UGLY BETTY set-Summer 2009

Where are you from and where do you live now?
I'm from Macon Georgia and live in NYC now.

How long have you been blogging?
Just over 3 years.

Do you have a favorite topic you blog about?
I like to blog about stuff happening in NYC and my continuous battle to adapt to this crazy city life.

How did you find my blog or how did we connect?
10 years of friendship!! I love your blog!!

Are you married or in a significant relationship?
Married to Mr A since May 2010

How does your partner/husband feel about your blog/blogging?
He thinks it's funny- as long as I don't get too personal

What are your three favorite blogs?
Lay Baby Lay (www.laybabylay.com)
Marriage Confessions
And Lindsey's!!!!!!! (I didn't pay her to say this either...lol)

Do you have a favorite quote, scripture or saying you'd like to share w/ readers?
"Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.". Isaiah 12:5

Katy and Drew-LONG TIME friends-March 2010

Friendship

Some people forge friendships over major events in their lives. Some become friends over a show or through a class in school. With Lindsey and I, our friendship was formed before we ever met- at least from my point of view.

Lindsey was engaged to a hometown friend of mine and was scheduled to come to Macon to teach after college. Drew, her intended, and my friend, still had a year or so of school, so Lindsey would be living with her future in-laws and planning a wedding. When Drew's mom called and asked me if I wanted to meet Lindsey, I immediately said YES! See, I knew off the bat we would be amazing friends. I'm sure Lindsey had other things on her mind (wedding planning, being away from her fiancé, moving in with in-laws, first year teaching) than making a new friend, but I knew that we were meant to be buddies for life.

Lindsey and I are basically fraternal twins from different mothers. While we do not look alike, we are pretty much the same personality on the inside. We've played the same roles, we like the same music and there's never a shortage of subjects to talk about.

Since meeting each other, we have both done the following (although not always at the same time):

Gotten married
Taught students
Played the love interest in a play
Played Lucy in "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"
Thrown showers for each other
Moved to New York City
Been in "Oliver"

Our phone chats are few and far between but when they do happen, it's like we can pick up right where we left off. Sadly it's been WAY too long since we've lived in the same city, but when I was picking bridesmaids, there was no question in my mind who I would want as a bridesmaid when it was my turn to walk down the aisle. She's supportive, caring, hilarious, SO freaking talented, and the bestest of buddies.

Whate'er My God Ordains Is Right

2011-10-30T22:11:00.000-04:00

We sang this song this morning in church and it really spoke to me. The words are such a great and beautiful picture of God's love and mercy. I had to share : )

Whate'er My God Ordains Is Right

Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Holy His will abideth.
I will be still whate’er He does,
And follow where He guideth.
He is my God, Though dark my road.
He holds me that I shall not fall
Wherefore to Him I leave it all

Whate’er my God ordains is right,
He never will deceive me
He leads me by the proper path,
I know He will not leave me
I take, content,What He hath sent
His hand can turn my griefs away
And patiently I wait His day

Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Though now this cup in drinking
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it all unshrinking
My God is true,Each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart
And pain and sorrow shall depart

Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken
My Father’s care Is round me there
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all

My plan for the day...in pics

2011-10-30T13:45:00.000-04:00

The hubs is filming a short film all day today. So I have made BIG plans for my day. I went to church this morning and this is what I am doing for the rest of the day.

I will let you know how it turns out : )

Friday Five-All about me

2011-10-28T09:59:00.000-04:00

In honor of my birthday week I thought I would share 5 facts about moi.

1. Cheese-This is my favorite food ever. If you know me well, this is not news to you. I am told when I was a child they could get me to eat anything if they put blue cheese dressing on it...even spam...GUH-ROSSSSS! But I do love me some cheese-especially smoked cheese, gouda, brie, horseradish sharp, gorgonzola, goat...ok....I LOVE CHEESE. Do you know Wallace and Grommit? CHEEEESEEE...that's me : )

2. Open Heights-Scare the poop out of me. I love being up high and seeing things but I do not like the free fall sensation. I have been known to scoot down stadium stairs b/c there was no rail...and yes I was an adult at the time. I guess it's a good thing I was not born a cat (they like to be really high up, I'm not just being random).
                                            View from Top of the Rock (not my pic)

3. Beverly Hills 90210-I have a very strange love for this show. The original of course. In middle school I had a t-shirt, their make-up line (definitely had the cheap perfume, lipstick and nail polish) posters, books, their soundtrack, brandon and dylan dolls, a sleeping bad and pillow...sadly I think the list goes on. I was a dork...well I still am but that's beside the point. My BFF's, Maggie and Kate, (the twins-Maggie is my bud who lives in Charleston and Kate's my bud we visited in LA) and I used to watch it and Party of Five in College.  I think it was Wed nights and we would tape them, on one of those old school VCR's, while we were in rehearsal. We would come back to my dorm b/c I didn't have a roommate and we'd order pizza and watch trashy teen shows...of the days of being a college freshman. Old episodes come on the soap channel and I have been known to have it on in our house. I drive my hubs nuts! Last little random knowledge....in 8th grade they decided to have club pictures while I was in gym. So EVERY picture of me in the yearbook is in my 90210 t-shirt and snoopy boxer shorts...yes...it was HOT!


4. Chocolate- I don't like it. The thought of a hershey bar grosses me out. Now, I will say the older I get the more I can appreciate some dark chocolate but it's very specifically the dark chocolate w. raspberry. And I do like cookie dough, and fudge....but just plain milk chocolate, or a chocolate cake with icing...not my thing. I am more of a pastry girl w/ cream cheese (surprise, surprise) or an apple, caramel desserty type thing. My friends think I am nuts but just pass the caramel and PB and I am good while you enjoy your chocolate.



5. Reading-I love to read, always have! Remember BOOK-IT as a kid...I used to rock that thing out. I love to switch it up between a chick book, biography, Christian book, theatre book and then all over again. I definitely don't get to read as much as I like. Bookstores get me so excited. Have you ever been to Powell's in Portland, OR? They have a freaking map when you walk in...it was heavenly! One positive of NYC was I was always had book time on the train. When we go to the beach, just give me a chair, sunscreen and a book and I am good. The hubs gets stir crazy and has to get in the water or do some activities...but I am all good. Speaking of....I need some good suggestions....so all 12 of you who follow...share ; ). My most recent read was a Patti Lupone biography (she's a big theatre chica). Yes, I know I'm a dork.

Not so Deep thoughts

2011-10-27T23:33:00.000-04:00

My randomness for the week:

1. Got to see former students perform tonight and my hubs play trumpet in the pit. My heart is warm : ) (and it's not heartburn)

2. I got roller skates and "It's the great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" from my hubs for my birthday. Yes, I turned 33 not 10...what of it? ; )

3. Trader Joes let me down this week...2 times :(. Their pumpkin beer is AWFUL and I tried a new cheese that tasted disgusting. This doesn't happen often...but it was a sad day in our house.

4. Got some great family time this past weekend w/ my Dad, stepmom, Uncle, Aunt and Cousin. It doesn't happen often and Drew and I really appreciate these times.

5. My Mom-in-law has happened to stay with us the past two Sunday evenings b/c of needing to be in ATL on the following Mondays. We've had some great meals, talks and this past week she brought a coconut custard pie for my bday : ).

6. My awesome Sister was supposed to be coming to visit this weekend but tonight she told me she isn't coming. SAD CLOWN!! I was really looking forward to sister time. Plus, Drew is filming a short film all weekend and playing trumpet so I really won't see him.

7. Speaking of my uber talented husband...he got cast in a Christmas show on my birthday. Yay for work for him...it's a show that is near and dear to us and I will share more of that later.

8. I watch way toooooooo much tv. But there are a lot of good shows on right now. Our favorites right now: Dexter, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, Community, Parks & Rec, Psych. We do watch The Office, Pan Am and also CHUCK is back tomorrow. I should read a book!

9. We saw the movie 50/50 this past weekend. It was really good but I cried a LOT. Cancer sucks!! I think Joseph Gordon Levitt is a really good actor.

10. Tomorrow I have a LOT of house cleaning to do. Friday is my Saturday. We will see if it happens.

Hope you guys have a great weekend : )

It's MY Birthday get BUSY!!

2011-10-26T11:27:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was my birthday. I was born on Oct 25 at 8:04pm in the little coastal town of Brunswick, GA. My poor mom was in labor a very long time. Thanks Mom!

I love birthdays and in our house October is like Christmas. My hubs is Oct 10, my dad-Oct 22, my mama Deb-Oct 31, Mom in Law-Oct 21, Brother Oct 2, Other Brother Oct 5, nephew Oct 7 and then we have several cousins and friends. Can you see why we opted for a June wedding : )? I have often said if we can help it, I'd like to not have a baby in Oct. Ha, after "trying" for a while...I will now take a baby anytime God wants to bless us : ).

If you follow my blog you might remember that I had the blahs this time last year. I didn't really want to have a birthday...couldn't stop it from happening...though I did try. Funny what a difference a year makes. I welcomed my birthday this year w/ open arms.

A lot has changed in the last year. We moved back to Atlanta after 6 months of wondering if we were moving to AZ, ATL or staying in Charleston. My job situation is in a much better place. I am working with the same Performing Arts Studio I was a year ago, and I was fortunate enough to bring the business to Atlanta with me. Drew and I celebrated 9 years of marriage and 11 years together. We had multiple friends who were blessed with new babies and we got to celebrate with them. We had a vacation for the first time in years. We truly saw the hand of God work in our lives. We don't have a baby on the way this year, and don't know when it will happen...and I am in absolute peace over this. Do you remember that song from your childhood vacation bible school days? "In His Time, In His Time, He makes all things Beautiful In HIS time!" That's kind of how I feel...In HIS TIME!

I am thankful for another year of learning, loving, sharing, and living. I am thankful for Birthdays and celebrations. I look forward to seeing what this 33rd year brings! I am happy the Birthday Blues left this house : )

FF-Desserts I Like

2011-10-21T22:08:00.000-04:00

Hi Guys! I am really tired today. So this post is going to be short and sweet...get it ; ). Terrible I know...told you I was tired. I've got desserts on the mind w/ all the Oct birthdays in our house, so here goes.

1. Cheesecake-I love a good ole cheesecake. I don't like chocolate ones but they can be plain, have oreos, blueberries, caramel apples, pumpkin, key lime, and I will demolish that bad boy.

2. Carrot Cake- I am not a big cake fan but if I am going to eat it, it has to have Cream Cheese icing. So Carrot Cake, Red Velvet or Italian Wedding cake are high on the list : ).

3. Coconut Custard pie-I was never a big fan of coconut and then I met Drew and had one of his mother's pies. OMG, they are amazing!!! It's so good, especially right out of the oven. Not pretty to look at, but who cares!!

4. Cobbler- I'm not picky, it can be apple, peach, berry. As long as it's got lots of doughy goodness and maybe some ice cream...cinnamon or vanilla!

5. A cookie cake-w/ lots of fatty icing : ). I know it's overly sweet and so bad for you. But on my bday I love a piece of one.

Who's the fairest in the land?

2011-10-19T21:05:00.001-04:00

ME...By fairest...I mean whitest chica w/ freckles in the land! This very fair lady is always searching and shopping for good skin and hair products. I don't know about the rest of you, but my skin has been pissed off at me for the past 3-4 years. I think it's all of the moving. From the south to the north to the beach back to the south. My Hair and skin have been SO angry : ). In my search for good products I wanted to share some of my recent favorites in the purchase department. I will also share a need I have! And by the way, no one is paying me to say anything...but if they want too ;).
1. Olay Pro-X cleaning system

I really wanted the Clarisonic brush but dropping a $100+ just is not in the budget at the moment. I am Super pleased w/ this brush. I got mine at Costco w/ the exfoliating wash and it was a great deal. I only use it 2-3 times a week w/ my regular face wash and one of those times w/ the exfoliating was. My skin is sensitive and dry at times so overuse would not be good for me. I can definitely tell it is giving me a deep clean...especially on those pore clogging areas, like the nose. If you have been questioning a brush like this I can fully recommend.

2. Fekkai-Shampoo and Conditioner

I also made this purchase at Costco and it came w/ a shine booster thing too. GREAT deal!! My hair feels so soft and manageable. I have really thick hair that tends to frizz and wave pretty easily. This was easy to comb out and also didn't make me look like a big mushroom head. I also liked how my roots didn't look quite as bad as they really are. Yay for a good product!

3. Ulta Kohl eyeliner

I normally buy Mac eyeliner and have been pretty pleased w/ it and it's not too pricey. Well my mom mentioned that Ulta was having a crazy sale and their eyeliner was on sale for $2 so I decided to try it. I really do like it. My pencil not lasting quite as long as the Mac but at that price...I'm ok with it. Until I win my Tony/Emmy/Oscar I will stick with it : ).

4. Moisturizer

Ladies...I need a good moisturizer....my skin is normal/combination. Drier in the winter but the T-zone is always pretty oily. I can't find anything that really works well. They are either too thick and I break out or too thin and I am a cactus. I need a good balancing moisturizer. Any thoughts?? I would appreciate it.

Also...Don't forget, I am still needing some good work-out songs...Help!!

It Happened One night

2011-10-15T21:40:00.000-04:00

Today is a pretty neat day in our house. Eleven years ago, today, Drew took me on a hot date to the Krystal in Valdosta, GA after a Midsummer Night's Dream rehearsal.

If you don't know what Krystal is, it's basically the south's version of White Castle. I joke about it being hot...but it was a pretty important evening for us because it basically changed our life. We decided to start dating and the rest is...how you say...history : ).

Thankful for this day!

(pic from June in Charleston)

In honor of this sweet date in history, I'm going to dig up some photos of us from back then and scan and post soon (yes...we are old). I'm too pooped to do it tonight b/c I taught this morning and then we went to a huge apple festival (more on that later).

Thanks for letting me be a goob!

Friday Five-All things Pumpkin

2011-10-14T11:24:00.001-04:00

I'm finally writing my FF on my favorite pumpkin loves. I am obsessed w/ pumpkins (flavors, candles, drinks, decorations etc). Here are my current loves.

1. Pumpkin Spice Latte-Does this one really need to be explained? It's great, it's warm, it's a party in my mouth!

2. Trader Joe's pumpkin cream cheese-I was a total sucker. I walked into TJ's last week and I instantly smelled warm pumpkin bread. I somehow, not sure how I got there, found my way to the sample table where they not only had the baked good but also some pumpkin cream cheese to put on top. I tried it and like a robot grabbed a container, threw it in my basket and paid for it. It's SOOO good!

3. Pumpkin candles-I'm kind of picky on these...they need to smell earthy and spicey...not to caramely or buttery. It's a great way to fill up the house w/ a fall scent. Wal-mart actually has a pretty decent one. I also love using mini pumpkins as candle holders. You cut out a little hole and either add a tea light or a taper candle. I did this one Thanksgiving and it looked so cute and festive on all of the tables.

4. Pumpkin Scones-Now I'm not talking about the hard, brick like scones you get at starbucks (Sorry Starbucks, you know I love your drinks). I am talking about a warm, fresh, round pumpkin scone with a little caramel drizzle on top from Alice's Tea cup in NYC. They seriously have the best scones I've ever had! I've tried to make them myself and haven't found the right recipe yet. If you are ever in NYC, grab a friend and go split a pot of tea and some scones. Or if you have a little girl, take her for a tea party-they even have fairy wings for them to wear. They have one location on the UWS or two on the UES.

5. Babies or animals dressed up like Pumpkins- I know it sounds weird. But look how stinking cute they are!

The last two aren't pumpkins but they cracked me up : ). No animals or babies were harmed in these pictures...I don't actually know any of these animals or babies, BUT I'm sure they are all ok!

Have a great fall weekend folks!

Boogie Woogie Baby

2011-10-13T19:34:00.000-04:00

I need some new gym/workout music...like yesterday. I need to compile some new playlists for the ipod and I would love some help.

What gets you motivated? Pumped? Ready to keep going in the last 5 minutes instead of giving up and going home to eat ice cream.

SHARE with me! Pretty please : )

Deep Thoughts (not really)

2011-10-12T22:05:00.000-04:00

Some random thoughts for you guys:

1. Do you ever get on to your husband for watching a tv show that you think is inappropriate and then catch yourself laughing...never happens to me!

2. I love my cats so much. They bring so much happiness to my life. I know a lot of you guys are dog people and I appreciate your love for your dogs. But my cats...are funny little peeps.

3. I'm bored...need some outlets...soon.

4. We have been visiting churches, least favorite thing to do but that's a whole nother bag of chips, and think we are close to finding a home...don't want to speak too soon.

5. October is birthday month in our family, on both sides. It's good for the soul but bad for the bulge.

6. We are going to the apple orchards this weekend in Ellijay and I'm SO excited! I'm dreaming of apple cider donuts.

7. My brother and sis-in-law both had their dads in the hospital last week...Both dads and fams would love the extra prayers. One dad is out and on the mend and the other is doing better but definitely still needs some prayers over his recovery. FYI-my bro is my stepbro but we are pretty close and I don't like to say "step" b/c he's been in my life since I was 4.

8. My BFF in Charleston, Maggie-who I miss terribly, needs your votes. Her oldest, Molly, is a finalist in Parent Magazine Cutest Toddler for October. Please go vote for her!

9. My 7 yr old niece told me over the weekend that my hair looked like "Bud light". First, WHAT the WHAT? Second, her mom asked "how do you even know what Bud Light is?". Mia responded "I watch TV and I read it off the can." She then responded that she thought it was light root beer.

10. Pinterest is sucking the soul out of my life...is that a bad thing?

Happy Birthday to...

2011-10-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

THE HUBS...aka Drew, Drewster, Drewbie, Darcher

You are the biggest blessing in my life. I am so happy to celebrate YOU today!

I appreciate so many of your wonderful qualities...especially your sense of humor and your Godly wisdom.

I love that we were friends for years before we ever thought of dating (or that one of us will admit ;) ).

Your talents astound me and the fact that I get to share a stage with you sometimes rocks my socks!

Thank you for being my best friend!

"If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do, is to save every day till Eternity passes away, just to spend them with you"-Time in a Bottle, Jim Croce

(baby Molly courtesy of Maggie & Robert)

Philippians 1:3

I thank my God every time I remember you.

Beautify my blog

2011-10-06T22:44:00.000-04:00

I really want to personalize my blog...but I have NO clue where to begin. Do I need to purchase my own site? How would I make blogger more personal. I need some help. Those of you who have AWESOME blogs, please share with me your knowledge. Talent for the stage I got...for the computer I have not!

Wanh...wanh! HELP, Please : )

The AH-Mazing world of Craigslist

2011-10-05T17:10:00.000-04:00

My husband has an obsession with craigslist and I am COMPLETELY ok with this!

He finds great deals like this mantel ($45).

I love it and it adds SO much to this wall-o-brick : ).

He also found 2 great ceiling fans for $20 each. Those puppies can be $80 and up. What a DEAL!

The hubs will browse the "For Free" section from time to time and such browsing got us this:

Can you believe it? There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Ignore our messy garage! This is great for those days we can't make it to the gym.

For the most part we have had only positive experiences. He did make one trip to see some windows for sale....and it was a BIG bust. But other than that it's all been good business. We have even given some things away on the Free section too.

My least favorite thing he has found....adult diapers...can you believe someone was giving those away??? Gross! Also, someone was trying to give away a pet goat. Oh the randomness of the interwebs!

Up to my ears

2011-10-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

This is my life right now:

Paint samples, paint samples and yes...you guessed it more paint samples. I am kind of sick of looking at paint samples. Yes, yes it's fun at first but then the colors all start to run together and you go back to the store and get more samples...but you get home and they are the same colors you picked last week. Ahhh...it's a vicious cycle that I can't get out of. I do think we are VERY close to making some choices which is exciting. I will show pics once we choose and paint. One weird thing is we need to decide on is whether or not to repaint a couple of rooms or just do some touch-ups. The Sherwin Williams guy said it might match but it's unlikely it will match if we do just the touch ups...so that's another decision we need to make.

Decorating is fun, time consuming and and also exhausting. We have always moved so much that we've never really had time to hang anything. Knowing that we are going to be here for a while has prompted me to find more wall decor, pictures, paintings etc. I've also been looking for some fall decor too. It's been fun searching stores for ideas. I've gotten some great deals lately which is good b/c I am doing some interior design on a very small budget. Love me some Tar-jay!

I got this cute little pumpkin from Target for $2.50.

I found this great pillow on clearance at Target for $6...Harpo the cat didn't come with it : ). But isn't he just adorable! It kind of looks like he's smiling.

The pillow Harpo is on (which by the way, is his new favorite napping spot) is an old/new addition from Pottery Barn and Ikea. Let me explain why it's old and new. We used to have the pillows that came w. the couch and chair but the cats decided to show them some "love" in NYC (they hated it there). So we threw those pillows out. Oddly enough when we registered for our wedding we choose three green pillowcases from pottery barn. We didn't buy our couch until 2005 and had long forgotten the pillowcases. Well we got our couch and were unpacking some wedding things that had been in storage and found the PB pillowcases and they matched perfectly. But we haven't really had a need until recently so they've been living in a closest. When we were recently in Ikea window shopping I noticed in the textiles area the pillow inserts. I bought one and it fits our pillows perfectly. Yay! Only took us 9 years to get those PB pillowcases out but aren't they cute : ).

Had to take a pic of the other cat, Artie, so she didn't get jealous!

Alright, my last little find is from Cost Plus World Market. I spent some of today finding pics to go in it. I love my find and I got $10 off with a handy, dandy coupon!

It's been fun seeking out stores to decorate. I do wish I had some friends in town to go shopping w/ b/c my poor mother got so many text pictures of me trying to get opinions this past weekend. The husband was filming a short film all weekend so I couldn't bother him. Oh shopping buddies...where are you?

On another note, I'm sorry I didn't post a Friday Five last week. I had the time but I couldn't not think of ANYTHING to write about...just empty...or my brain was too focused and drained from paint samples and decorating.

To eggplant or not to eggplant

2011-09-29T21:34:00.000-04:00

I love me some eggplant. It's so yummy and full of good for you stuff. I know it's not for everyone. Here is a real easy recipe for those that partake in the oddly shaped and purdy purple veggie!

Ingredients

1 eggplant
fresh basil (I used those frozen chopped herbs you can get from trader joes)
chopped onion ( I used 1/2 of a medium sized onion)
minced garlic-as much as you want
olive oil
balsamic vinegar (3 tablespoons ish)
salt and pepper

Chop up eggplant and onion. Heat oil in pan and saute eggplant, onion and garlic. Season w/ salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add in basil and cook another two minutes. Once it starts to look a little mushy add in balsamic vinegar (eyeball the amount and use more or less depending on your love for the balsamic) and cook another 2-3min.

Serve pretty soon after. It will be a big hit! The hubs loved it last night : ).

On another completely random note if you have never tried Brusters key lime pie ice cream....run...go there and try it immediately!! You won't regret it.

Our House is a very, very, fine house!

2011-09-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

Ok, first off I have to say that I am having a FIGHT with blogger. I have written 3 blogs, saved them and then come back to work on them later and they are NOWHERE to be found. SO annoying and time consuming. UGH! Sorry, had to get that out.

The hubs and I moved back to our house a couple of months ago. We bought the house in 2006 and I love it. It's not the prettiest, newest, fanciest...but it's just right for us. We choose to buy an older home and live closer in to the city (10-15min) as opposed to living further out in the 'burbs in a newer home w/ a 45min commute. Our house is a 70s Spanish Mission Ranch.

Our house back in 2006 right after we bought it.

Since moving back we have definitely started a "dream list". This is all of the things we want to do to the house. When we lived here before we did some minor renovations but now that we aren't going anywhere ANYTIME soon (please, dear God...no more moves...k...thx, Lindsey), we are moving ahead full throttle. Which is exciting...and depressing at times...b/c you need moola : ). But we will take it one project at a time.

One HUGE thing that the hubs did several years ago was completely change the look of our den. The den was one of those wood panelled rooms from the 70s. Now some people paint their wood panel and it looks awesome and brings a unique look to the house. But our wood panelling was the cheap kind that wouldn't have looked great either way. So Drew tore it down, sanded the walls, primed and painted them and added crown molding. It looks SOOO much better. I'm so thankful for my handy man.

Here is some of the old wood panelling. Isn't it gorgeous : )

My camera just died so I will have to show the updated pics next post. Another big change he and his dad made was in the master bathroom. Our bathroom had this strange shower/tub thing that was supposed to be a therapeutic type tub...but it was scary. Booger green w/ metal panelling on the outside that had a fake wood wallpaper. It was awful and I wouldn't go near it. The first 6 months we showered in the guest bathroom. Drew and his Dad installed a beautiful stand alone shower. They did such a great job and it looks amazing. I wish we'd taken pics of the old shower...it was hideous.

It's amazing what a few changes do to make a place look brand new. Have you done any renovations at your place? What were the best changes? Were any a big nightmare?

Our list is big but we will tackle it eventually...right now I'm trying to pick out paint for the rooms that aren't painted. Our next BIG challenge this winter is to attack the jungle that is our backyard...scary! Isn't that little brick fence great too : )

Beverly Hills What a Thrill-Part Three

2011-09-24T21:17:00.000-04:00

On Saturday morning of our trip, Drew, Kate and I went on a road trip to Temecula, CA. Temecula is a BEAUTIFUL area south of LA but north of San Diego and it has it's own wine country. We had an amazing time full of yummy eats (1st In-and-Out burger ever), wine and yes, even Starbucks. We visited two vineyards, Callaway and South Coast. Both were great in different ways. Callaway had some great wines and we ended up finding a new and unique favorite wine called Mourvedre...it was SO smoky...and D and I both fell in love with it. South Coast was awesome b/c of the amazing chica that was serving us. She basically told us the "menu" was bull and to tell her what we liked. She then took all of the guess work out for us and just served us what she wanted. It was just what we needed. We also found a new wine there called Roussanne that we liked, lemon and tea after tones. Here are some pics of Temecula.

It was a fantastic day trip. After our stop at Starbucks we headed back to LA. We then grilled out and chilled on their deck for the evening. It was so nice getting lots of good friend time in.

On Sunday we slept in a little longer then we had anticipated. We were going to head to Laguna beach but b/c of the extra sleep decided to just hit Hermosa and Redondo beach for a bit. Drew actually took a dip in the Pacific. I put my toes in. Michelle joined us on this outing b/c she didn't have any rehearsals. We were happy to have her!
Drew heading in the ocean.

After his dip in the ocean!

That evening we headed to a fun restaurant in Santa Monica called the Library. Fresh, healthy food, a good variety of beer on draft and cute ambiance. Again, another enjoyable evening in LA. I really liked hanging out in Santa Monica. Drew definitely wanted to get me back to GA b/c I fell in LOVE w/ the West Coast.

On the way to the Library in Santa Monica.

Love this shot of Michelle ; )
Our last full day in LA was pretty lax. We went for a long walk around Beverly Hills (it was amazing weather). Then Drew and I headed to the GROVE in W.Hollywood to meet up w/ a childhood friend of his. The Grove has lots of shopping, a farmer's market and a lot of restaurant choices. I was glad we got to see it before we left. Here is Drew w/ the gorgeous Jennipher. She is an actress from Drew's hometown who has been in LA for a while now. It was great getting to catch up with her.

After our visit to the Grove we went back to Kate's place for one final meal and game night. We were all so tired from dinner that the games didn't really happen. The roomies did make me sign my name on the Walk of Fame : ).

Our trip was amazing. We got to laugh, relax, eat, drink, visit, laugh some more, sleep, and make lots of new memories. Kate and Michelle were fantastic hosts. I am so thankful for the time we were able to spend with them. It was just what the Dr ordered!! LA...until next time ; ).

Beverly Hills What a Thrill-part 2

2011-09-23T23:07:00.000-04:00

I've tried to finish this post 2 times last month and it got deleted and it made me so mad I wouldn't write about it. So now I will attempt to tell you about the rest of our vacay from JULY...yes it was awhile ago and you probably don't care but it's really for me.

On Day 2 Drew and I met went to Warner Brothers studios to visit my friend Patricia. Patricia and I worked together the summer of 2000 and haven't seen each other since. We always kept in touch. It was great to get to visit with her in person. She was just as fun and beautiful as I remembered : ). It was so much fun to get to see WB. I especially geeked out when she showed us much of the set from Gilmore Girls. I was in HEAVEN. So much fun!

Where Miss Patty taught dance : ) (ignore my uber white legs)

After our great visit w/ Patricia we headed back to BH's to grab Kate. Drew, Kate and I headed to a Dodgers Game. They played the Mets and we had a great time. I did get kicked out of a concessions line which was kind of hilarious.

Kate and Drew @ the Game. On Day 3 we hit Rodeo Drive...and then we walked one street over to Beverly Dr. It had the stores we could afford : ). Crate and Barrel, Gap, Starbucks...ha!

Drew and I outside of the Beverly Wilshire hotel! ps-we didn't plan to match...it just happens.
After Rodeo, we went to Santa Monica and checked out the pier area. I fell in love w/ the beach...I mean I already love it but it was a gorgeous day and I was charmed. I especially loved the Trapeze artists on the pier...a dream was born...HA!.

We then hit Kate's favorite brick oven pizza place for dinner. After dinner we went home and got dolled up to meet up w/ some friends. We all went to a cute place in W. Hollywood and met up w/ buddies from college and my friend Patricia and her beau. Marc and Karin were a year ahead of us in school and we've always kept in touch. It was so good to see them in their city!

Kate, Karin and Drew

Me, Marc and Michelle

Ok, I'm done w/ Beverly Hills for the night. Tomorrow I will share our wonderful wine country trip and beach day.

FF-Good Fall recipes

2011-09-23T11:21:00.000-04:00

I am SOOO ready for the cooler weather (saving my i love fall post for another day)! What is awesome on a cool day...some awesome and yummy food. I want to share some of my favorite fall recipes.

1. Chilli-I mean come on...who doesn't love chilli?? I like to change it up, add different types of beans, veggies, meats etc. We love traditional ground beef chilli, white chicken chilli, veggie chilli. One of my favorite chilli's we made last fall was a buffalo(bison) chili w/ a kona porter....OMG...amazing! We love adding some sour cream, cilantro and cornbread muffins. I also make a huge pot that we can eat off of for a couple of days. Here's the recipe:

1 1lb Buffalo meat (higher in protein and lower in fat)
As many cans of beans as you want (I like dark kidney, light kidney and black beans in this recipe)
2-3 cans of stewed or diced tomatoes (I like the infused ones w/ garlic, basil etc).
1 small can of tomatoe paste
1 beer-we used a Kona Porter from Kona Brewing Co. called Pipline (pic below)
Chili seasonings (you can buy a packet or make your own w/ the spices in your kitchen)
1 onion diced
garlic, salt and pepper

Brown meat and season (I like Lawry's Garlic salt). In another pan (or same, up to you) add in onions and garlic and sautee in a little olive oil. Add rest of ingrediants together and simmer for an hr or longer. I like to let it simmer for as long I can but it's fine to serve up sooner. You can also throw in the crockpot. You won't be dissapointed : ).

2. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos

This is a staple in our house that I found in real simple. We actually have never made them w/ pork but I make them w/ chicken or shredded beef. If you make chicken use 3-5 breasts and beef, I get a roast type cut. These tacos...are AMAZING! If you like Mole, they are similar.

Ingredients

2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving (I use Archer Farms organic chipotle and it seems to do the trick)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder ( I use a DARK cocoa powder...it's amazing)
kosher salt
1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 lime, cut into wedges

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

3. Zucchini w/ Quinoa Stuffing

You veggies will love this recipe! Also, if you have never used Quinoa DO IT! It's so good for you, full of protein, fiber and lots of other benefits. This is another Real Simple find.

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
4 medium zucchini
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup almonds, chopped (about 2 ounces)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (3 ounces)
4 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oven to 400° F. In a large saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange in a large baking dish, cut-side up. Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of the oil. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini. Top with the remaining tablespoon of oil and ¼ cup Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the zucchini is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Beef & Butternut Squash Stew
Last year we were part of a CSA and I loved it. I got so many great new recipes b/c of the new veggies we got each week. This was a recipe I tried that was a keeper in our house. It's a Giada recipe. Love her!

Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (I used dry)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup Marsala wine
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 to 4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley ( I omitted this)
Crusty bread, for serving

FYI-I actually put mine in a crock pot...it turned out just fine : )

In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper and flour. Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef and squash. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread alongside.

5. Pumpkin Pie Crumble Cake

I made this last year for a bible study and it was a hit. I go bonkers for anything pumpkin. Sorry I don't have a pic.

Recipe from The Cake Doctor
1 pack plain cake mix
1 stick of butter(8tbls) at room temp
4 large eggs
2 cans(15oz) pumpkin
1 can (5oz) evaporated milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tspns cinnamon
4 tbls butter chilled
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Place a rack in center of oven and preheat 350. lightly grease 13x9 pan (with solid shortening) and dust with flour. set aside
2. measure out 1 cup of cake mix and reserve for topping. Place the remaining cake mix, the butterm and 1 egg in a mixing bowl. Blend w/ an electric mixer on low speed until combined. using finger tips and press batter over botom of pan so that it reaches sides of pan.
3. for the filling-place pumpkin, milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs and cinnamon in same mixing bowl (use same beaters too...recipe says no need to clean). blend on llow sped for 30 seconds. increase speed to medium and beat until mixture lightens in color and texture (1 to 2min) pour filling over crust and spread with spatula.
4. For topping-place remainig 1/4 cup sugar, the chilled butter, and leftover cake mix in a clean bown. Rinse and dry beaters. beat w/ electric mixer on low speed until combined and crumbly. Stop machine and stir in pecans. use your fingers to knead pecans into topping. Distribute evenly over filling mixture. place pan in oven.
5. Bake the cake until the center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan and pecans have browned 70-75 min(my oven didn't take as long). Remove and let it cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.
6. You can use whipped cream for the top.
ps-you can store for up to a week in the fridge.

ENJOY MY FRIENDS!!

Friday Five-Things I'm digging

2011-09-16T19:08:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time...so I will do a FF to get me back on a roll.

Things I'm digging at the moment.

1. Pumpkin Spice Lattes- I mean seriously...anything Pumpkin excites me and that will be a whole new post sometime soon. These make me very happy...I've only had one so far this season...but we've only just begun.

2. Time w/ my husband-Normally one or both of us is in a show...I cherish these nights together. Even though we aren't really doing anything special...dinner, movies, board games...it's all a treat~

3. Weekly dinner w/ my brother and sister in law-Now that we are in Atlanta we are 5 minutes away from my brother Dave and his wife Lynn. We've been doing a weekly trade off w/ dinners. One week they come to our place for a meal and the next week we are at their house. It's been nice to have time together to check in and hang out. Also, it's fun to have an evening off on the cooking!

4. My job- I love working with the little kiddos throughout the week. I am so thankful that I am doing the same thing in ATL. So blessed! They are cutie patooties. Here is a pic taken by Crescent Moon Photography:

5. Dish Network-This makes me feel like a BIG ole dork...but I am so happy we made the switch from Comcast cable to Dish Network. We are paying WAY less and getting SO much more. Who wouldn't like that?? Ok, so I'm going to really like my freak flag fly...I really love that I can also find Beverly Hills 90210 on a channel almost everyday of the week. I'm driving my husband nuts...but it's the little things!

Friday Five-My Charleston

2011-08-05T09:23:00.000-04:00

If you keep up at all you know that we moved back to Atlanta. But I've been back in Charleston for the past 3 weeks for work. While I am ready to get home to my hubs and my cats, I am going to miss it so much here. It was definitely strange to come back to a "home" so quickly after moving. It's almost like moving and all those emotions all over again. So, on Monday morning...keep me in your prayers...and call me while I roadtrip back to GA! So in honor of this great city I'm going to give my Friday Five!

1. Our church- Drew and I were part of a wonderful family of believers at Redeemer. We had an interesting history with the church. We used to attend the church back in 03-04 when we lived in Charleston before for 10 months. They were in a different location and under a different name. So naturally we knew we would want to go back, even though it had changed a bit. We both were a part of the choir and attended a small group which helped us to connect with people. We both definitely felt like we had a great "family" there. We are going to miss them all so much. They even helped us move! Ask our sis in law Lareine about her experience moving us w/ our Pastor! Good times for sure : )

2. Our Friends- Who would think that when you go to college that some of the people you meet in your first week would be life-ers in the world of close friends for you. Well, I was blessed enough to make several of them and was even more blessed to have one of them living in Charleston. Maggie (maybe if I tag her she will start blogging again) has been there for me through ALL of it and vice versa...it has been so amazing to live near her, have our husbands hang out and be able to watch her beautiful little girls grow up. We also made some great new couple friends through them! I'm going to miss my Charleston Gals. My other friend Angie from college lived in Charleston w/ her daughter too. Last summer was full of lots of playdates together w/ the boys I nannied. It was lots of good times. Drew and I also have made lots of good theatre friends. Some friendships just picked up where we left off when lived here before and some are new! We will especially miss our Charleston Stage and Village Playhouse families!

Love my gal Maggie!

3. The Beach-I am a beach baby and my heart is always warmed (cheesy I know) when I am near one. Especially on the beaches on the Atlantic. I know the water isn't as pretty as the Gulf but it reminds me of my hometown of St. Simons Island and the Golden Isles. Of course my freckle face doesn't really need to be out I do enjoy living near the ocean. I will miss it a lot...but it will be only a 5 hr drive away ; ).

4. The Restaurants/Downtown/History-Charleston has so many fun things to do. There are so many great food options, cute bars and tons of history to be had. I love January when you can be a tourist in your own town. You can get a pass and do all of the historic sites when the city slows down a bit. The food is also great in Charleston. I will miss Al Di La, Triangle, Voodoo and Gene's in West Ashley, Blossom, Pan e Vino, Fuel, and Basil downtown, Coleman Public House in MTP and Melvins BBQ all over!

5. My co-workers-I am blessed to work with some amazing ladies...and one dude (love you Ryan). I work at a performing arts studio called Once Upon a Ballet and Musical Theater. It is one of the most positive and loving places I've ever worked. We have our stressful days but we always pull through...and we have the same goal of helping the kids grow, learn and develop into arts loving kiddos. I'm going to miss my OUAB family!! Come visit me in ATL : )

NO Power, NO Net

2011-07-31T21:35:00.000-04:00

So, I finally starting writing again last week and then my laptop DIED. I'm in Charleston working for 3 weeks (2 down, 1 to go) and my computer has to go out on me when my computerifically smart husband is not with me. UGHHHH....SO I headed to BEST BUY to the Geek squad on Monday to find out it wasn't as dire as I thought. But it still cost $$$. So my awesome hubs ordered the part and had it shipped to me. I got it on Thurs and that night...the internet had an OUTAGE for 12hrs overnight. Seriously...I just wasn't supposed to blog last week. So I will attempt to finish my Cali trip posts and resume writing about my vida loca.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I got a mini trip down to my old hometown visit my mom and sis. Love time in the Golden Isles, love my mom's french toast and love running into my childhood best friend.

Peace!

Beverly Hills What a Thrill!-Part one

2011-07-23T23:40:00.000-04:00

About a week after we moved to Atlanta, Drew and I took of for the City of Angels. Yeppers, we went to Los Angeles for vacation and it was AMAZING. We stayed with one of our closest friends, Kate and her roommate Michelle in Beverly Hills. I seriously fell in LOVE with Cali. I have been to Washington, Oregon and San Francisco but never to the Southern part of the state. Drew had never been to the West Coast period.

Our journey started on a Tues and we left ATL about 8:30EST and landed 10:30PST. We were a little tired when we landed but stayed up even later (till 4am EST) talking and catching up. They have the cutest Apt. This is what greeted us in the kitchen:

Isn't that the cutest~ and what a great idea to have a chalkboard wall in your kitchen.

Kate had been asking what we wanted to do. We had been so busy with packing, moving, unpacking, goodbyes, hellos etc that we really hadn't had the time to do any proper research. We said we definitely wanted to do some of the typical touristy things but we were really there to chill and hang out with them. That's exactly what our trip was...CHILL. We didn't rush in the mornings and we did fun things in the afternoon and evenings.

Our first day there we headed to Hollywood Blvd. This is where the Hollywood Walk of Fame is and Graumans Chines Theater. This was cool to see...but there were SO many tourists so we didn't stay too long. We did however see a very important Star on the walk:

Yes, This says RICKY MARTIN...if you know anything about me...you know I'm a BIG dork who loves Little Kiki : ). I wasn't even looking for this and we just happened upon it...YES!

After our touristy trek we decided to hike Runyon Canyon. It was hot as hades and we had no water but it was worth it. The views of the city were awesome.

Once we got done with our hike we got back to Kate's car and it wouldn't start. Our little Irish lass left her lights on and didn't have any jumper cables. Drew scolded her in a very community theatre way...ha!

And then I passed out b/c I was hot and tired and thirsty!

So we asked people for jumper cables for about 30 min. I will say...our one and only star sighting was during this time. At one point we asked a group of three folks for help and the girl in the group was the one and only Amanda Seyfried. We didn't act like star struck buffoons and she was very sweet...and REALLY stinking small. ps-she didn't have jumper cables either : )

After we finally made it home we all showered and went to dinner in Santa Monica at EL Cholo. A super yummy and old Mexican place. It's been around since the 1920's. The food was great but these were even better:

That was Day 1 and I am tired so this is going to take me a couple of posts. Come back for more antics : )

Moving, Moving, Moving

2011-07-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

I promise my 10 followers (really 9 b/c I think my sis in law followed me twice), I haven't left you for good. I've been...

PACKING!! I've packed, and packed, and packed...and then....
We MOVED! Yep, the big move back to the ATL happened.
It has been emotionally, physically and mentally draining...but Drew and I are still talking...Ha! So all is well : ). No, but seriously, we have moved A LOT in our 9 yrs of marriage and for some reason this was one of the hardest for us. I think we put roots down in a way we had never before in the past. We are going to miss our friends in Charleston and our church very much. But we know this was what needed to happen.
The longer we are back and I'm getting settled in my way cool, 70's spanish mission ranch house, the happier I feel. All in all...we are good and I will blog again soon!

Words of advice on Marriage...

2011-06-18T16:03:00.000-04:00

...From 6th graders : ).

I've spent the morning going through boxes and organizing our condo to get ready to pack. I came across this paper with "Words of Advice on Marriage, from your 6th grade Music Class." At the end of my first year of teaching, my last period class (6th grade music kiddos) threw Drew and I a surprise wedding shower. There was great food (I still remember the key lime cake), games, presents and advice. Funny That I found this paper a couple of days after our 9th anniversary. They are pretty funny.

Here are their words of Advice:

1. Don't Lock you knees
2. Get a Dog
3. Have many boys-not girls
4. Get a big house
5. Go on dates 2x's a month
6. Smile at your wedding
7. Don't be nervous
8. Have a long kiss
9. Ger her a 16 carat diamond
10. If you have kids, get rid of all of your pets.
11. Name your first child after Olivia Stroud
12. Take a 7 day honeymoon on the beach

Friday Five-5 facts about the hubs

2011-06-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

This week was our anniversary( June 15, 2002), I'm reminded of lots of great facts about my husband, Drew. I haven't shared much about my him...so here goes.

Drew is:

1.Well rounded-my husband is also an actor (who sings and dances too) so he definitely has a love for theatre but he has a super jock side too. This was appealing back in the day b/c he had passions but they varied. He's a HUGE Braves fan, Falcons fan, and University of GA football fan. I don't really like football (yes, I was a cheerleader in HS, for football, but I just like being cheery and spirited...and dancing). But I do love some Braves baseball (can you tell we are from GA). The games are very fun...and who doesn't love a good hot dog and beer or root beer ;).

2. A Thinker-Drew likes to take his time thinking about a good answer to questions I often bring up. I am impatient and want an answer then and NOW. He likes to ponder, and ponder, and PONDER...it's not always a bad thing. He definitely puts a lot of thought into decisions...and to his actions...It definitely shows. I love having a husband to thinks, prays and decides in his time.

3. Polite and Loving and has manners-On our first date he opened doors for me....HE OPENED DOORS FOR ME. I had dated a lot of tools before Drew and was so surprised to date a guy who put my needs before his. He knew how to court me and I was definitely wooed! I also think Drew displays a HUGE amount of love for me and his family. He puts his Fam before anything (except the big Dude upstairs...God you dorks)! He is a great display of a giving, loving and honorable guy. He also has learned how to put up with me all of these years...that's a feat all by itself! HA!

4. A middle child-Drew has an older brother and a younger sister...and he is in the middle...and you can tell. He's grown out of a lot of those middle children tendencies...but you can still see it every once in a while. Let's just say he likes it to be fair...anyone else relate?

5. Is shorter than me-yep...my husband is shorter than me...do I care? Not anymore...yep I will be honest, it did bother me a bit when we first started dating. But I asked him it bothered him on our 2nd or 3rd date and he said "No, I kind of like that you are taller then me". I was so impressed with a guy so sure of himself and confident that I was totally into it too : ). He doesn't even stop me from wearing heels...not that he could but you know what I mean!

June 15, 2002

2011-06-16T22:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was our 9th anniversary! What the WHAT! I know seriously...where does time go? I'm sure you're asking "How old were you when you got married?" Don't worry, we were legal. I like to joke with people and say "Well you know we AAAARRREE from Georgia.". We were young compared to most of our friends but for wondering minds-we were 23 and we were both 4 months shy of 24. Now, my birthday doesn't make me feel old but saying I've been married 9 years does for some reason.

They've been 9 years full of every emotion under the sun. It's been wonderful, hard, great, scary, fun, nutty, crazy, amazing...the list goes on. I truly feel blessed that Drew and I are together. We've had good and bad times, mostly good, and they've all been worth it. I married my best friend and thankfully we've continued to grow together throughout our years. He's made me a better person...and I'm glad he hasn't given up on me. We've not been alone...thankfully the Lord has constantly guided us and been a part of this union. Our wedding verse was Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves but A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Here are some pics are of our big day. We are definitely different people now. We talk about how different our day would be if we were to get married now...I know a lot would change but there would also be a lot that would stay the same. Looking at the pictures reminds me of who we were then and how special of a day it was! I am thankful for our amazing family and friends who've been with us from the beginning. Enjoy!

The Bride My Mom and Dad : )

My Dad and Mama Deb

My Sis, Lauren and Mom All My Girls!

My wonderful Drew

All his dudes!

Drew and his siblings: Tom (l) Rebecca and her hubby Robert on (R)

Drew and His folks

Drew and His Mini Me

Drew and Tom acting normal

All the Crazy ladies!

Our closest encounter before the wedding : ) The Bride stand alone

Finally Wedded ; )

What have we done!! ha ha ha

Always Acting!

Dancing with My Daddy!

The Groom's cake

Almost there...Amy's about to take the cake!

I love you DREW!

A blessed and great day!

Friday Five-Best things about beach vacation

2011-06-10T19:39:00.000-04:00

I LOVE vacation! I never get to chill and I am SO happy to be here. Srry there are no pics to post but I am too relaxed to get up and grab the camera : ).

1. Family-I'm so blessed to have a great family on all sides. We are at Hilton Head beach right now w/ my Hubs, his parents, my mom, his sister and her husband and 2 kiddos and our sister in law. It's awesome getting to spend some time together chilling.

2. Sleep-I've slept the past two mornings with no alarm waking me up. It doesn't matter that I woke up early but I was on my schedule. It's so nice to sleep...I've needed it!

3. Food-On vacation calories don't count ; ). You can eat and eat and eat...if you want! It's all about what makes you happy on vacay. Nevermind I'm in my bathing suit most of the time...I don't care : )

4. No schedule-I work a lot and over-schedule myself all of the time. It's so nice to be on my own schedule with no agenda. Drew and I are getting to play on the beach, in the pool, board games, read, exercise(so far just him ), and enjoy our time together and with our fam.

5. The Beach-I know I live by it but I don't get to go as often as I'd like. The beach has always had a peaceful affect on me. I find so much beauty in God's work.

Friday Five-Summer time faves

2011-06-03T23:23:00.000-04:00

School's out for SUMMER...which means there is a lot change in the air : ). Here are some of my favorite things about summer time.

1. So You Think You Can Dance- I love this show and it normally starts back up at the beginning of summer. I am normally not a fan of reality tv-but this one utilizes talent so I am pulled in a bit. I definitely have my favorite judges too...and my least faves : ) (aka Tice). I have even sucked the hubby into watching this with me. We even had a little group of friends in Atl and NYC that we watched with. Digga Digga Digga DANCE!

2. Summer Ales-who doesn't love a good cold one after a long day? Some of my favorite seasonal ales are Blue Moon's Summer Ale, Magic Hat's Wacko, and New Belgium's Somersault. I always look forward to trying new seasonals...do you have a favorite summer ale?

3. Sundresses-I love wearing a sundress and sandals. I live in dance clothes all year long so it's really nice to put on a sundress and feel cute and girly. I love them long, short, flowy, fitted, bright, pastel, patterned...you get the picture. Here's one of my newer sundresses...beware of the white legs : )

4. Fresh fruits and veggies-I love all of the farmer's markets with local veggies and fruits. Even the publix has an assortment of berries, citrus, squash, peppers. It makes me wanna grill some fish and veggies and top it off with fresh fruit for dessert. It helps me on my life quest to add more healthy options to my everyday life.

5. Baseball-I don't exactly love this...but the hubs does...and it makes me happy to see him get so excited. I guess this really starts up in spring but it's a summery thing for us too. We have been trying to get to as many ballparks across the country. This summer we hit LA's field!

Friday Five-Summer Beach reads

2011-05-27T23:47:00.001-04:00

It's getting closer to fun beach read time! So in honor I thought I would share 5 of my favorite books.

1. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Really anything by her is great but I really like this book. It's definitely chic lit but it has substance and heart. I bought this book for my flight to NYC when we moved. Since most of the story takes place in the city it was cool for me as a newbie to hear street names and restaurants...etc. It hold a special place in my heart. The movie was pretty fun too!

2. Beach Music by Pat Conroy
This book is brilliant. I love how the story goes back and forth from South Carolina to Italy. He definitely doesn't hold back on the gut wrenching parts but it's worth it. His descriptions of food is mouth watering. It's a great story of family...and pain...and love.

3. The Spoils of Time Trilogy by Penny Vencenzi
This trilogy follows a publishing family in England. It starts at the turn of the century and ends after WWII. The characters are well developed and there is so much conflict it's hard to decide if the family is their own downfall. There is love, greed, wars, lust, evil, and peace. I highly recommend!

4. Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews
I love books set in the south and this one gives it's readers charm and humor. This is chic lit-girl power book to a T. The main character, Weezie, is a hoot in her adventures as a divorcee who is an antiques dealer. She goes from glam or grim and shows she can still hold her own. Add some mystery in there and you've got a great book!

5. Watermelon by Marian Keyes
Who wants to get left by their husband the day of the birth of their first child? That's what happened to Claire the heroine of this story. This book follows her to Dublin where she lives her family while trying to pick up the pieces of her life. You feel her pain, you cry and you laugh with Claire. You will also love the humorous ways she grows, learns and changes!

What books do you like?? i have many more but would love to hear your faves!

I have missed THEE

2011-05-24T21:11:00.000-04:00

I have had absolutely no time to blog lately. Things have been nuts...it's kind of what happens when I'm in a show. Since I last blogged I have:

1. Gone to NYC (where I saw friends, saw shows, went to workshops, ate my fave thai in Astoria, saw one of my close friends at the hospital after she had her baby, ran into an ex boyfriend on the street (seriously), walked in my old neighborhood of Sunnyside, hit my fave spot Bar 43...just to name a few)
2. Openend XANADU
3. Had Drew's sister Becca and her hubby, and our other sis in law Lareine come to town for the show, my mom and aunt come to town, and this weekend Drew's folks and my bro David and sis in law Lynn.
4.Gone to Atlanta on a whirlwhind trip to scout locations for my new job (more on that exciting news to come)
5. Spent time with my BFF Maggie who just had her 2nd baby girl, Caroline. Drew and I finally took them a meal the week after Xanadu opened. It was southern to the core: chicken pot pie, salad and banana pudding.
6. Saw "Something Borrowed" and "Bridesmaids"-highly recommend both!
7. Celebrated Artie and Harpo's 4th birthday on May 5
8. Went to the beach twice : )
9. Made dinner...it's been AWESOME to have a couple of nights where a power bar didn't count as a meal.
10. Watched season finales of all of our fave shows (Chuck, 30 Rock, How I met Your Mother, Community, Parks and Rec, Grey's Anatomy).

How has your May gone so far? Did you have any season finales you especially liked?

I hope to get back on the blogging train soon!